Here is the summary of a few release-defining new features in the 5.3.4 version of the Vocera Voice Server.

Vocera Voice User Interface

This section highlights new features, enhancements, and changes for voice commands, voice prompts, and feature behaviors.

Vocera care team connect

The new direct call feature as part of the Vocera care team connect solution enables patients and their care team to communicate with each other in bed locations lacking nurse call. Use of this feature can reduce the need to don and doff Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and improve the patient experience.

When the direct call feature is enabled for a Vocera Smartbadge or B3000n device users, a patient can press the Call button to immediately place a call to a predefined care team recipient without having to interact with the Genie.

The Direct Call feature is disabled by default. Using the Administration Console, Administrators can enable it from the new Direct Call section in the User > Add/Edit User > Phone tab and add a direct call recipient (User, Group, or Address Book Entry) to the user profile. To create user profiles in bulk with care team connect features, Administrators can update Direct Call and Direct Call Target columns in the user-template.csv file and import it.

For information on Vocera device usage guidelines for the care team connect feature, refer to the Vocera V-Series Smartbadge User Guide and Vocera B-Series Badge User Guide available on Vocera Documentation Portal.

Vocera Voice Server

This section highlights administrator configuration requirements for new features, enhancements, and behavior changes that appear in the voice user interface for badges, smartphones, and the Vocera User Console.

• The following third-party software versions are included in this release and provide 64-bit compatibility or security enhancements:

  Third-party Software	Version
  Apache HTTP Server	2.4.41
  Apache Tomcat	9.0.20
  JRE (Zulu built on OpenJDK)	1.8.0_232 (Zulu 8.42.0.21)
  MySQL Server	8.0.17

• The new property, ForceAutoAnswerForDirectCall overrides the default system settings and allows the direct call users to auto-answer all the incoming calls when set to true.

Here is the summary of a few release-defining new features in the 5.3.3 version of the Vocera Voice Server.

Vocera Voice User Interface

This section highlights new features, enhancements, and changes for voice commands, voice prompts, and feature behaviors.

• When a call is forwarded to an external phone number, administrators and users can choose to display the name of the caller instead of the external phone number on the device.

  On the Administration Console, administrators set up the call options from Defaults > Miscellaneous tab and then enable Hide Forwarded Number option from Users > Add New/Edit User > Forward tab. Administrators and users enable Hide Forwarded Number from the Call Forwarding tab in the User Console.

• Vocera Badge users continue to use Voice PIN features that are not available in Smartbadges for this release.
• When the call gets forwarded to a destination through Forward > Forward When > All or Offline options, users do not see a missed call entry.
• Enable Send Broadcasting User's Location to Emergency Broadcast Group from the Add New/Edit Site page to send the location of the broadcasting user to the Emergency Broadcast Group.

Vocera Voice Server

This section highlights administrator configuration requirements for new features, enhancements, and behavior changes that appear in the voice user interface for badges, smartphones, and the Vocera User Console.

• The following third-party software versions are included in this release and provide 64-bit compatibility or security enhancements:

  Third-party Software	Version
  Apache HTTP Server	2.4.41
  Apache Tomcat	9.0.20
  JRE (Zulu built on OpenJDK)	1.8.0_232 (Zulu 8.42.0.21)
  MySQL Server	8.0.17

• The Vocera Messaging Interface (VMI) now supports TLS 1.2.
• Control the enunciation of phone number through the TelEnunciateCallerNumber property in the properties.txt when the call is received from an external phone number. This property is hidden and set to false, by default.
• Enabling the RejectMessageOnUrgentPlayback property in properties.txt rejects new alerts and messages when sent to a user who is currently listening to an enunciated message. This property is hidden and set to false, by default.
• The log rolling policy is now controlled by logback.xml. The LogMaxFiles and LogMaxLines properties in the properties.txt file no longer control the log rolling policy. Contact Vocera Technical Support for more information.

Here is the summary of a few release-defining new features in the 5.3.2 version of the Vocera Voice Server.

Vocera Voice User Interface

This section highlights new features, enhancements, and changes for voice commands, voice prompts, and feature behaviors.

• Bulk import now includes Doctor Prefix and Dictation fields in the user profile import templates. New fields supporting Doctor Prefix and Dictation user profiles include: Doctor Prefix, dialect, Dictator Member Name, Dictator Access Code, Dictator ID, Dictator Client Facility ID.
• Bulk import templates now support the 14-character Smartbadge serial numbers. The V5000 device template is included among the template set.

Vocera Voice Server

This section highlights administrator configuration requirements for new features, enhancements, and behavior changes that appear in the voice user interface for badges, smartphones, and the Vocera User Console.

• Windows Server 2019 is now supported for running the Vocera Voice Server software. components tested include Vocera Server, Vocera Client Gateway, Vocera Report Server, Vocera SIP Telephony Gateway, and RSIP.
• The following third-party software versions are included in this release and provide 64-bit compatibility or security enhancements:

  Third-party Software	Version
  Apache HTTP Server	2.4.38
  Apache Tomcat	8.5.40
  JRE (Zulu built on OpenJDK)	1.8.0_212 (Zulu 8.38.0.13)
  MySQL Server 5.7	5.7.25

• Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) Flow Around for Direct Peer-to-Peer Calling. Calls between Vocera users using Vocera Collaboration Suite (VCS) may now be sent directly to the recipient rather than being routed through the Vocera Client Gateway (VCG). Using RTP to route the call directly is more efficient and relieves the VCG of processing cycles so that other calls are handled more efficiently. RTP Flow Around is not enabled by default. Conference calls and calls to multiple recipients are still routed through the VCG.
• Add Custom1 and Custom2 fields to user configuration. Two optional custom fields have been added to the Users > Add/Edit page of the user profile configuration. Vocera administrators can use these fields as needed such as for custom data attributes or to facilitate integrations with external applications.
• New Configuration Options for Secure IMAP and POP3. Options to configure secure email access are now available in the Vocera Administration Console under email configuration. Previously these options were available to configure in the server’s properties.txt file. Upon upgrading to 5.3.2 the configuration options specified in properties.txt will be automatically reflected in the web console and those settings can now be removed from the properties.txt file. Any settings configured in the user interface override those in the properties.txt file.
• Change the auto-generated key size for the TLS cert on VS, VRS, VSTG, and VCG to 2048 bits. The key size for the TLS cert is now 2048 bits.
• Print MAC address, User-Site, and State in log lines for the V5000 Smartbadge. Log files now include MAC address, User-Site and State to facilitate searching.
• Preserve badge.properties and profiles.txt on upgrade. The badge.properties and profiles.txt files are included in the backup performed before an upgrade. Restoring from a backup will overwrite existing versions of these files.
• Do not show forwarding number on calling user's device. Vocera administrators can now control display of a forwarded phone number. In the administration Console the Users > Forward tab includes a checkbox labeled, Hide forwarded number. this setting is off by default. The User Console includes a Hide forwarded number checkbox on the Forwarding tab. This setting is off by default. The Miscellaneous > Call Setup page includes a default override for Hide forwarded number.
• Additional channels are available in BPE for provisioning US 5GHz B3000n. Customers have additional channels 5GHz available for setting US locale properties: 120,124,128, and 144.

This is a maintenance release only.

There are no new features for this release.

This is a maintenance release only.

There are no new features for this release.

This is a maintenance release only.

There are no new features for this release.

Here is the summary of a few release-defining new features in the 5.3.1 version of the Vocera Voice Server.

Vocera Voice User Interface

This section highlights new features, enhancements, and changes for voice commands, voice prompts, and feature behaviors.

• Support for Vocera V5000 Smartbadge: The Vocera Smartbadge supports the same features as other Badge models and includes a screen for reading and sending text messages. See Vocera Badge User Guide and Vocera Badge Configuration Guide for details.

Vocera Voice Server

This section highlights administrator configuration requirements for new features, enhancements, and behavior changes that appear in the voice user interface for badges, smartphones, and the Vocera User Console.

• The following third-party software versions are included in this release and provide 64-bit compatibility or security enhancements:

  Third-party Software	Version
  Apache HTTP Server	2.4.29
  Apache Tomcat	8.5.24
  JRE (Zulu built on OpenJDK)	1.8.0_152 (Zulu 8.25.0.1)
  MySQL Server 5.7	5.7.21

• Vocera JRE Vendor Change: Oracle is no longer the vendor for the JRE; The new vendor is Azul.
• Support for the vocera V5000 Smartbadge: The new Vocera Smartbadge is supported along with other Vocera communication devices for configuration and device management.

International Locale Support

• The Vocera 5.3.1 release is distributed with EN-US as the default locale. If you require a locale other than EN-US, contact Vocera Technical Support to request the appropriate locale pack.

Here is the summary of a few release-defining new features in the 5.3.3 version of the Vocera Voice Server.

Vocera Voice User Interface

This section highlights new features, enhancements, and changes for voice commands, voice prompts, and feature behaviors.

• Announcing Phone Numbers for Incoming Calls: When Announce Caller's Name After Tone is enabled in the Vocera Administration Console, Genie provides helpful information to Badge users about incoming calls. Genie will announce the caller's name or the phone number; If both are available, the name will be announced. Find this setting in Choosing Genie Settings in the Vocera Administration Console.
• Announce Name of Group when a Message is Sent to a Group: When a message is sent to a group or multiple users in a group, Genie announces the group name and the sender of the message. Example: You have a message for <Group Name> from <Sender>
• Code Lavender®: You can schedule a Code Lavender event or start a live Code Lavender broadcast event for group members to help bring comfort and spiritual support during times of high stress. All recipients of the Code Lavender event are notified with a voice message, email (if configured), and a voice reminder. The badge halo turns to the color purple for 5 minutes indicating the start of the Code Lavender event.

  Code Lavender is considered an integrative medicine service and a vital tool to ensure that individuals are able to continue after being presented with a difficult case, diagnosis, or loss. Hospital staff, patients, and family members often fall victim to fatigue, despair, and generally negative feelings that may impact all attempts of healing. A Code Lavender event ensures that hospital employees, patients, and patient families feel that they have the mental and emotional strength and energy to cope with challenging situations.

  Refer to the Vocera Voice Server Administration Console Guide for details about configuring Code Lavender. See the Vocera Badge User Guide for usage guidelines and command descriptions. New voice commands include Schedule Code Lavender for <group name>, Start Code Lavender for <group name>, Delete Code Lavender Reminder for <group name>, and Delete All Code Lavender Reminders.

• Allow VCS to play the Urgent Broadcast notification chime instead of relying on the Voice Server to play this tone. A new property, IPPhoneClientDisableBroadcastChime is available to VCS Clients. This change prevents exhaustion of server speech port resources when a group containing many VCS clients is involved in an urgent broadcast. This feature is Off by default and requires VCS 3.4 or later clients to work correctly.
• Add Doctor Prefix to Alternate Spoken Names: When Vocera Administrators are creating user profiles, they can check the Dr Prefix box to indicate the user is a doctor. This is configured on the User > Speech Recognition tab where Alternate Spoken Names ASN are defined. When Doctor Prefix is enabled, it is not necessary to also type "Doctor" in the ASN fields. The system automatically adds name variants, including the Doctor prefix when the name is announced.
• Vocera User Console Navigation Menu is Changed: The Vocera User Console Announcements panel is renamed to Preferences. Users with access to the Vocera User Console use the Preferences panel to define settings for Genie, notifications, reminders, messaging, and call handling.
• Easter Eggs Controls: Vocera Administrators can control the use of Easter Eggs commands by Site. If you determine that the feature is inappropriate for users at a particular Site, you can disable the feature.
• Intelligent Backoff Strategies for Call, Broadcast, Add me to group, and Record Message Commands. Intelligent Command Backoff is a mechanism to help improve accuracy in speech recognition. The backoff strategy enhances the user experience with Vocera voice commands, offering additional help to users and significantly reducing overall user frustration when voice commands are not understood. This feature is typically useful if your organization has a big database of users and groups. Command Backoff is enabled by default, and no additional configuration is required.

  Command Backoff triggers on when the Vocera Genie fails to recognize the names of recipients (individual or group) used with some commonly used voice commands such as, Call, Broadcast to <group name>, Add Me to <group name>, and Record a Message for <user name>. See the Vocera Voice Server Administration Console Guide for details.

• Practicing Mindfulness: Mindfulness is a type of meditation practiced widely in many homes and workplaces. Practicing mindfulness has proven to bring awareness and attention to everything we do. Vocera recognizes that practicing mindfulness can reduce stress, sharpen concentration skills, and contribute toward the overall mental and physical health of individuals. You can say the Play Mindfulness command to take a mindfulness break at work with a guided meditation of 30 seconds, one minute, or five minutes. Mindfulness is enabled by default. See the Vocera Badge User Guide for details.
• Offer to Learn a Name: The Vocera voice prompt offers an interactive way to learn the name of the most frequently called users if you spell the user's name using the Call command. Vocera Genie plays a prompt offering to learn the name of the user that you called by spelling the name at the time of your next login. You can choose to accept this offer by saying "Yes" or decline the offer by saying "No". When you accept the offer, Genie asks you to say the user's name three times after each tone sound. The system saves the name of the user in the database. See the Vocera Badge User Guide for details.
• Prompt to Play Unread Messages at Logout: When a user logs out, Genie prompts the user to play unread messages before the logout occurs. The user can choose to play messages as usual or proceed to log out. This is useful if you are waiting for an answer or need to pass information to the next shift.
• Reminder Enhancements: Users can now schedule both recurring and non-recurring reminders for groups or for a list of users, and record recurring reminders for oneself using a Badge or the User Console. Users can create voice reminders from the Vocera Badge by saying voice commands; Users with access to the Vocera User Console can create Text reminders from the new Reminders tab in the User Console interface. See the Vocera Badge User Guide for details about recording voice reminders, and the Vocera User Console Guide for details about text reminders. New commands are, Record a reminder for <myself | user, user, user, … | group> and Record a recurring reminder for <myself | user, user, user, … | group>.
• Updated Prompts for Transferring Login from Badge to Smartphone: When a logged in user switches from one device to another (such as, from a Badge to a smartphone), the prompt now indicates that the user is being transferred to another device rather than being logged out.
• Badge Voice PIN Authentication: Badge users can now define a numeric Personal Identification Number (PIN) to provide upon logging in and to play messages. The PIN requirement is set by the Vocera Administrator and can be set for individual users or groups.

Vocera Voice Server

This section highlights administrator configuration requirements for new features, enhancements, and behavior changes that appear in the voice user interface for badges, smartphones, and the Vocera User Console.

• The following third-party software versions are included in this release and provide 64-bit compatibility or security enhancements:

  Third-party Software	Version
  Apache HTTP Server	2.4.29
  Apache Tomcat	8.5.24
  Java™ Java Runtime Environment (JRE)	1.8.0.152
  MySQL Server 5.7	5.7.21

• Badge Properties Editor: The Vocera Badge Properties Editor (BPE) is now available as a Web-based tool for configuring Badges.
• Forward on Broadcast to PBX Extension: Vocera Administrators can designate a desk phone extension to receive broadcast or instant conference calls along with the other members of the group. The desk phone recipient will be in listen-only mode for the duration of the broadcast session.
• Group Voice Mail: Vocera Administrators can disable the ability to send voice mail messages to a group. The setting is in the Group > Forward tab of the Vocera Administration Console. Group Voice Mail is enabled by default.
• Call Forwarding Options Set by Vocera Administrator: Under the User > Forward tab, Vocera Administrators can set forwarding permissions for individual users. A user can be allowed to forward all calls, only unanswered calls, or only when they are offline.
• Prevent Text Messages from Being Sent to Offsite Users: Vocera Administrators can prevent text messages and alerts sent to groups from being sent to users who might be offline or at a different site. This feature should be used for Groups which tend to receive a lot of location-sensitive messages.

  For example, if a message is sent to Trauma Team A from Site A, and a user who is a member of that Group is working at a different site, the user who is offsite should not receive the message. The exception is that users and groups in the Global Site will always receive messages.

• Badge Voice PIN Authentication for Secure Messages: Voice PIN authentication provides added security for Vocera users when an unauthorized user attempts to log in using someone's name or tries to play messages. The voice PIN authentication feature is not enabled by default. The Vocera system administrator must enable the required security permissions to allow users to record a voice PIN.
• Administrator-defined Ring Tone Settings: Vocera Administrators can define ring tones for call type, messaging, and notifications. Configuration options are set for all devices or only shared devices.

Documentation Updates

• Vocera Documentation: Vocera documentation is no longer installed on the Voice Server; All documentation links within the product now point to the hosted content and should continue to work as expected. You may also navigate directly to the same content in the Vocera Publications Portal at https://pubs.vocera.com. The advantage to this move is that documentation may now be updated more frequently, and the content available from the product links will always be the latest.

  If your Voice Server is behind a firewall that prevents it from accessing the Internet, you may optionally download a Doc Pack that will install the documentation on your Voice Server machine. Contact Customer Support for access to the Doc Pack; After installation, you will need to restart Tomcat.