Executive Outlook: Smartphone Vs. Rugged: Let The Migration Begin

By Jon Rasmussen, Intermec

Recent studies have shown that not only people in general — but workforces — are more mobile than ever. And it's true. If you look just about anywhere, you'll see someone tapping away on a smartphone or laptop. Delivery drivers use GPS and bluetooth on a daily basis. This technology era we are in has made "work" expand beyond the traditional "9 to 5."

And so, it's no wonder that mobility in the workplace is starting to reflect those changes. An April 2010 survey conducted by Harris Executive Omnibus found some interesting results. After surveying 300 Fortune 1000 Executives, they found that 60% of executives say their workforces are more mobile than ever before, 94% indicate use of mobile devices — 72% are consumer grade, 23% are ruggedized, and 67% said they are interested in replacing consumer-grade PDAs, cell phones, or smartphones with ruggedized handheld devices. For enterprise- class needs, these findings would suggest that mobile workforces are increasingly interested in the ruggedness of mobile devices to maximize ROI while still streamlining operations.