Rugged Tablets And Laptops Are Extending Their Reach

If you've been hesitating to invest in rugged tablets or laptops for your workforce because you thought you'd have to sacrifice functionality or weight, you might want to reconsider. Rugged laptops and tablets are steadily becoming more affordable and offering more features, functions, and user-friendly characteristics. Where it used to be difficult to justify spending the extra money to purchase rugged devices, it may now be the case that you have to justify not buying them.

"Rugged tablets and laptops are typically deployed in environments that are too demanding for traditional commercial laptops," notes Kyp Walls, director of product management at Panasonic Computer. "Not only are the environments these machines are deployed in demanding, the service they are providing tends to be critical, so failures are frowned upon." Users are relying on rugged devices to handle customer billing, access real-time customer and parts information, and improve overall customer service.

Rugged tablets and laptops also are making an impact in other areas, most notably, with mobile professionals, who have become accustomed to using traditional mobile devices to do their jobs. These users found that mobile computers allowed them to take notes quickly, communicate with the office, access up-to-date information, and work in close spaces. Now, they're finding that rugged versions offer even more benefits. "As the functionality and value of rugged devices continues to grow, their adoption rate does the same," Walls continues. "The reliability, connectivity, and pure versatility of these rugged devices have begun to drive the demand for more rugged and reliable solutions in all areas of the mobile workforce. As a result, mobile technology has progressed to a point where we can access anything, anywhere, using affordable and powerful tools." Rugged devices are finding growing acceptance in the healthcare, transportation, insurance, and government markets. Anyone who is doing forms applications out in the field, like field inspections, inventories, or logistics operations, should consider whether rugged tablets are a cost-effective option for their needs.