Nortel (NYSE:NT) (TSX:NT), a supplier of unified telecomms solutions, has unveiled Nortel Secure Portable Office, a business solution that gives remote workers a secure 'office-on-a-stick' using a specially-formatted USB key for Windows PCs.

Community-based midwives from Liverpool Women's Hospital, in the UK, will reportedly be using the solution with hospital-provided laptops, 3G wireless data cards and Nortel Mobile Client Accelerator to access, review and update server-based medical records from patients' homes.

According to the company, the solution combines hardware, software and services to provide secure network access for remote workers in healthcare, government, finance, education, hospitality and other industries.

When the Secure Portable Office USB key is inserted into a Windows PC, user identity is authenticated. Then a secure network connection is established through Nortel VPN Gateway and a 'Virtual Desktop' is launched, presenting the user with a menu of authorised network applications. All data and applications are encrypted, both in transit and on the PC. When the USB key is removed, the complete Secure Portable Office environment is automatically removed, in this way protecting sensitive information that could otherwise be exposed on a lost or stolen laptop, the company said.

No financial details were disclosed.