The EZ-Tech solution consists of a Panasonic Toughbook mobile computer loaded with diagnostic software and the vehicle interface cables. Navistar selected the fully-rugged Toughbook line because it was durable enough to withstand the service bay environment and would deliver strong return on investment. In addition, Navistar is able to remotely manage the software and push updates out to its dealer network.

Navistar recognized early on that it needed to work with a partner to manage the product orders, billing and administrative functions of the program. The company partnered with Bizco Technologies, a full service technology firm, to develop an online portal that allows dealers to purchase product directly. Navistar also works with Panasonic’s National Service Center, Heartland, where the devices are configured, imaged and shipped directly to the dealer – reducing the burden on a dealer’s IT department.

One of Navistar’s dealers, Diamond International, has been part of the EZ-Tech program and a Toughbook customer for 15 years. Diamond International, a full line International dealer, has Toughbook 29s, 30s and 52s running a suite of International software deployed in its service bays. On average, Diamond issues 50-75 repair tickets a day with at least 50-60 trucks on the lot to service. Toughbook computers are ideal devices for Diamond due to their drop/shock protection and ability to stand up to the dusty and dirty environment of the service bay. Port durability is also important as the USB ports are frequently used to connect vehicle-interface modules.

Through the EZ-Tech program, Navistar has deployed more than 3,500 Toughbook units to its dealers worldwide. Navistar and its partners have created a system that proves a centralized approach to service technology offers dealerships high-end solutions without the burden of management costs.

Click here to read the full Navistar case study.

BizTechReports, an independent research and reporting agency, found 74% of HIT decision makers feel that consumer-grade tablets present challenges for entering data into healthcare applications. Furthermore 58% of survey respondents agree that enterprise applications, like EHR management, are not designed for consumer-grade devices, like the iPad.

Results from the study have been published in the white paper “Diagnosis Danger: Governance & Security Issues Cause IT Concerns About iPad in Healthcare Setting*.” The report focuses on media tablets – specifically the iPad’s adoption in healthcare, and is based on a national survey of healthcare IT executives.

Healthcare IT reporter and blogger, Anne Zieger recently shared concerns about the iPad’s security vulnerabilities, in a recent post entitled, “Apple Security Issues Linger, Raising iPad, iPhone Concerns For Hospitals.” For example the mobile Safari browser used on most iPads, is infamous for security flaws. Zieger references a report from NSS Labs that found while Explorer 9 blocked 100% of malicious URLs, with Application-based filtering enabled, Safari 5 blocked just 13%.

According to the BizTechReports white paper, reliability and durability proved to be a major point of concern for HIT decision makers as well. 94% of participants feel that device durability and “ruggedness” are important requirements in hospital and clinical settings. After all, because of the highly mobile and occasionally chaotic nature of healthcare, the likelihood of a mobile device falling, being dropped or spilled upon is high. Consumer grade technologies are simply not designed to operate reliably in such a demanding setting.

The full white paper is now available for a free download on the Panasonic website.

Are you interested in using this new generation of tablets in healthcare? If so, let us know where you see the opportunities and obstacles.

* Diagnosis Danger: Governance & Security Issues Cause IT Concerns About iPad in Healthcare Setting was commissioned by Panasonic

At the 101^st Annual National Retail Federation’s (NRF) “Big Show” last week, Panasonic exhibited an array of solutions for the retail sector. According to show statistics, NRF 2012 had record-breaking attendance at New York City’s Javits Center. The show focused on technology for the retail market, with a lot of attention on mobile point-of-sale (POS) devices and software applications for both back and front house retail environments.

At the show, Panasonic featured the company’s suite of products, including digital signage, security solutions for loss prevention, a variety of POS workstations and various mobile computers, including the Toughpad A1, the recently announced Android-powered tablet. In an acknowledgement of the growing importance of tablets in the retail market, partners Stratix, Data Capture Solutions, MagTek and RBM Technologies highlighted applications for the new Toughpad that addressed planograms, asset management, scheduling, workforce management, merchandising and other back-office capabilities.

Based on our experience at NRF 2012, we’re excited about the year ahead.

What was your NRF experience like and what technology trends do you expect to see in 2012?

While the President’s announcement highlighted the urgent need for mobile broadband for all Americans as a way to ensure global competitiveness, those in the public sector in particular have received the news extremely well. Many of these agencies, because of limited adoption and budget constraints to date, have been forced to resort to the use of legacy  communications systems, such as two-way radios, for example, which offer only extremely limited capabilities.  In today’s fast-paced, technologically-advanced world, this type of communication is inadequate, decreases effectiveness and delays response time during emergencies.  Because of this, public sector officials have viewed the latest news as a welcome, and, much needed, call to action for their industry.

According to a recent report by Bharat Book Bureau about the public safety wireless broadband market, The report states that, “wireless broadband is essential [for public safety officials] for addressing mission-critical needs requiring high data throughput for applications such as video surveillance, automated vehicle license plate recognition, biometric identification, mobile crime scene units and mobile incident command…”

So, for those who work in the Public Sector, how will 4G benefit you?  Whether you work for a fire department, a police department, or for a school, 4G is expected to provide significant benefits, including, but certainly not limited to:

• Better efficiency, increased mobility and improved job performance overall: With greater mobility, increased security and larger data storage capabilities, work performance and output production improves.
• Increased data rates:  Allows for greater capacity of data storage and even enables video applications, information that can be vitally important to officers in the field.
• Improved multipath and power performance: Minimizes intra-cell multiuser interference, thereby guarantee the securing of confidential information.

Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan, is one example of a school that is already bridging the digital divide.  Earlier this year, the university deployed a wireless network to extend broadband coverage throughout the campus, and even into the city itself.  The next-generation network not only provides high speed broadband access to those students who live off-campus, but it also offers businesses and other public service users with the access and mobility needed for them to successfully live and work more efficiently.

In response to this revolution, technology developers have already introduced a variety of products that have built in 4G, or optional 4G broadband access.   Panasonic is one such company.  The Panasonic Toughbook computers, including the new Android^TM-powered Toughpad business tablet, are built with optional integrated 4G mobile broadband access, which enablers public safety officials to access data faster and from remote areas, keeps their information safe and secure, and overall enables them to more efficiently and productively perform their important duties.

Tell us what benefits 4G will have for you and your organizations!

Are you still stuck behind a desk at work?

If some predictions are correct, you may not be by this time next year. As technology analysts and media outlets publish their annual lists of trends expected for 2012, many are pointing to an explosion in worker mobility initiatives across a wide variety of industries as one of the top forecasts for enterprise technology.

While mobility has been on the rise for several years, 2012 will be the “Year of Mobile Ascendency,” as mobile computers and smartphones surpass PCs in both spending and shipments for the first time ever, according to industry analyst firm IDC. The firm also predicts that mobile data network spending will exceed fixed data network spending for the first time.

According to a survey of U.S. companies conducted by The Yankee Group, a research and advisory firm, many are prioritizing investments in mobile technology over traditional IT projects. The analysts also note in a report published in partnership with Mobile Enterprise magazine that mobility is becoming more pervasive throughout the entire enterprise. According to the Mobile Enterprise “Mobility Outlook 2012,” field workers today represent less than a third of all mobile computer users within U.S. firms – today’s mobile worker is just as likely to be an intra-office mobile worker, telecommuter or frequent business traveler.

Over the past several years, more and more companies in a variety of industries have discovered the advantages mobile computers can offer by improving efficiency, productivity and customer growth. However, several obstacles have limited full-scale mobile technology deployment for many organizations, including security and device management concerns, ruggedness and durability, and technological limitations. As 2012 brings new mobile technology built specifically for enterprise use, such as Panasonic’s Toughpad family of tablets – offering security embedded at the hardware level, advanced device management features, enterprise-focused app offerings and MIL-STD-810G-rated ruggedness and durability – you can expect more enterprises to take another look at mobility initiatives for their employees.

What else is in store for enterprise technology in 2012?

Cloud computing: Hand-in-hand with the continued rise of worker mobility will be the expanded importance of cloud-based computing, which allows users to access services and data stored in “the cloud” over the Internet. With the national expansion of 4G wireless networks and the introduction of more 4G-capable mobile devices like the Toughpad tablets, the productivity and efficiency of today’s mobile worker is only expected to grow. Analysts, including those at IDC, see more enterprises shifting toward long-range implementation and integration strategies for cloud adoption, and taking advantage of cloud-computing services ranging along a spectrum from open public to closed private.

Social: Social technology – social networking, collaboration, publishing and other tools – is expected to continue to grow in prominence for enterprises as more companies discover the new avenues they provide for effective communication and engagement both with customers and internally, analyst firm Gartner predicts. The researchers predict that social technology will be integrated with most business applications by 2016.

Big Data: Today’s increasingly connected world means enterprises have access to extremely large volumes of data – collected from diverse sources including customer sales interactions, social networks and internal sources. Industry analysts expect more companies to tackle the challenge of tapping into these mountains of unstructured data that are full of rich information to support business decisions, but challenging to understand and analyze. IDC expects new technologies and vendors in 2012 that will help enterprises dig in to the growing digital universe – expected to expand to 2.7 zettabytes (ZB) of data by year’s end – as a business intelligence tool.

From increased mobility to better integration of social technology and big data analysis, analysts see enterprise technology continuing to evolve in 2012. What tech trends do you see happening this year?

5. Connectivity and Mobility on Mount Everest and the Summit of Kala Pattar

Today, tablet computers – with features including high-powered processors, wireless broadband connectivity and large screens designed to display rich media content – make all this possible and more. As a tool for retailers, tablets have the potential to transform the industry, changing the way stores do business and enhancing the shopping experience for customers.

Interest in tablets is growing across all types of businesses – results of a Forrester Research survey released earlier this year showed that one in four large enterprises were planning to implement or had implemented tablet computers as part of their technology strategies. By 2015, the tablet market in the U.S. alone is expected to generate more than $7 billion in revenue, according to Yankee Group analysts.

While some companies in recent years have experimented with the use of consumer-grade tablet devices, their lack of enterprise-ready features have held back full-scale deployment. Today, purpose-built tablets such as the Toughpad A1 and the Toughpad B1 – with rugged design, security embedded at the hardware level, enterprise-focused app stores offering applications customized for business needs, and mobile device management tools allowing centralized control of devices – offer all the power and usability of consumer tablet devices but are built specifically for enterprise use, allowing adoption across all types of enterprises to shift into high gear.

Tablets have the potential to be a “game changer” in retail, where they can empower shoppers and sales staff alike, said Joe Skorupa, editor in chief of Mobile Enterprise and Retail Info Systems News, in a special supplement on tablets in retail published in June. He noted that smartphones and other high-powered mobile devices have become a common sight in customers’ hands, but retailers have been slower to catch on; however, tablets have the potential to level the playing field and “provide sales associates with the same amount of fire power.”

On the sales floor, tablets can provide sales associates unprecedented ability to enhance customers’ shopping experiences, by giving them on-the-spot access to everything from product specs to photos of alternate colors and videos of the product in action. Tablets’ screens of up to 10 inches make them the perfect fit for sharing this content with customers, and their other functionalities allow for a multitude of other uses including serving as a mobile point of sale system. Devices with daylight-viewable screens such as the Toughpad tablets can even be used in outdoor sales environments like car lots or home and garden centers.

Even outside of customer transactions, tablets can streamline business processes by allowing for real-time access to sales or inventory data – for example, a manager can instantly view how much of an item is left on the shelf of a warehouse miles away without ever leaving the store. Cameras on next-generation tablets can be used as barcode or QR code scanners, and they can be equipped with accessories such as printers or card readers for usage across a retail enterprise.

Today’s availability of tablets built tough enough for the sales floor means we’re at the brink of a transformation in retail. As a tool to empower sales staff and to enhance customers’ shopping experiences, tablets have countless possibilities to be a true “game changer” for retailers.

According to a USA Today article from earlier in 2011, Apple claimed that the iPad has been tested or deployed at 80% of Fortune 100 companies. Even vertical industries, such as healthcare, are not immune to the use of tablets: a recent survey found 27 percent of primary care providers and specialists say they use iPads at work.

Given the increased demand from enterprise clients for tablets and the fragile nature of consumer tablets (as demonstrated in this video) case manufacturers have started to address these intrinsic drawbacks by making ruggedized cases to help increase the durability of these devices, with some case manufacturers even claiming IP ratings and MIL-Spec certification. Despite some of the wild claims made by manufactures of rugged cases, most are simply marketing hype, as ZDNet’s Jason’s Perlow recently discovered.

The main argument against ruggedized mobile devices has always been their higher prices. Many enterprises do not need military grade ruggedness — let’s face it: most enterprise users are not going to need mobile devices to be rammer-resistant or ATV proof — so the temptation to add a ruggedized case to a $500 consumer grade tablet is compelling.

However, as with any mission critical mobile deployment, the environment where a device is deployed needs to be a key consideration, because simply wrapping a consumer device in a rugged case will not address every potential issue.   This could result in highly reduced efficiencies, user downtime and elevated IT support costs.

Even if the iPad is a rousing success in the consumer space, it will still be a challenge to translate the iPad’s user experience into an equally satisfying solution for vertical markets due to the unique needs of each industry. As Jeff Orr of ABI Research noted in an interview with ZDNet, “The reality today is that enterprises are evaluating the iPad because they have to, not necessarily because they want to.”

Panasonic aims to address these unique requirements with the release of its rugged enterprise tablet, the Toughpad A1 tablet, just released last month. Our Toughpad tablet will address key shortcomings of consumer tablets, by delivering a product designed with security, functionality and real-world reliability in mind. Moreover, like all Toughbook products, the Toughpad tablet will be designed and constructed with the mission-critical mobile user in mind, offering durability, and ingress protection consistent with our other fully-rugged devices.

True enterprise-ready devices are capable of much more than just being able to withstand an occasional drop or splash; they are purpose-built to offer the right mix of durability and productivity features to drive maximum ROI to the mission-critical mobile user.

Has a consumer tablet ever come-up short for you in the field? We welcome you to share some of your stories of frustration with us.

Over a six-week period this past summer, the United States Army tested the viability of using touchscreen phones and tablets in the field.  The trial was such a success that Army officials anticipate that soldiers overseas could potentially receive the first wave of smartphones later this year.

In the meantime, the Army is already seeing tremendous value in using tablet computers for training, administrative purposes, situational awareness in the tactical environment and location tracking, among many other uses. In fact, Michael McCarthy, operations director of the Army’s Brigade Modernization Command’s Mission Command Complex, has said that he has seen a 10% increase in average scores and a 14% increase in grade point averages by students who use tablets in Army classrooms. In these controlled environments, consumer-grade tablets have performed well.

But, as conditions become more demanding, not just any tablet will do. The requirements of controlled classroom environments or event briefing centers are a stark contrast to harsh battlefield conditions.  To sustain the abuse that soldiers in the field endure, such as sandstorms, windstorms, and the effects of other extreme conditions, a tablet suitable for the Army must be ruggedized if its to emerge unscathed and intact.  In order to do that, it must pass the following tests:

• Drop and shock resistance
• Vibration resistance
• Liquid resistance
• Particle resistance
• Temperature resistance (both hot and cold)
• Humidty resistance
• Electromagnetic energy testing

More importantly, whether it is being used in the field or in the Army’s classroom, the tablet absolutely must meet the security standards set by theUnited States government.

The Army is in the process of trying out multiple tablets to determine which meets their needs and standards, and which fall short.  The search is ongoing as they have yet to find the “perfect” tablet that is fully ruggedized in order to sustain the beatings it must endure, yet also meets the government’s rigid, yet necessary, security standards, such as:

• Encryption capabilities
• Authentication capabilities
• Data protection
• Compliance logging
• Auto-blur
• Lockout functionality
• Plastic privacy filters

In response to the Army’s search, and that of many other federal government and public sector entities who are also investigating the possibility of incorporating tablet technologies into their day-to-day operations, Panasonic recently unveiled the Toughpad^TM  family of professional-grade Android^TM powered tablets.    The needs of mission-critical and highly-mobile workers were at the forefront of the Toughpad’s design requirements.

Developed by the team responsible for Panasonic’s line of Toughbook^R mobile computers, the computer of choice for many of the country’s federal government and public sector departments for its promise of reliability, durability, and quality, the Toughpad meets the rugged and security standards required by these agencies. Backed by Panasonic’s world class service and support infrastructure, the product is poised to become the “tablet of choice federal government and public sector entities.”

As Michael McCarty has said when discussing the value of the tablet, “The potential is limitless.”  In today’s world, which many experts are referring to as the “post-PC era,” it is vital that government agencies keep up with the changing technologies in order to stay current and stay relevant. Test out a tablet today!

Workforce Mobility on the Rise

Mobility in the workforce is only projected to increase – more than a third of the world’s workforce is expected to be mobile by 2013, according to a recent IDC report . Despite the security breach risks, a mobilized workforce still holds numerous benefits, allowing workers to work from virtually anywhere and be more efficient and productive. Further, mobile workers often report  more satisfactory work-life balance and improved overall job satisfaction. But the Ponemon study points to the critical need for organizations to develop comprehensive strategies to tackle the IT security threat that mobile devices pose.

Mobility Brings Benefits and Risks

While today’s mobile technologies have given workers freedom and flexibility like never before, they also significantly raise the risk of serious cyber attacks, according to the June 2011 study conducted by the Ponemon Institute, a privacy, data protection and information security policy research group. The survey of 583 U.S. general IT and IT security practitioners reported that employee laptop computers and mobile devices were the two most likely endpoints from which a serious network security breach may occur. Twice as many breaches occurred through one of these mobile devices as they did through desktop computers, according to the study.

In the study, ninety percent of organizations said they have had at least one network security breach, with more than half of respondents reporting two or more breaches in the past 12 months. On average, these security breaches cost each of the organizations $500,000 or more including cash outlays, internal labor, overhead, revenue losses and other related expenses.

Focus on Prevention

In order to address this growing threat, one of the recommendations of the study is for organizations to put their IT security focus on prevention, rather than on the fast detection and containment of a security breach or other concerns. “Only 32 percent of respondents say their primary focus or approach to network security is on preventing attacks,” the study’s authors write. “…We believe our research provides evidence that many organizations are lacking the right strategy to prevent cyber attacks against networks and enterprise systems.”

This strategy can entail beefing up security software running on all devices, and educating mobile workers on the organization’s policies and their responsibilities to help protect network security. It also can include investing in technology with security embedded at the hardware level, rather than as just an “add-on.” Unlike many other mobile devices, Toughbook notebook PCs and tablets, like Panasonic’s coming Android Toughpad tablet, include security features built into their hardware. These features can include trusted platform module (TPM) security chips, Computrace® theft protection, Intel® Anti-Theft Technology and shock-mounted, flex-connect hard drives with quick-release features; and offer options such as SmartCard and fingerprint readers, or software such as Oculis Labs’ PrivateEye that uses the computer’s webcam for facial recognition to protect information displayed on screens from visual eavesdroppers.

Plan for the Future

Each year, more and more workers rely on new mobile technology to free them from the bonds of the traditional office environment and boost their productivity and morale. With a comprehensive IT security strategy that focuses on prevention, enterprises can meet the challenge of enabling a growing mobile workforce without compromising the security of their networks.