Assessing The Broad Business Case For Rugged Computing
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From a practical end-user standpoint, enterprise notebooks can be broken down
into three basic categories:
…Rugged (also known as Fully-Rugged) Laptop Computers
These are computers that must withstand the harshest environmental conditions,
including dust, sand, lots of shock and vibration (such as in vehicle- mounted
applications), as well as situations that can lead to a device falling to the deck or
ground. The most dramatic examples of this environment are the front-lines of a
combat situation or in public safety applications. Other examples include
construction sites, oil rigs, field service applications and other conditions that
expose the device to outdoor elements and harsh treatment.
…Semi- and Business-Rugged (also known as Durable) Laptop Computers
This tier applies to a wide array of conditions that may expose a mission-critical
device (that contains applications and data that are crucial to maintaining
business operations and employee productivity) to damage or failure. From a
market development perspective, this is the high-growth segment of the rugged
market. Examples of people in need of business-rugged capabilities include (but
are not limited to):
•
Consultants and other business executives who carry their entire “office”
with them during engagements. These engagements often call for
extended visits with clients at their location. Even during extensive periods
of travel they must continue to manage their day-to-day business
operations as they deliver value to their clients.
•
Outside sales people who travel often to meet with clients to present
proposals and presentations as well as access data and keep track of
transactions that must be synchronized with back office systems at
headquarters.
•
Field engineers or architects who work at client or job sites and carry
schematics and technical specifications to solve problems or upgrade
systems for clients that are geographically dispersed.
•
Healthcare professionals who carry patient and clinical information. This
includes doctors, therapists, nurses and physician assistants providing
routine care in hospitals, clinics and homecare situations. (Emergency
medical and operating room scenarios will find more appropriate solutions
in the “rugged computing” category.)
…Non-Rugged (also known as commercial or consumer) Laptop Computers
These are for applications that require the lowest level of ruggedness. This
solution works for organizations that have made a decision to replace all desk-top
computers with laptops or notebooks, for users, including administrative
personnel, who are not likely to travel or expose their devices to harsh conditions,
as their laptops rarely leave the office environment.
