Litigation: alleged shareholder class action (Details) (Uninsured Risk, Pending Litigation, Michael Brado v Vocera Communications, Inc., et al)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Uninsured Risk | Pending Litigation | Michael Brado v Vocera Communications, Inc., et al
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Lawsuit Filing Date	On August 1 and 21, 2013,
Loss Contingency, Name of Defendant	against the Company and certain of its officers, its board of directors, a former director and the underwriters for the Company's initial public offering
Loss Contingency, Domicile of Litigation	two putative securities class action suits were filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Loss Contingency, Allegations	On November 20, 2013, the court consolidated the actions as In re Vocera Communications, Inc. Securities Litigation and appointed Lead Plaintiffs.  Lead Plaintiffs filed their consolidated complaint on September 19, 2014.   The consolidated complaint names certain current and former officers and directors and the underwriters for the Company's initial public offering and secondary offering and alleges claims under Sections 11, 12(a)(2) and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act of 1934 based on allegedly false and materially misleading statements and omissions in the registration statement for the Company's initial public offering and secondary offering and in communications regarding its business and financial results.
Loss Contingency, Damages Sought	The suit is purportedly brought on behalf of purchasers of the Company's securities between March 28, 2012 and May 2, 2013, and seeks compensatory damages, rescission, fees and costs, as well as other relief.
Loss Contingency, Actions Taken by Defendant	Defendants’ responses to the consolidated complaint are due in November 2014.
Loss Contingency, Inestimable Loss	Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation, the Company cannot accurately predict the ultimate outcome of this matter. The Company is unable at this time to determine whether the outcome of the litigation would have a material impact on its results of operations, financial condition or cash flow. The Company has not established any reserve for any potential liability relating to this lawsuit because this contingency is not considered probable and reasonably estimable.