Frenemies: This is not a case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Frenemies are more like trusted partners that became competitors. In today’s market of ever-changing technologies, there are more and more companies moving into spaces that are very unpredictable.
For a very long time nurse call and middleware have been synonymous. You could not have a complete nurse call system unless you had wireless phones with it. This meant middleware was a must. Middleware acts as a translator between nurse call and wireless devices since they don’t always talk directly to one another. Over time, middleware companies began enhancing their software to be more than just a translator. They started offering reports, and dashboards, and eventually assignment applications, which are all features generally offered within the nurse call system. What once was a friend, was now a competitor as both systems argue to be the primary interface. This didn’t make both sides enemies but they also are no longer friends. Each will have applications in which they need the other and therefore must continue to work together.
Let’s talk about Apple. Many of us use apple devices in our every day lives. And even if you don’t personally own an apple device, you have a 45% chance your communication is with someone using an apple device. Apple is a company focused on user experience (oddly – not devices). We the consumer are the users and slowly Apple has become an everyday part of our lives. They are now looking to Healthcare. iPhone and apps tracked health and provided historical data. Soon the apple watch gave real time biometrics. After numerous hospitals have embraced Apple technology in their facilities, now Apple is building their own healthcare facilities. Will this make Apple a Frenemy to traditional Hospitals? We shall see.
- Marquis Woodard, Director of Sales, Houston