Version 6 and Version 9 Comparison Guide
Upgrading from Versions 1-6 to the latest Version 9? The guide below gives you a glance at many of the new features, or scroll down for a detailed description of the major improvements made in the BlueNote Lights program over the last several years.
Tour the features of BlueNote Lights Version 9
If you haven't upgraded your practice communication system since 2017, you're missing out on many intuitive features that help teams collaborate more effectively. Here's how to use those improvements to your advantage.
1. Direct messaging is simplified.
All group communication systems should also make it easy for specific users to target one another for private messaging. Conversations now feel more like a live email system, with a simplified Inbox for unread Conversations and Messages to archive older threads.
You'll find that the Groups tab lets you choose several online user names at once, making it easier to start a new Conversation thread with those who need to be included each time. Social icons let you say it with a heart or a thumbs up! Set your Messages or your Inbox (or both!) to clear themselves out each night automatically, and many other refinements improve the natural back-and-forth cadence needed in any IM system.
2. Define everyone's workflows with precision.
This is just a fancy way to say that everything is much more customizable!
A Light can now be used to track a patient all the way through the practice, as a team bulletin board, as a room status, or any other event that is time-sensitive. The moving image below should give you some general suggestions for the ways that BlueNote Lights can now be set up. Pay special attention to the Focused button - this Focused view makes it easier to see only the active Lights, and in the order that each one was turned on.
3. It's Easy to expand - and contract.
3. It's Easy to expand - and contract.We wanted to make BlueNotes simpler to find and use with better labeling, without changing the basic structure. This way most of your Version 6 settings will easily migrate into the newer version, as well as doubling the number of available light capacity. What's more, you can then build on to each Light with deeper context than you were able to have previously. Notice how the two versions below are very similar when looking at the surface:
However, the newer version allows for much more depth and purpose. Below you'll see how 16 lights in Version 6 have been reduced to four Lights in Version 8 & 9. 
The two providers shown above would not ever call all the doctors in to their rooms at once, so that's why it's easy to treat each doctor (and all other room needs) as variables within a single Light. In other words, if Anya's Room needs Dr R, Anya simply clicks on the light object that is labeled "Anya's Room:" then clicks on the purple BlueNote within the Light when turning it on. This lets Anya use a single Light for various meanings throughout the day, instead of cluttering the workspace with eight different ones that won't all be in use simultaneously. The popups below would appear when Dr R is summoned in each of the examples above.
Because popups are the way that most doctors become aware of notifications, notice how very little changes for the intended recipient. There's no loss of data when consolidating lights, and in fact, because two tones can now be played in succession, the updated Version 9 notification sounds can be descriptive enough to allow the doctor to receive the complete message without having to even look at a popup.
A Light can also be used to track a patient's entire time in the office, from the moment they arrive until they complete the checkout process. This is because updated Action Windows within individual Lights allow users to change the status of the patient as they move through the practice.
4. No App needed for iPads, Macs, Android, or Chromebooks.
While the software installation itself is still limited to a PC download, just like in Version 6, once BlueNote is licensed, Version 9 users can broadcast a Remote session that can be accessed from any browser-enabled device that is connected to your private secure network. This includes all smart phones, all tablets, Chromebooks, any device that runs Android, iOS, and even a Mac Safari browser. Version 6 users have no ability work outside of the Windows environment.
The example above displays two lights being turned on to summon the same doctor to two locations. Notice that while the appearance of the BlueNote Remote is different than the PC version, it can contain the exact same information.
5. Alert smart watches and phones for quicker attention.
Text messaging is easier than ever with BlueNote Lights Version 8, and it lets users target one another on their mobile devices when they're not near a computer.
If you need more precise management of mobile notifications, BlueNotes integrate with the low-cost Pushover app, or even messages sent via email.
6. Cut in line if you need to.
Priorities, priorities! Use the P1, P2, P3 buttons to move an active event up in the list, even if other Lights have already aged to Orange. This way your team can reorder the actions of one another as needed.
7. Set it and forget it.
We've improved the ease of use of the timer delay function in each Light, so team members don't have to touch anything when it's time to summon a doctor. Click the Delay button, then choose the amount of time until the Light needs to turn on automatically. No more removing gloves to click a mouse!
8. Find BlueNote faster with the Go quick button.
Easily leave the entire BlueNote program behind all of your other windows. The Go hoverbar gives users a way to view the Light panel, easily access Conversations and more.
Try the upgrade for free for 30 days.
To upgrade, you will need to manually download the BlueNote Lights Version 9 program at every computer over the Version 6 client. Be aware that the two versions aren't compatible with one another, so all computers will need to be updated in order to communicate together.
Go to the Version 9 download page
If you decide to keep Version 9 after the trial period is over, you can use the link below to view upgrade pricing. Contact Us for a link to the Version 9 shopping cart to purchase. Or if you prefer, we can send instructions to reinstall Version 6 and restore all previous settings on all computers at no additional cost.