| In
our view, to support a real dispatch application, a field
device should have certain features together with a reasonable
degree of resilience, to stand up to the rigors of field life. |
| We
feel qualified to hold strong views on this subject, supported
as they are by our experience of having deployed in excess of
10,000 field devices into our user base. |
| To
support a dispatch application a field device will: |
 Feature integrated communications, to support "always on" and work "push" to the users.
Support a memory card for data and application back up in the event of total battery expiry.
Run for a full day in the field without requiring a battery recharge or, alternatively, use a vehicle cradle.
Have an optional hard protective case to minimise accidental damage.
Have a clear, easy to read screen - in any light conditions
And for ServiceNet use, support GPRS Communications.
|
|
| Surprisingly,
very few devices qualify into an "approved list" on
these grounds and most Pocket/PC devices fail the battery life
test, particularly running GPRS comms. |
| Our
recommendations also ignore the truly rugged devices from
Panasonic, Itronix, Symbol and others, purely on price
grounds. If you know you NEED a rugged device and are prepared to
invest in one, then talk to us about our experience in that
area. |
| We
recommend: |
|
| The Xda
and XdaII, which satisfy all our acceptance criteria. |
|
The iPaq
3800 and later variants, which is excellent in most areas,
provided the battery is kept topped up, preferably in a car
cradle. |
|
|
|
| We
will continue to add to this list as more devices are released
by the manufacturers which meet our criteria. | |
|
