Automating Your Field Force - Consumer vs. Rugged

As you consider a mobile deployment, you might assume that consumer grade mobile devices will more than meet your needs – but regardless of where your field workers spend the majority of their time, there are several reasons to give rugged handhelds, tablets and notebooks a second look.

Rugged devices are a good fit for more than just those users who anticipate extreme weather conditions
or highly physical work environments, such as an oil rig or a combat zone.

For a field worker who visits several customer sites on a typical day, tossing a tablet or laptop onto the passenger seat every time he or she gets back into the car can cause gradual wear and tear that will quickly require that device to be replaced.

That device will also face temperatures of up to 130 or 140 degrees Fahrenheit if it’s left in the car on a summer day – so the ability to survive extreme temperatures should be a key consideration as well.