Tough Choice for Mobile Workers
While
sexy-looking mobiles have clearly proved their prowess in handling
computing tasks along with normal voice features, there’s another option
of using rugged devices for people who work in harsh climatic
conditions. Here
Thomas
Löfblad,
managing director, Handheld Europe AB provides more handholding to
consumers on the use of
rugged handheld computers through his exclusive article for My Techbox
Online.
Finding
the right IT hardware for every worker and every job is a great
challenge. Businesses may be tempted to base buying decisions solely on
a product’s purchase price, but, while not as obvious, the product’s
total cost of ownership (TCO) may prove to be a more important
consideration when deciding whether to purchase rugged versus
consumer-grade handheld computers.
The
research on this topic supplies an unequivocal answer: Don’t be fooled
by the sticker price. Businesses that purchase rugged handheld computers
will possess the right tool for outdoor environments. And they will save
a significant amount of money—as well as time and energy—over the long
haul.
Handheld computers were developed to offer the many advantages of
portability. Of course, portability comes at a price: What is easily
picked up can also easily be dropped. In addition, devices that can
leave the office often end up exposed to dust, water and other
potentially destructive elements such as shock, temperature extremes and
vibration.
So
rugged handheld devices are built to last—and it shows in the durability
of the units. A rugged device is generally rugged inside and out which
includes everything from the choice of individual components to the
sealing and protection of seams, and the protection of fragile areas
like the screen and the PC board.
Rugged
units also have far more power than consumer grade handhelds. The
importance of longer battery life becomes obvious when one is in field
conditions where recharging is not possible. In this instance, longer
battery life results in greater productivity each day.
It
becomes obvious that rugged devices suffer less downtime and are more
dependable on a daily basis. They also last one-third longer than their
consumer-grade counterparts. This is not entirely surprising given the
design of the rugged devices. Dropping handhelds or exposing them to
dust, water or other environmental hazards is a common occurrence for
most field workers, and only rugged handhelds are designed to withstand
such conditions.
To
evaluate the ability to withstand various environmental challenges
rugged handheld computers undergo extensive testing. Two basic
standards—Ingress Protection (IP) ratings and military testing standards
such as MIL-STD810F—demonstrate the ruggedness of handheld devices. An
IP67 rating, for instance, means the unit is sealed against dust and is
totally waterproof.
The
second major standard, MIL-STD-810F, describe an extensive battery of
tests such as drops, altitude, humidity and temperature shock. For
example, the tests require that the unit be dropped from 1.2 meters onto
a hard surface without suffering serious damage.
TCO
tries to capture all costs incurred during the lifetime of the
product-use cycle. This includes both the initial cost to acquire a
given item as well as a wide range of additional direct and indirect
costs.
While
the acquisition cost for a product makes a large initial impact on
budgets, these additional costs—both direct and indirect—usually play a
far larger role in the total cost of the product. The reason for this
becomes clear when the impact of an indirect cost such as downtime is
explored.
Mobile
handheld computers are designed to increase productivity. The ability to
do work on the move and in the field presents the opportunity for
enhanced speed and accuracy. These advantages are lost, however, when
devices break down, need repeated service or must be replaced.
Therefore, for businesses concerned with obtaining the greatest
productivity over the long term, rugged handheld computers are the clear
and convincing choice.
Thomas
Löfblad
is the
managing director of Handheld Europe AB. He has a broad experience from
international business and joined Handheld in 2003. Prior to joining
Handheld, Thomas has held key management and marketing positions in
international growth companies. Thomas holds an MBA from Northern
Arizona University and has Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania.
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