Fans of Star Trek will know where the idea for this VoIP development came from:

Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) through Motorola Ventures, its strategic venture capital arm, today announced that it has made an equity investment in Vocera Communications. Vocera Communications, developers of the Vocera Communications System, allows mobile workers to connect and communicate business-critical information over a facility’s wireless network through a hands-free, wearable badge. Financial terms of the investment were not disclosed.

“Leading hospitals have recognized improved workflow efficiency and patient care with the Vocera System, and it is clear that Vocera is making a significant impact on in-facility communication,” said Reese Schroeder, managing director, Motorola Ventures. “Our investment demonstrates our commitment to innovative companies, such as Vocera, to drive seamless mobility into daily work environments."

The Vocera Communications System, which is comprised of the Vocera System Software and a wearable, hands-free, lightweight voice controlled badge, allows mobile workers within Wi-Fi networked buildings to instantly communicate with colleagues and quickly obtain the resources needed to complete a task. By merging Wi-Fi, Voice over IP (VoIP), and speech recognition technologies, Vocera has become a voice communication solution in hospitals, hotels, libraries and retail establishments.