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.

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.

Kinetic finished the Vic-Maui International Yacht Race.  We won our class and the race overall.  We sailed against some keen, experienced competitors and the outcome was in doubt until very late in the race.  This year’s race was quite windy and fairly rough, making for some fast, exciting sailing.

Our team of five adults and four teens did a great job of staying focused and working hard for the entire twelve days of the race.  They also kept up a great sense of humor and had a lot of fun!  Contributing significantly to our win was getting the weather and course decisions right; for this, we used an electronics system including instrumentation, communications and navigation equipment, at the center of which was our Panasonic CF-30 Toughbook.  Impossibly reliable!

Regards,

Kinetic.

Often, our customers are in these harsh conditions so they can push the limits in the name of science or personal goals.

As an example, we recently receive a note from Luke Johnson, a member of a research expedition conducted by The North Face and The Mayo Clinic, to study elite athletes in extreme environments – on Mt. Aconcagua in South America.

Luke’s note, which details how his expedition tested the durability and reliability of a couple Toughbook 30s, can be found below. We’d like to thank him for sharing his experience with us. We’d also like to thank his team for putting their trust in the Toughbook brand. We are happy (but not at all surprised) our devices didn’t let them down.

Dear Toughbook,

I was recently on a research expedition with The North Face and The Mayo Clinic on Mount Aconcagua (6,962 m 22,841 ft): the highest mountain in the America’s. In an effort to more fully understand the limits of human adaptation, we developed a unique program to test and evaluate individuals who regularly demonstrate elite level performance in adverse environmental conditions.  The program aims to use this knowledge to expand the limits of human performance in adverse conditions, to test new technologies that remotely monitor human physiology, and to develop educational materials that disseminate the results of this research. The information gathered from this testing and analysis will provide new knowledge about the limits of human performance and aid the development of new technologies that will allow physiologic monitoring in a non-clinical setting. Since many human diseases force clinical patients to their physiological limits, knowledge gained from athletes pushing the boundaries of human performance in extreme environments promises to advance the care of patients, especially those with cardiac and/or pulmonary disease.

In order to properly monitor individuals in the field and collect data in these adverse environmental conditions, we needed a computer that would survive the expedition and withstand the unpredictable variables of the Mountain. We decided to go with two fully-rugged Toughbook 30′s. The Toughbooks were used the entire expedition, from Mendoza (2,428 ft), Confluencia (10,498 ft), Plaza de Mulas 13,779 ft), Plaza Don Fernando (15,748 ft), to Plaza Don Benegas (17,700 ft). The Toughbooks withstood temperatures down to -20 C, winds up to 40 mph, and various extreme snow/ice conditions. It was strapped to the backs of mules; as they rode through streams, rain and snow storms, and was thrown in multiple packs on the go, during many rugged trips up the mountain. The Toughbooks survived through it all, and fulfilled a critical role in completing the task we set out for.

Sincerely,

Luke Johnson

Research technologies (Extreme Human Physiology)
Project: Mayo Extreme Human Physiology Program Speed Ascent Physiology in Elite Athletes-Aconcagua
Athletes: Diane Van Deren and Willie Benegas
Collaborators: The North Face/Mayo Clinic/ National Geographic Society
Dates: January 22-February 9, 2010

Related Links:
Mayo Clinic expedition blog
North Face expedition blog
New York Times article about the expedition