Consumerization Of IT's Impact On Rugged Tablets

By Brian Albright, Field Technologies magazine

Rugged tablets adopt consumer-style features to stay in the running for your field mobility device debate.

According to VDC Research, the tablet is the fastest-growing mobile technology segment; traditional rugged handheld devices and rugged notebooks are currently losing market share. VDC explains the contraction in other segments of the rugged device market is at least partly due to the adoption of consumer-style mobile devices in the enterprise, with more modern OS platforms and a “perceived innovation gap.”

However, rugged hardware manufacturers are working to bridge that gap, and a prime example of that is today’s rugged tablet. Rugged tablets are adopting the best aspects of their consumer counterparts, while still providing the durability needed for field deployments. “Rugged tablet form factors are becoming less bulky, driven by a consumer- design aesthetic, and device weight has dropped, making rugged tablets easier to carry for the duration of a shift,” says Tom O’Connor, senior national business development manager, enterprise sales, for Panasonic System Communications Company of North America (PSCNA). “In addition, security features in these devices are on the rise, making them even more attractive for enterprise customers.”