License Management Software: Is CUBES The Right Fit for Your Business?

October 9, 2021October 9, 2021 Admin

Between the plethora of options among subscriptions, SaaS, short-term software, and other licensing, businesses of all shapes and sizes have experienced an exponential change in how software is licensed. While perhaps a decade ago yearly service fees were the norm, managing licenses has become incredibly complex. With these complexities, issues such as unwanted renewal fees, late fees, and license management delegation have arisen, forcing businesses to reevaluate and adapt.

When prompted with these issues, the natural step businesses take is to search for license management software. What they find is an array of options just as complex as the issues they are trying to solve. The world of Software Asset Management (SAM), Enterprise Asset Management, and IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) provides megalithic tools, packed with features to address every use-case imaginable. However, not all businesses need such an option and can’t afford to tie up an IT department for weeks during implementation. Quite simply, many businesses just need an easy way to manage their licenses. Enter the “Goldilocks” solution: CUBES License Management Software from Tangent.

To decide whether CUBES is the right fit for your business, it is important to look at these three categories of software license management:

1. In-house:

In-house software license management offers rudimentary control through tools such as Excel or Google Sheets. If historical costs or efficiency tradeoffs aren’t a priority and there are only 4-12 items to track, this is a perfectly functional solution. However, as businesses grow, a system that might have taken minutes to keep track of 10 licenses can become inconvenient at 20. Reminders can slip through the cracks. In general, the business outgrows this solution. Conveniently, CUBES makes our Excel template freely available as a starting point for keeping track of software licenses, SaaS subscriptions, and warranties.

2. Professional:

Professional management comes into play when businesses want more. To track more, see more, and clean up the mess caused by different departments doing their own data entry. At this point, businesses need to consider what they can afford, as well as what level of complexity they are ready for. For organizations needing feature-rich options, but that do not have the IT manpower to dedicate to onboarding and maintaining enterprise software, CUBES is the right fit.

3. Enterprise:

For businesses needing ITIL processes in place, software utilization information, compliance tracking and procurement management, that also have robust IT departments in place, enterprise management is where they should be looking. See our decision checklist below and white paper to help understand where your business falls and if CUBES is the right fit for your license management software needs.

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For more information, visit https://www.tangent.com/solutions/cubes/

5 Uses For Medical Computers

August 6, 2021August 6, 2021 Admin

It may seem like the uses of medical computers mirror those of traditional computers, and that the two are interchangable. They both send emails, can handle spreadsheets, and can access the internet. But the uses of medical computers are far more exact and tailored to the hospital environment. Here are five of the top uses for medical computers.

Medical Imaging With Medical Computers

Medical imaging requires the use of complex machinery like X-ray, ultrasound, and MRI Machines. Hospital staff nearly always need a reliable medical computer in order to operate these machines. Tangent medical computers like the M24T feature a lightning fast NVMe SSD. This allows the medical computer to load medical imaging software in a snap, and perform tasks as fast as your machinery will allow.

m24t medical grade computer — Tangent M24T Medical Computer

Telehealth Appointments

The pandemic continues to make clear the importance of telehealth appointments in the medical space. These appointments allow patients who may struggle to reach the hospital a quick and convenient way to get the medical care they need. Tangent computers all feature front facing cameras. These cameras are perfect for giving your patients the face-to-face time with their doctors that they need.

Patient Monitoring

Just as medical computers can help your doctors connect with patients, they can also help them to monitor important medical information. Remote monitoring technology coupled with Tangent computers can allow your doctors to receive real time information from their patients. They can then use this data to recommend treatments, call patients in for emergency care, and generally help patients in a way not possible before.

Medical Computers For Surgery Procedures

Surgery rooms need to be sterile, and traditional computers can detract from a room’s sanitation. They can become breeding grounds for harmful bacteria and also circulate dusty air throughout the room. Tangent medical computers like the E24B feature an antimicrobial enclosure that mitigates the growth of harmful bacteria. They also come with a fanless cooling system to keep your computers from circulating air.

Tangent E24B Medical Grade Computer — Tangent E24B Medical Computer

Rapid Electronic Health Records Access

Your doctors need to be able to access their patient’s information quickly. The same NVMe SSD slot that Tangent computers feature can also be used to store Electronic Health Record software. This allows the software to boot up and load files quickly and accurately.

Choose Tangent

There are plenty of use cases for medical computers in the hospital. But not every medical computer is built equally. Tangent goes to great lengths to ensure that each medical computer by them is built to last in a medical environment. For more information, contact Tangent Sales today.

What Does “Medical Grade” Mean?

February 24, 2020March 12, 2020 Admin

You may see the term “Medical Grade” floated along by many manufacturers these days in your search for proper medical equipment. Everyone, from dentist chair manufacturers to medical grade computer manufacturers, lays claim to the term, implying that their product meets the true definition. While there is no central body that organizes the term “Medical Grade” and assigns it accordingly, there are some key elements that hospital supply buyers should look out for in their medical purchases. Most notably, the term “Medical Grade” when applied to computers should be scrutinized. Your Medical Grade Computer purchases should meet the following criteria:

UL60601 Certified

It almost goes without saying that any medical computers you purchases should be UL60601 Certified, but it is still worth mentioning. Among other things, this certification ensures that any Medical Grade Computers purchased by your hospital meet safety standards set by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC has set these guidelines to ensure that electrical equipment, such as medical grade computers, does not interfere with other medical technology used in proximity to it.

Medical Grade Computers Should Be Antimicrobial

Aside from UL60601 certification, ensuring that every medical grade computer purchased for your hospital is antimicrobial is the most important aspect to the meaning of being medical grade. Antimicrobial medical grade computers feature an antimicrobial coating. This coating makes the medical grade computer impervious to bacteria and other pathogens, mitigating their growth on its surfaces. When a medical grade computer features antimicrobial properties, it is as if the medical grade computer is constantly sanitizing itself with antibacterial wipes. This feature is an absolute necessity in a time where hospital acquired infections are so prevalent.

Backup Battery Enabled

Hospitals are facilities designed to treat both common colds and emergencies. When the latter happens, the equipment your hospital uses will need to be depended upon. Ensuring that the medical grade computers your hospital relies on can, in fact, be relied on is key to preventing potentially dangerous conditions for your patients. Medical grade computers with either hot-swap battery technology or uninterrupted power supplies (UPS) prevent your hospital’s computer network from going out when the power does.

Medical Grade: Tangent Meets The Mark

“Medical Grade” is so much more than a term, it’s a commitment. Tangent has pioneered this commitment and designed medical grade computers that constantly push the idea of “Medical Grade” further and further. Each one of Tangent’s numerous Medical Grade Computers meets or exceeds the standards listed above. It is this commitment to the Medical Grade that makes Tangent the top innovator of medical grade computer technology.

Mini PCs For Demanding Applications

February 24, 2020March 12, 2020 Admin

There’s no doubt that Industrial PCs are a vital part of every industrial facility. But sometimes, for various reasons, a smaller approach may be preferred. That’s where Mini PCs from Tangent come in. Mini PCs are Industrial PCs that come in small yet powerful form. Rugged Mini PCs are perfect for situations where space is of the utmost concern, but powerful processing power is still required. At Tangent, our lineup of Mini PCs are built for the most demanding applications practiced—whether that’s inside or outside the factory.

High Performance Mini PCs

Embedded control systems don’t have to be tethered to large Industrial PCs. With high performance Rugged Mini PCs from Tangent, embedded control systems can run on a small yet powerful device directly adjacent to the system being controlled. Whether it’s suspension or fluid levels, there’s a Rugged Mini PC from Tangent that can control it. Rugged Mini PCs like the Rugged Mini O from Tangent are IP69K certified waterproof and can withstand temperatures from -4°F – 140°F, making it the perfect controller for nearly every application.

Fanless Mini PCs

Digital Signs are not an industrial endeavor, but nevertheless experience industrial grade conditions. Digital signs posted outside can be exposed to sun damage, dust, and blistering hot summer days. In order to keep these signs running, Tangent has designed Rugged Mini PCs like the Rugged Mini L2 to be fanless, thus making them perfect for digital signage. Without fans, there is no risk of dust buildup in the Rugged Mini PCs, allowing it to withstand all the rigors of outdoor life without constant maintenance.

Interactive Kiosks can face similar problems when exposed in the elements. Even more so when these Kiosks offer the user a touchscreen interface. In order to keep these Kiosks from quickly being worn out by daily use, employing Mini PCs from Tangent is crucial. Mini PCs like the Rugged Mini Tank ensures that your kiosk, quite literally, will be built like a tank. Meeting official military grade standards, the Rugged Mini Tank is the perfect Mini PC for interactive kiosks that see daily use.

Mini PCs: Perfect For Every Occasion

Whether it’s inside or outside the factory, Mini Industrial PCs can find applications in nearly any environment. These industrial PCs are custom built to be able to withstand any industrial application, making them perfect for situations that see just as many rugged conditions as factories see. With Mini Industrial PCs from tangent, there is nothing that can’t be done with industrial efficiency.

factory and infrastructure. Industrial PC from Tangent

Feature Packed Industrial Computers

February 17, 2020February 17, 2020 Admin

When it comes to the needs of industrial facilities, no two sets of needs are alike. Every type of facility— from factories, to oil processing plants, and even refrigerated facilities—has its own unique set of problems requiring unique solutions. Tangent is highly aware of this, and has designed multiple industrial computers to meet the needs of many facilities. Our feature packed industrial computers are custom designed for nearly every environment, guaranteeing there are multiple Tangent industrial computers to meet the demands of your facility.

Flexible Mounting Options

Not every facility has the square footage to accommodate multiple office spaces, but this shouldn’t mean that you have to sacrifice your workstations altogether. Industrial computers from Tangent like the F15 industrial grade computer are built for just such instances. With flexible VESA 75/100 and M8 Heavy-duty screws mounting options, the F15 industrial grade computer is capable of being placed nearly anywhere. The F15 industrial grade computer is an all-in-one PC that does not require a mouse or keyboard, meaning that it also does not require a large desk. Simply mount the F15 anywhere—even on a forklift—and “anywhere” can become an industrial workstation.

F15 Industrial PC From Tangent — F15 Industrial Computer

Military Grade Hardware

While other manufacturers claim to have “military grade” industrial computers, Tangent has actually gone through the accreditation process for its line of qualifying industrial grade computers. Industrial computers like the Rugged Mini Tank industrial computer meet MIL-STD-810F shock standards. This makes this industrial grade computer the perfect fit for industrial areas where vibrations and drops are a fact of life. The Rugged Mini Tank lives up to its name, and can withstand military levels of punishment while operating as though it was sitting in a coffee shop.

Advanced Cooling Systems

It is true that not every industrial facility’s needs are the same, but one thing holds true across the board: industrial facilities require industrial computers with specialized cooling systems. Traditional fan based cooling systems used by commercial computers assume that the location they are used in will have an air filter to remove dust and other contaminants. It goes without saying that this is not the case in industrial facilities. Tangent has created a passive cooling system for its lineup of industrial grade computers that not only cool them off, but allow them an extreme resistance to temperatures.

Industrial computers like the Rugged Mini C from Tangent can withstand temperatures from -40° – 185°F. This extreme range of operating temperatures makes the Rugged Mini C ideal for facilities where temperatures are either ice cold or beating hot.

Feature Packed And Factory Ready

Industrial grade computers from Tangent are custom designed to meet the needs of every industrial facility. Whether your facility lacks space, requires military grade hardware, or even has extreme temperatures, Tangent has created an industrial computer that will be the perfect fit.

Medical Grade Computers For Operating Room Use

Fanless Medical Computers For Operating Room Use

January 30, 2020January 30, 2020 Admin

Of the 27 million surgeries performed every year in the United States, 5% result in a Surgical site infection (SSI). A SSI is labeled as such when an infection occurs within 30 days of surgery or within one year of a foreign object being implanted in the body. While this number may seem low, the 5% amounts to 1.35 million SSIs per year. These infections can cause serious detriment to patients, longer hospitals stays, and even drastic healthcare costs to the hospital treating said patient. Reducing the amount of SSIs in your hospital can lead to decreased costs, fewer repeat patients, and a healthier workplace.

How To Reduce Surgical Site Infections In The Hospital

While it is nearly impossible to create a perfectly sterile environment to perform surgeries in, there are promising remedies that can help reduce the amount of SSI causing bacteria in the operating room. One remedy is the use of fanless medical computers. Fanless medical computers are medical computers that do not feature fan-based cooling systems. Instead, they employ passive cooling systems that work just as good, if not better than, fan-based cooling systems.

The main benefit of fanless medical computers is that since they do not require outside air be brought in as a coolant, they can have fully enclosed casings. This means that most fanless medical computers are water resistant in addition to being fanless. It also means that no there is no dust build up in the medical computer. This is important because dust buildup in medical computers can lead to the creation of bacteria breeding grounds. We all know that bacteria love warm places, and what better place for bacteria to thrive than in the heatsink of a fan constantly circulating warm air and organic dust particles. Fanless medical computers completely eliminate this festering possibility, leading to a much safer and cleaner medical computer.

Fanless Medical Computers Are Antimicrobial

In addition to being rid of a breeding ground for bacteria, fanless medical computers from Tangent are antimicrobial computers. The touchscreen of every Tangent fanless medical computer features an antimicrobial coating with mitigates the growth of bacteria on its surface. So in addition to not creating a breeding ground for bacteria, fanless medical computers also eliminate any bacteria growth on their surfaces. This one-two punch makes fanless medical computers the perfect medical computers for operating room use, as they can drastically reduce the bacteria present in the room and reduce the likelihood of a SSI from occurring.

Fanless Medical Computers: Perfect For The Operating Room

Every year, 1.35 million SSIs occur. These SSIs are not only a detriment to the wellbeing of the afflicted patient, but to the hospital serving them. Fanless medical grade computers from Tangent can help reduce the likelihood of these infections from every occurring, saving hospitals time and money and saving patients from further suffering.

Customizable Panel PCs For Every Use

January 30, 2020January 30, 2020 Admin

It’s not everyday that you decide to update your facility’s legacy equipment, and there’s a lot of questions to be considered. Should you focus on buying hardware for specific tasks, or instead purchase multipurpose units that can be used in various situations? While each side has its benefits and downsides, a compromise between the two can actually net productive results. While it may seem as though multi-use hardware is prone to not being specific enough, this could not be further from the truth. When it comes to industrial computers, customization options do not impede the industrial computer’s ability to perform specific tasks. In fact, customization options for industrial PCs can actually help these PCs with specific tasks in fashions that pigeonholed industrial PCs cannot.

Industrial Panel PCs: Customizable To The Limit

Industrial Panel PCs are some of the most versatile industrial PCs available, and it is easy to see why. Panel PCs are industrial PCs that are all-in-one PCs, that is, they do not require mice or keyboards to operate. Instead, they utilize a sensitive touchscreen for input. Much like a tablet, the entire panel PC is contained behind the screen. This allows Panel PCs to operate in spaces where traditional industrial PCs could not fit either because no desk space is available for simply no space in general is available. With Panel PCs, industrial computing power can be available anywhere in a facility at any time.

VITA KW Line Of Panel PCs

VITA KW Line of Industrial PCs — VITA KW Line Of Industrial Computers

Taking the notion of fitting anywhere to its limit, the VITA KW line from Tangent is one line of panel PCs that can truly fit anywhere. With options ranging from 15”, 19”, 22”, 24”, the VITA KW line is sure to have an option tailored to your space requirements. In as little as 15 inches, the VITA KW can turn a space into a fully fledged industrial workstation. In larger areas, the 25 inch VITA KW is perfect as a traditional workstation. While the all-in-one nature of these panel PCs means that they can operate without mice or keyboards, they are more than capable of utilizing these peripherals. The VITA KW line is designed to fit into your world, not the other way around.

S Series Of Panel PCs

S Series Of Industrial Compuers — S Series Of Industrial Computers

Much like the VITA KW line from Tangent, the S Series from Tangent is features a range of sizing options for every occasion. From 15″, to 19″, to 22″ the S Series is ready to fit into your workstations. The S Series features a stainless steel enclosure that is IP69K certified fully waterproof. The IP69K rating is the highest IP rating available, making the S Series some of the most versatile industrial PCs on the market. This high IP rating makes the S Series perfect for environments where dust and water are facts of life, and can be expected to operate in perfect order in such areas.

VITA 474 Panel PC

VITA 474 Industrial PC — VITA 474 Industrial Computer

An outlier in the VITA line, the VITA 474 from Tangent stands alone in its wide operating temperature range. The VITA 474 is capable of operating between -4ºF – 122ºF. This makes the 474 industrial PC perfect for both refrigerated facilities and foundries, as well as any facility in between. In addition to this extensive operating temperature range, the VITA 474 comes ready to perform with RFID technology and an Intel Skylake processor.

F15 Panel PC

Not every panel PC needs to be mounted to a wall or desk. The F15 from Tangent doubles as both a panel PC and industrial PC Tablet. This dual nature makes the F15 the ultimate customizable panel PC, as the ability to transform from desktop to tablet offers a wide range of applications. On the desk, workers can take advantage of its powerful Intel I7 processor and 2 terabyte solid state drive to work with the beefiest industrial programs. In hand, workers can expect lightning fast response times with Intel Wireless AC-7260 & Bluetooth technology. When mounted on industrial vehicles, workers can utilize multiple programmable function keys to perform actions with one hand. With the F15, the possibilities are truly endless.

Panel PCs: So Much More Than Tablets

When it comes to deciding between specific task oriented industrial PCs and customizable industrial PCs, don’t pigeonhole your workers. Panel PCs from Tangent offer a sensible middle ground between the two, offering both customization options and task-oriented features.

The Importance of Security and Medical Grade Hardware

May 20, 2019May 20, 2019 Admin

On May 14th, Simon Pope, a director at the Microsoft Security Response Center, wrote a blog post urging users of older Windows operating systems to install security patches on their computers and take steps to secure themselves from a known vulnerability that could be exploited and result in worm infections and/or cyber attacks. The remote code execution vulnerability was discovered in the Remote Desktop Services on versions older than Windows 8. This warning arises from the lessons of the 2017 “WannaCry” ransomware attack. Those attacks were highly destructive even though a Windows security patch for it had been available for months. WannaCry affected thousands of computers worldwide, bringing down hospital networks and causing the cancellation of over 19,000 medical appointments.

It seems incredible that a hospital’s IT staff would overlook such crucial updates, but it’s an unfortunate reality for many medical companies. Another problem is that many facilities don’t upgrade their hardware often enough to be able to run newer versions of Windows, and much of their computer inventory is not of a medical grade. Cost and budget constraints tend to be the reason for lack of security or hardware updates, but as seen with the WannaCry attack, the results can be more catastrophic to a hospital and its ability to service patients.

medical grade computers

Tangent offers thirteen different types of medical grade computers that can be customized to suit the needs of any medical facility. A multi-year analysis of cost and return on investment will reveal that having up-to-date technology and safety measures will end up saving more for the hospital. With Tangent’s medical grade fanless touchscreen computers, one can be confident that infection and contaminants will not be spread amongst patients from the hospital’s computer equipment. The enclosures are protected from water ingress so that they may be disinfected thoroughly. Many are equipped with hot-swappable batteries or UPS internal batteries for continuous use of the system even during power outages. The medical computers are also equipped with the latest version of Windows to help keep the operating systems and data as safe as possible. The list of available options is truly impressive and allows hospitals to find the right fit for their requirements and budget, while also ensuring that they are doing everything they can to prevent cyber attacks and downtime.

Every Minute Counts with Cardiac Arrest

May 20, 2019May 20, 2019 Admin

When cardiac incidents occur in a hospital, every minute that passes can be a factor in whether the patient survives or not. According to Heart.org, in 2016, only about 25 percent of U.S. patients survived when their hearts stopped in a hospital. With how busy medical staff are and the amount of alerts going off all the time, it often happens that a crucial one goes unnoticed for some time. For many hospital systems, the answer to this is to employ Central Monitoring Units (CMU). A CMU consists of nurses and clinicians at a remote site that watch patient vital signs on a computer and call hospital staff if they notice potential emergency situations like the onset of ventricular tachycardia. The end goal is give front-line hospital staff notice of serious cardiac events an hour or more before they happen. This is a challenging objective since the process is heavily reliant on medical technicians to identify key signals from massive data streams on hundreds of patients. However, even the short amount of notice they are able to give has been life saving in many cases already.

Fast data analysis and response from a remote clinician is possible only with fast medical computers to aid their efforts. A medical grade computer like Tangent’s E24B offers the performance, safety, and uptime required for a crucial job of this nature. Its 24” monitor with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 allows for many monitors and applications to be displayed clearly to the medical technician, and the projected capacitive touchscreen makes working between application screens quick and efficient. The medical computer has an impressive 32GB of available memory, solid state drives, and is powered by the latest in Intel Core technology. One can be assured that many applications will run at once without freezing or crashing. Continuous operation is paramount for staff monitoring patient cardiac activity, and so the E24B computer is designed with 3x hot-swappable batteries in case of power outages or if the station needs to be moved.

Medical Computer CMU

Advances in artificial intelligence will be the next step in improving monitoring and identifying patients in danger, but the human component will likely always be necessary in that process. A trained technician is important for providing the expertise and experience to make a judgement call. AI may certainly attain a human level of aptitude for patient monitoring, but for now medical computers best shine as a reliable support and data gathering tool. With enough ingenuity and creative use of technology, hospitals will be able to push that 25% cardiac arrest survival rate up much higher.

EHR and Patient Care Ready

May 14, 2019May 14, 2019 Admin

Epic Systems is world-renowned for their electronic health records software, but their portfolio has expanded to do much more than just maintain records in the patient care space. They understandably have specific system requirements for successful use of all their powerful features. The recommended screen resolution on a system running Epic is 1920×1080 with at 24” widescreen flat panel screen. That is a bit of a jump from the 22” monitors people normally use. Epic has so much to display on the screen that smaller monitors will require scrolling to see the entire work window. They also recommend a sixth generation Intel processor and 8GB of memory. A strong processor and ample memory is necessary to run the application at full bore without any freezing or slowness. A computer running this software will often be in a clinical setting and needs to be of a high quality and safety standard. All these requirements added up together points to a need for a medical grade PC to adequately handle the job. Let’s explore why that is.

Medical grade computers like Tangent’s Medix T24B are purpose built for medical environments running memory intensive applications that must have reliable and near-constant uptime. From the performance side, the T24B guarantees fast and consistent functionality with up to 32GB of memory and an Intel Core i7 processor. From a hardware perspective, three hot-swappable batteries allows for up to 10.5 hours of uninterrupted run time in case of a power outage. This medical grade computer matches Epic’s requirements perfectly with a 24” wide multi-touch screen and 1920×1080 resolution. Being a medical grade all-in-one panel PC makes it space efficient, sleek, and professional looking. Patient data is efficiently entered as they work with their care provider and they can see that quality equipment is used at the facility.

Medix T24B Medical Computer

A medical grade PC also needs to promote health and safety in a medical facility. After all, computers are touched all day long by many hands, and the last thing anyone needs is for germs and bacteria to propagate and spread there. Like the T24B, Tangent’s C24 medical grade panel PC has an antimicrobial additive baked into its housing to reduce the growth and spread of contagion. The enclosure is sealed with an IP65 rating so that it may be properly wiped down and sanitized. A third, and often forgotten, safety precaution is confirmed by the device’s medical 60601 certification. This indicates that the computer is protected from electrical frequency leakage, making it safe to be used in close proximity to a patient. Running an EHR software suite with a stellar reputation on a powerful medical grade computer with built-in uptime assurance is a sure-fire path to a successful practice and satisfied, safe patients.