© 2009 VDC Research Group, Inc.
3
VDC’s TCO analysis of mobile
computing deployments demonstrates
that there is a correlation between
increasing ruggedness and decreased
cost over the life of the deployment
where there are hazards within the
deployment environment that can cause
failure.
VDC’s TCO analysis of mobile computing deployments demonstrates that there is a
correlation between increasing ruggedness and decreased cost over the life of the
deployment where there are hazards within the deployment environment that can
cause failure. In order to make appropriate investment decisions, organizations
should map device specifications to the potential hazards in the deployment
environment. Conditions as diverse as in-vehicle vibration and exposure to extreme
temperatures and/or humidity, to the drops and spills experience by frequent
travelers, all influence the performance of mobile investments in the field.
One frequently overlooked yet essential step in the mobile computing solution
evaluation process is segmenting target users by usage environment and job
requirements and prescribing the best possible mobile computing solution to fit their
needs. It is imperative to balance the user, application, deployment environment
and—perhaps most importantly—the mission criticality of the applications.
I I. T H E EV O L U TI O N O F R U G GE D M O B I L E C O M P U TI N G
Use of mobile computing continues to extend beyond basic e-mail and PIMS
application to more integral business applications that can significantly heighten
operational efficiencies. VDC estimates the total number of mobile workers to have
reached 80 million in the United States in 2008.
This increasingly mobile workforce heightens the need for effective and appropriate
mobile computing and communications solutions. Consider, for instance, mobile
solutions that, through real time connectivity, allow Direct Store Delivery operations to
redirect trucks to fulfill same-day orders. Sealed mobile solutions that can be
disinfected for use in a laboratory permit researchers to directly enter data into the
computer system, eliminating the paper-to-computer data chain. Mobile CRM
platforms let field sales agents access vastly more information than they were ever
able to carry on paper into their clients.
Mobile computing extends the enterprise, allowing end users to achieve new levels of
efficiency and accuracy in their work. Because mobile solutions have become deeply
etched into the operations of the mobile workforce, a failed device has a direct effect
on worker productivity, customer service, and, ultimately, revenue. This increasing
importance of mobility has impacted investment philosophies, driving a new model of
how we think about computers, environments, and operators.
A significant development to meet the emerging needs of today’s mobile workers has
been the evolution of rugged mobile computing and emergence of various classes of
ruggedness or durability depending on a user’s needs. Once associated with high
adoption costs, significant bulk and weight and lagging several generations behind in
terms of computing performance, these solutions have evolved considerably.
