Glossary
Glossary of mobile IT workstations
The same product goes by many names, depending on industry and country. These short definitions explain the terms we use on this site.
- Mobile IT cart (computer cart)
- A workstation on castors carrying a monitor or all-in-one PC, keyboard, mouse and often a scanner. It brings IT to the place where the work happens instead of tying it to a desk.
- Column cart
- A slim cart whose equipment sits on a central column. Height-adjustable, small footprint, ideal for documentation and screen work without extra storage.
- Cabinet cart
- A cart with a cabinet body for drawers, ISO modules and materials. Used where documents, supplies, medication or a printer must travel with the workstation.
- Ward round cart (Visitenwagen)
- The German term for a column cart used in hospitals during ward rounds. Doctors and nursing staff access the electronic patient record at the bedside.
- Nursing cart (Pflegewagen)
- The German term for a cabinet cart used in care: nursing documentation plus storage for materials and medication on one cart.
- Point of care
- The place where care is actually delivered — at the bedside, in the treatment room, on the ward. Point-of-care IT means capturing and retrieving data exactly there.
- Thin client
- A compact device without local applications that connects to a central server or virtual desktop. Easy to manage centrally, low power draw, little maintenance.
- Fat client
- A full computer that stores applications and data locally. The better choice when a permanent server connection cannot be guaranteed.
- IGEL OS
- A Linux-based operating system that turns a 64-bit x86 device with at least 2 GB RAM into a managed thin client, administered centrally via the IGEL Universal Management Suite (UMS).
- LiFePO4 battery
- Lithium iron phosphate battery. Safe chemistry with a long service life — the lean LFP power supply withstands up to 5,000 charging cycles.
- Hot-swap battery
- A battery that can be exchanged during operation. All-in-one panel PCs with hot-swap batteries keep running while a pack is replaced.
- VESA mount
- Standardised screw pattern (75 × 75 or 100 × 100 mm) for attaching monitors to arms, columns and wall mounts.
- IEC 60601-1
- Safety standard for medical electrical equipment. Wall lifts, support arms and medical all-in-one PCs are available certified to it, together with CE marking under EU 2017/745.
- Workstation on wheels (WOW)
- Common English term for a mobile IT cart, mostly used in healthcare. Same idea as a computer cart or medical cart.
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