The Heart of Borneo is a sustainably managed and extremely biodiverse rainforest found in Borneo, the world’s third largest island, located in Southeast Asia. This area is shared between Indonesia in the south and Malaysia and Brunei in the North. With roughly 140,000 miles of rainforest, this area of Borneo’s interior is almost completely unknown to science with over 50 new species discovered in the area over just the past five years.

To learn more about the island, a team of European and Indonesian explorers, scientists and filmmakers established the Heart of Borneo Charity to explore the unknown species and indigenous people in the region. The team’s research would in turn be used to inform the media, empower local people and provide teachers with an educational resource, which can potentially help conserve one of the most biodiverse and threatened areas of the rainforest.

To assist in exploration, the team received donated laptops. However, with torrential downpours, 100% humidity and other challenges – from river crossings to mud pits – the expedition team quickly realized that ordinary laptops would not suffice. In fact, one of the team’s laptops failed after only 48 hours at camp.

After hearing about the exploration team’s situation, Panasonic Computer Products Europe, which markets the Toughbook brand in the EU, loaned the charity Toughbook 30 mobile computers. The team now had reliable and fully-rugged devices built to withstand the extreme operating conditions and which would enable the scientists to remain in contact with the outside world.

“The Toughbook PCs have been solid and dependable. Not even a hiccup. Knowing we can rely on them to work has helped us sleep much better at night,” said Martin Holland, Founder and Executive Director of The Heart of Borneo Charity. “Being able to use them on location whatever the weather, out on boats or 5km into the rainforest from our camp has been incredibly helpful. The Toughbook units have been invaluable in saving the rainforest.”

Additionally, with the Toughbook computers’ exceptional battery life, the team was able to travel longer distances from the camp and conserve generator energy for extended periods of time. During the expedition, the team used the laptops to record results from “video trap” cameras looking to spot rare and new species.

The Toughbook computers enable the team to check the day’s footage on the spot instead of waiting until arriving back to camp. They also used the devices to share their daily findings and communicate via satellite with museums, schools and the media, including the Natural History Museum and the Guardian newspaper website.

“The water resistance and all around toughness and resilience against knocks and bumps have given us the confidence to speed up our research by taking them into the field,” said Martin. “The touchscreens make them very practical in the field and the antiglare screen makes working even in the direct sunlight of the tropics a breeze – something that amazes me every time.”

As the expedition began in November 2010, the group recently returned to the UK and is beginning to analyze and formulate the data captured with the Toughbook 30 computers. They have already started planning for another trip in September 2011.

To learn more about the Toughbook 31, the successor of the Toughbook 30, click here. Pictures provided are credited to Martin Holland, Founder and Executive Director of the Heart of Borneo Project.

In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Girl Talk discusses his unique way of mixing music and creating fun tunes for the crowds – all of this on his Toughbook 74.

Take a look at the below video to experience firsthand Girl Talk’s creative genius powered by a Toughbook PC.

IDC estimates that by the end of this year, 1 billion people will be working remotely. In this highly mobile work environment, faulty devices have serious consequences like lost time and missed opportunities, not to mention employee frustration.

Increased mobility will also have a serious impact on a business’s IT department. Typically an increase in mobile workers, results in increased IT support time. So as companies begin to rethink their current mobile technology solution, device selection becomes critical.

At Panasonic, we engineer our Toughbook mobile computers for work in highly mobile work environments.  In fact, mobile computing is all we do, so we know that the right mobile technology will improve employee efficiency while minimizing IT support issues. More importantly, the right technology will also help you attract high caliber employees.  The wrong mobile solution is a recipe for disaster.

If you are interested in this topic, I recently wrote an article for Integrated Solutions for Retailers, on the topic of upgrading technology to outpace competition in the midst of a technologically advancing workforce. The full article is available, here.

For more information on Panasonic Toughbook computers please click here.

Lance Trumbull using a Panasonic Toughbook 29 computer at base camp.

While the success of our climb is a testament to the brave individuals who participated, the entire adventure would have been much more difficult and dangerous, and certainly less entertaining, without the rugged computer technologies we brought along.

We received fully-rugged Panasonic Toughbook 29 notebooks; they were absolutely essential for communication throughout our adventure. Their wired and wireless connectivity, even at incredibly high elevations, allowed us to keep in touch with the rest of the planet – the Toughbook computers were our lifeline to the world.  We used a satellite connection to share video, audio, images and emails with our friends and family. And at night we used the Toughbook as our entertainment center for music and videos. We watched several movies, and the television shows Friends and South Park!

But more importantly, the Toughbook 29 rugged computers played an even more significant role by enabling us to be constantly aware of weather forecasts on the mountain. I can speak for the entire Everest Peace Project climbing team when I say nothing feels as vulnerable as climbing to the top of Mt. Everest in freezing temperatures and in horrible storms. And having these weather forecasts not only gave us piece of mind, but also helped make our climb much safer.

While we knew the severity of our reality climbing to the highest point on earth, computing at base camp (17,000 feet) and advance base camp (21,000 feet!) and being able to connect with the rest of the world greatly helped our morale. We were able to literally connect with our friends and family thousands of miles away. Having the ability to turn on a Toughbook 29 and read an email from a loved one or send pictures to a friend was incredibly comforting and encouraging.

A documentary of our climb titled Everest: A Climb for Peace has since been produced and released on DVD. I am excited to announce that in late October, the documentary began its television premiere on PBS stations across the United States!

Over the coming weeks and months, the film will continue to air on PBS stations throughout the United States – including major markets such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston and Atlanta. Please check your local listings to find when the documentary is showing in your area; I am sure you will enjoy watching it.

To learn more about our climb, the film, and upcoming events and expeditions, please go to www.EverestPeaceProject.org.

You can also check out select images from the Everest Peace Project’s 2006 journey, here.

Sincerely,

Lance Trumbull

The Everest Peace Project

Before the company rolled out a mobile computing solution its engineers would arrive on site and gather information for their reports, then drive home to complete each report on a desktop computer – a practice that wasted thousands of man hours every year.  This practice changed in 2004 when Zurich deployed Panasonic’s Toughbook 18 fully-rugged convertible tablet computer. Using the Toughbook 18, work was completed on-site, leaving the engineer free to move on to the next task. John McMullen, Head of Operations and Systems for Zurich Engineering, estimates that the division recouped its £1 million investment in Toughbook computers within the first 8 months of use.

Along with full Windows capabilities, tablet functionality and a long battery life, ruggedization is a core requirement for Zurich Engineering. The division’s engineers may find themselves working on tower cranes, in manufacturing facilities, chemical works or foundries – even clinging to offshore wind turbines, in the harshest weather conditions.  One of Zurich’s Toughbook computers, run over by a crane, sustained a cracked screen but its hard disk was still intact. “We just took the hard drive, put it in a new notebook, and the guy was up and running.” claims McMullen.

After five years of using Panasonic’s Toughbook 18 fully-rugged convertible laptop, the division is now betting squarely on the new Toughbook 19. The new convertible laptop brings further benefits to Zurich Engineering’s work, including improved 3G mobile communications and increased battery life.

Given the operating conditions Zurich’s approximately 500 Toughbook 18s were placed in, they saw very few failures.  So, when making the switch to the Toughbook 19, Zurich didn’t consider other devices.  According to McMullen, “the Toughbook 18s were reliable even in the most extreme conditions and required minimal IT support. Five years of service in a market like ours is impressive, to say the least. That level of reliability allowed us to maximize our return on investment.”

That’s not to say there has never been pressure to change devices.  “We have had other manufactures try to sell us on their solutions, but no one has been able to show us a device that provides the mix of performance, reliability and value of the Toughbook brand,” McMullen added.

Zurich Engineering is delighted with its Toughbook laptops, and with the service and support it has received from Panasonic. “We worked with Panasonic to share ideas and decide how best to make the deployment successful. The Panasonic team was very open and supportive,” McMullen adds. In the end, though, one statement from an engineer equipped with a new Toughbook 19 says it all: “If you want it back, you’ll have to fight me for it!”

The full Zurich Engineering case study can be found here.

In an effort to improve worker efficiency, the utility outfitted each of its water engineers and samplers with a Panasonic Toughbook. The company is currently refreshing its Toughbook deployment of 18s with Toughbook 19s.

These Toughbook 18s and 19s are being used to deliver work schedules to engineers, including customer dialogue details and problem histories. At the same time, geographic information system (GIS) software helps locate water assets above and below ground.

Wireless connectivity via 3G broadband and Wi-Fi allows workers to update the utilities database in real time. For example, if a pipe was to burst, engineers can use the device’s touchscreen to draw a map of the impact zone and send that image back to headquarters.

Given England’s rugged terrain and frequent rain and snow, the Toughbook 19’s combination of durability and reliability make it the ideal tool for the utility’s numerous field workers.

“The Toughbook helps us serve our customers better,” Yorkshire Water IT director Alan Harrison said. “By getting data out into the field, our guys can make decisions quickly and feed critical data back into the system. Everyone sees what’s going on.”

For more information on Yorkshire Water’s Toughbook deployment check out the full case study on the European Toughbook site here.

Additionally, see the Toughbook 19s in action in a video of the deployment below:

While a standard laptop can satisfy professionals that spend the majority of their time tethered to a desk, a purpose built device is needed for those that spend considerable time on the road. Key considerations when purchasing a mobile device include weight, battery life, connectivity, performance, remote management, reliability and warranty.

Mobile professional may live their life in a constant state of travel. Because of this, large and heavy desktop replacement laptops are not ideal. Today, powerful mobile computing solutions can be had in the sub-four pound range. Most mobile workers will say “the lighter the better” when it comes to laptops.

Battery life is also a major consideration for mobile professionals. Most laptops get great battery life if you plan to work away from your desk for merely an hour or two, but longer stretches away from a power source often require extended life batteries that add to the size and weight of the laptop. Some devices offer over ten hours of battery life with a standard battery, allowing for non-stop work on cross-country connections or overseas flights.

At a time when constant connectivity is critical to the success of highly mobile professionals, it is important to have a laptop that can provide reliable wireless connections at all times – at home and abroad. Flexible broadband wireless connection choices, such as Gobi 2000, make life easier for IT professionals, as they eliminate the considerable amount of time it takes to swap out radios every time a field worker needs to connect to a new carrier network. For IT managers it is also important to find computing devices with superior radio and antenna placement, from a manufacturer with extensive wireless experience, in order to give mobile workers the ability to remain connected anywhere.

It goes without saying that processor performance is critical, but I’m still surprised that some enterprises have considered netbook-type devices because of price, size and weight. Unfortunately, there is a trade off with these devices that results in reduced performance as well as reliability and functionality issues. Securing mobile devices with enough power to run robust applications ensures that professionals will never suffer from performance anxiety.

As greater numbers of employees go mobile, remote management and security become key issues for IT professionals. Fortunately, processor like the Intel’s Core™ i5 offer many benefits for companies trying to manage remote devices.

More importantly, mobile professionals need durable laptops that can survive drops and spills – the two major causes of laptop failure. If a device is MIL-SPEC rated, but not for drops and spills, it’s not likely to meet your needs. Consider that – according to a PCMag.com survey for business laptops the annual average failure rate is 22%. That’s surprisingly high, so finding devices that protect against key areas of failure is critical.

Warranty can also be an indicator of reliability. If a manufacture is only willing to back its device with a standard one-year warranty, that’s not a good sign of confidence. There are laptops designed for mobility that offer standard three-year warranties, so you can be sure the device will be supported well into its deployment and without additional costs.

A great example of a device that fits all these criteria is the new Panasonic Toughbook® S9. It’s a three pound, 12.1” laptop equipped with the Intel® Core™ i5 520M vPro™ processor, 11 hours of standard battery life, embedded Gobi mobile broadband and an exceptionally low failure rate – the average annual failure rate across the Toughbook product line is an exceptionally low 2.4% – making it a very attractive solution for IT managers and road warriors alike.  It even includes a DVD drive to use all that extra battery life when your work is done. You can check it out here.

Before implementing its mobile technology solution, Slidell Memorial Hospital tested a variety of units, including the Panasonic Toughbook T8. In the end, Slidell Memorial Hospital chose the Panasonic Toughbook T8 based on its screen, light weight, and of course, its ruggedness. In a rapidly-moving hospital climate, technology devices must survive unexpected spills, bumps, and drops on a regular basis.

“I didn’t understand how durable Toughbook computers were until I dropped one of our T8s about 20 feet,” said Mike Mickey, IT director for Slidell Memorial Hospital. “Much to my amazement, it booted right up.  It was unbelievable. We deployed the device and it works fine.”

Ultimately this returns to the argument of TCO vs. ROI. By implementing a truly durable solution, hospitals relieve themselves of the costs associated with computer failures. Take Sussex County Medical Associates, they deployed the Toughbook T-series notebooks in 2004. Six years later they are still using most of the notebooks originally employed.

“Our clinicians work in a highly mobile environment that is demanding for even a ruggedized computer.  That fact that we deployed our first Toughbook T series laptops in 2004 and still have most in service six years later means that Sussex County Medical Associates has received an exceptional return on its mobile technology investment,” said Jacque Konzelman, Practice Manager for Sussex County Medical Center.

The cost of computer failures isn’t just monetary; its time consuming to use unreliable technology. Exempla Healthcare, which manages doctors in a network of Colorado-based hospitals, has used a variety of Panasonic Toughbook devices, including the T7, T8, and the 52.

“Panasonic Toughbook computers can keep up with the high demands of our nurses,” said Jim Millard, IT director for Exempla Healthcare. “When something is spilled on it, it can be wiped off easily, or if it falls, it will start up again, keeping downtime low.”

The Electronic Medical Record market is expected to reach $2.6 billion in 2012, a 100 percent increase in only 4 years. As the use of EHRs swells, mobile computing solutions should rise to the occasion of reliability to survive in the demanding healthcare environment.

On January 14, 2010, after 88 days and 9800 nautical miles, Jessica officially conquered what many consider to be “the Mount Everest of the maritime world” by rounding the windy and unpredictable waters off the coast of Cape Horn, South America. However, the Cape Horn accomplishment quickly faded. Jessica’s toughest test to date occurred a little over a week later on January 23, 2010, as she sailed into a storm producing hurricane-force, 70 knot winds and seven to ten meter high swells. During the fight with the storm, Jessica and her gear ended up soaking wet after being thrashed around the cabin. She described the storm in a blog post saying, “Ella’s Pink Lady was picked up, thrown down a wave, then forced under a mountain of breaking water and violently turned upside down.” Although her boat received some minor damage, it wasn’t enough to stop voyage and, a couple days later – on January 25, 2010 – Jessica passed the halfway mark in her attempt – a major milestone in her journey.

In a solo ocean journey, where a quick rescue isn’t an option, your equipment must offer the highest level of reliability. Jessica was able to survive the storm and continue on because her equipment didn’t fail.

Jessica carries the necessities required for an expedition of this magnitude, including solar panels, a satellite broadband system, GPS and electronic tracking and signaling equipment. Most of the electronics on board are to assist with navigation and keep other ships from colliding with Ella’s Pink Lady. Among Jessica’s many sponsors is Panasonic Australia who outfitted her with a Toughbook 30 laptop that will help document her journey and provide communication back home. From emailing fans to updating her blog or simply sending a hello to family and friends, the communication equipment plays a vital role in her safety and overall success.

Follow Jessica’s progress on her website: Jessicawatson.com.au