Get Rugged Smart

By Ken Congdon, Integrated Solutions magazine

There has been a great deal of evidence that documents the TCO advantages of rugged mobile computing devices for field service and industrial applications. For example, according to market research and strategy firm VDC Research:

• Rugged mobile PCs boast longer warranty periods than commercial-grade mobile computers.
• On average, rugged mobile computers have a four-year replacement cycle, where commercial-grade notebooks need to be replaced every three years.
• Rugged notebooks are 11.6% less expensive on a per annum basis than commercial-grade mobile computers because they provide greater uptime and are easier to maintain on average.