The company initially tested commercial-grade tablet computers, but found they were not able to withstand the day-to-day work environments of an arborist, resulting in failures due to road vibrations, contact with moisture and exposure to extreme temperatures.

Connectivity was another issue faced by AMS.  Originally, the company planned to use external PC modem cards to provide its mobile broadband connection, but found this solution created an increased opportunity for device failure – if dropped or bumped against any surface, an external card could snap off, damaging the motherboard and possibly leaving the field worker with an inoperable tablet.

It was clear to AMS that commercial-grade tablets with external modem cards were not an appropriate solution for its highly mobile workforce. After conducting additional research, the company purchased 80 Panasonic Toughbook 19s with Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband Built-In.  AMS chose Verizon Wireless because of its wide coverage network and its ability to keep employees connected in the field despite the excessive number of miles each arborists covers. The Toughbook 19s were selected for their combination of durability, functionality and performance.

Since rolling out the Toughbook 19s with embedded Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband, AMS has seen a number of positive changes. With the constant connectivity, field workers are able to send and receive greater levels of data, improving the quality and quantity of information available to the company and its customers.  With the embedded modem, the new solution allowed the IT department to eliminate a potential point of failure, “break/fix” support and maximizing mobile worker productivity.  Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband service also allowed IT  remote desktop access to troubleshoot user problems in the field, virtually eliminating downtime and the need for arborists to stop their work and bring their notebook to the office for upgrades or repairs.

With the successful deployment of its Panasonic Toughbook with Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband solution, AMS doesn’t worry about device failures and connectivity, and can now focus its efforts on being the best possible partner to its customers.

You can read the full ArborMetrics Solution case study here, and watch a video case study below.

This trend has been gradually progressing for awhile, but is now becoming the standard, as noted in a recent Athens Banner-Herald article.  Instead of sending out radio transmissions that allow all officers to hear the dispatches, the Athens-Clarke officers are now receiving location information and duty instructions via messages on their laptop screens.

Another example is the Philadelphia Police Department, which has started dispatching accident calls over their in-car laptops instead of using the radio in order to stop wreck-chasers from listening in on their broadcasts.

The growing prevalence of mobile wireless broadband has made widespread in-car laptop communication possible; in particular, Gobi™ mobile broadband that allows officers to have a reliable connection wherever cell phones can be used.  Now, police officers have the functionality of their laptops to communicate from almost anywhere.

We are eager to learn how you’re using in-car mobile computers to communicate, so leave a comment and let us know.

With organizations’ increased focus on mobility and wireless, there’s been a lot of talk in the industry about a new position – CMO – or Chief Mobility Officer (not to be confused with Chief Marketing Officer). Corporate board members of larger organizations are recognizing the need to strategically consider how their enterprises think about mobility.

Analysts including Gerry Purdy of MobileTrax LLC and Emily Green of Yankee Group have been writing about this very topic. Both believe that, with these transitions, mobility is becoming a strategic issue for businesses, and we’ll begin to see the rise of CMOs in large organizations.

CMO responsibilities would include the strategic management and implementation of mobile devices, in addition to consumers’ mobile interaction with businesses. Large companies are beginning to create mobile experiences for their customers. IT departments are now faced with the management of software and services that allow customers to access companies’ resources. These applications give wireless customers the ability to purchase products and services or make financial transactions via a smartphone or other device.

With these added responsibilities, the CMO will sit with the CEO to strategize how to use mobility to benefit the company at all levels of the organization.

However, not all analysts believe in the necessity of a C-level position to address the rise of mobility in organizations. In a Computerworld article, Ken Dulaney of Gartner said, “I don’t think organizations want to add more management layers like a CMO [in these] economic times, but mobility needs to be an adjective on every IT noun today. Every part of the IT infrastructure team has to be aware of mobile, just like they have to be aware of things like green technology.”

Whatever route organizations ultimately take, it is clear mobility will play an increasing role in businesses and that conversations surrounding the impact of mobile devices will begin taking place at a higher level.

Does your organization currently have or plan to institute a Chief Mobility Officer? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

With our current economic climate, it’s no surprise that the survey results place an emphasis on reducing overhead and controlling expenses. Not surprisingly, respondents showed an increased commitment to mobile technology in supply chains.

According to the survey, 81% of respondents are already using or planning to evaluate mobile solutions in their operations. In fact, most of the responding organizations are planning to spend at least the same amount as last year, if not more, on mobile technologies. Furthermore, one-half of organizations consider wireless technologies, like RF scanners and GPS, to be essential in developing their supply chain operations.

So what’s the bottom line? According to the survey, mobile solutions are “key drivers in helping organizations achieve supply chain proficiency.” Increased accuracies, productivity and cost savings came through as clear benefits for the supply chain. Other benefits included improved customer service and savings on labor and resources.

But not all mobile computers are ideal for the supply chain market. There are a number of key issues that supply chain managers must consider when evaluating mobile technology for their operations. For instance, the functionality of the device, such as its battery life, weight, ergonomics, screen viewability (in direct sunlight) and operating system can have a direct impact on employee efficiency and support costs. In fact, the operating system is a significant consideration. Having a full Windows OS dramatically simplifies the process of integrating mobile technology with the corporate backend, resulting in substantial savings.

Another consideration is a device’s embedded features, like a barcode reader, RFID scanner, camera, wireless connectivity and GPS. All these technologies can improve communication as well as increase the accuracy and level of data that is available at any given time. Having these features integrated into a single unit eliminates the complications associated with having your workforce – and IT department – manage multiple devices.

Finally, durability plays an important role in reducing hardware failure and downtime from IT departments, and any associated costs. Mobile computers must be rugged enough to survive drops of up to six feet, dust, vibrations and extreme temperatures and weather. When purchasing a mobile computer, consider a device that is MIL-STD-810G certified and IP65 rated to ensure reliability in these harsh conditions. Also, ask manufacturers for audited failure rate data and look for devices that fail less than five percent of the time. If someone can’t, or won’t provide this information, it’s best you consider a different device.

Panasonic has a number of mobile computers that are optimized for the supply chain setting, including the Toughbook U1 rugged handheld computer, the fully-rugged Toughbook 19 convertible tablet and Toughbook H1 Field handheld tablet.

I strongly believe this is the year of embedded wireless devices, which makes for a very exciting time here at Panasonic.  Please take a few minutes to listen to this engaging conversation and watch the slides. Let us know your thoughts and we would love to answer any questions you may have, right here, on our blog.

Currently, all major U.S. wireless carriers offer 3G data access for mobile computers. Available using external PCMCIA cards, USB devices or as embedded (also called integrated) wireless modems, these offer very different experiences for both users and their IT managers.

The downside to external cards and USB-based modems is that they deliver reduced performance and reliability. First, users need to insert a device into their notebook—anytime a user is required to do something to their technology, a risk is introduced. Also, as an added on component, these cards are prone to loss, theft or damage; they become a drain on a device’s battery power; they don’t achieve the same rates of connection speed and throughput—all factors that reduce worker productivity and introduce cost-centers for IT.

While external modems are not optimized to work within a specific device, reducing their effectiveness in attaining and maintaining a network connection, embedded modules are engineered and tested to work as an integrated part of the notebook and designed to ensure optimal performance. This is especially important in fringe areas, which can be field-based or less obvious settings, such as meeting rooms or airport gates. It is also important to note that, as an integrated component, these modems are protected under the notebook warranty.

Recently, we partnered with Larstan Business Reports to develop a whitepaper that clearly outlines the benefits of embedded wireless broadband modems over external solutions. Take a minute and read through “The Business Case for Embedded Wireless Technologies in Mobile Enterprise Strategies.” In addition to outlining benefits of embedded modems, the whitepaper also includes in-depth, real-world usage scenarios that you might find beneficial.

Announced in November of 2008, our fully-rugged Mobile Clinical Assistant (MCA) is based on the Intel® MCA Reference Architecture and aimed at healthcare professionals.