AUTHOR ARCHIVES: Kris Oldland

This is the incredible statistic that US water utilities organisation Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 25(FBCM25) announced after they eliminated a paper-based workflow and moved to work with Motion Computing's  J3500 Tablet PCs

Now they are fully equipped with the J3500 Tablet PCs, FBCM25 is not only benefitting from using the technology onsite at their sewage and drainage facilities but also in the field as mobile workforce carry out meter readings, inspections and repairs.

“We’ve gone from a manual paper process to a greener, paperless environment,” said Steve Kim, director, information technology, FBCM25. “Now, the Field Operations’ workflow depends on completely electronic service orders, which can be created, sent, uploaded and processed in real time. All the information collected in the field feeds back to the central database and updates the billing software in real time, meaning our billing department has access to the same information.”

A key benefit of using Tablet PCs (or any form of mobile hardware) is that the process happens in real time while the field  staff is are on the actual job site. This has allowed FBCM25 to cut out unnecessary tasks, resulting in a boost in efficiency and a reduction of man hours dedicated to each job. Another advantage that FBCM25 are finding is that the billing department is now able to update and dispatch new service orders throughout the day as and when they come in from the field staff who no longer need to return to base to file the orders. Again this has resulted in significant increases in the numbers of jobs undertaken each day.

Leonela Ruvalcaba, manager, billing and collections, FBCM25, notes, “The Field Operations team, billing department and customers benefit from the real-time access to information and improved collaboration. With the paper process, if a customer called and inquired about their service, the billing department provided the information the next day at the earliest. Now, the billing staff is able to research anything the customer wants to know while still on the phone.”

Taking care of the environment is also an important initiative for FBCM25. The District regularly develops new programs and works to educate customers on ways to reduce, reuse and recycle as well as conserve water. According to Kim, “FBCM25 is responsible for increasing awareness and finding new ways to reduce our footprint. We were able to lead by example and eliminate a paper-based workflow with the Motion Tablet PCs, while reducing vehicle miles, which validates our commitment to being green, saving over 7,000 pieces of paper a year on service orders alone.”

 

 J3500 Product Tour:

 

 

 

Masternaut one of Europe's largest providers of telematics solutions, has been selected by the UK government to be part of the "Future Fifty" – a government led fast-track  programme which offers support to aid growth in both the public and private sectors, with the aim to improve employment and add significant impact to the much maligned economic growth within the UK.

Run by Tech City UK, an organisation launched by UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne, the Future Fifty is made up of the UK's most exciting, high potential growth businesses. The aim is to promote innovative and successful organisations oversees and to represent the rapidly growing number of high-tech companies based in Europe.

Masternaut, a leader in telematics and enterprise-grade across Europe also offer a cloud-based mobile resource management solution and their patented modular platform aims to deliver strong and demonstrated ROI for their clients through advanced business intelligence solutions. Listed benefits include enabling fuel savings, reduction in vehicle emissions, improved driver behaviour, and higher mobile workforce utilisation. Now with its inclusion in the future fifty the company is entitled it to tailored support and expertise in order to further accelerate its growth.

Martin Hiscox, Masternaut’s Chairman and CEO, says: “The Future Fifty is a fantastic programme and a real testament to the government’s commitment to supporting UK business growth. We are very proud to have been selected for the programme – it’s not only recognition of Masternaut’s achievements to date, but of the whole telematics industry’s potential to shape the UK’s business landscape”.

“2013 has been a busy year for Masternaut – we’ve launched our brand new telematics platform, Masternaut Connect, made a significant acquisition and are seeing rapid ongoing expansion across Europe. The support we will receive from the Future Fifty scheme will be invaluable as we continue to expand, innovate and develop our product portfolio and enter new geographic markets. We will be continuing to invest heavily in R&D, delivering our customers more ways to drive tangible business benefits through the use of telematics solutions.”

The rigorous selection process conducted by a 13-strong advisory panel of industry experts, investors, advisors and entrepreneurs saw judges select companies through a combination of quantitative and qualitative criteria, including financial performance, competitive positioning, product offering and strength of leadership team. Other companies listed alongside Masternaut include: Mimecast, NeoMobile, Horizon Discovery and Acturis.

The Future Fifty will provide concierge-style support to address key business needs along with a continuous programme of modular ‘opt-in’ business support and educational content and bespoke events.

 

 

Gain a mobile edge

To get maximum value from your enterprise asset management (EAM) solution, your technicians need full access to your system anyplace, any time. Of course, some tasks can be completed while sitting at a desk,but some of the most important and valuable asset management tasks need to be done in the field, where many critical assets are located. Mobile access to EAM gives your maintenance and asset management professionals the information they need where they need it the most—at the point of performance.

Infor™ EAM customers can now get easy mobile access on the Apple™ iPad® platform to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of asset management personnel who work in the field with Infor EAM Mobile for iPad.

Empower field service

Infor EAM Mobile for iPad extends the value of Infor EAM to field service workers, as well as to managers,clerks, and schedulers who are connected directly to the solution. Technicians working remotely get the functions they need to access, capture, and manage information from the job site.

You’ll improve accuracy, deliver better service, and manage assets more efficiently when your field service team can record as they work rather than waiting to document work after the fact. Infor EAM Mobile for iPad enriches the communications link between the field and the office, so that you and your field service workers can assign, perform, and record activities and ad hoc work orders from the work site, anytime, anywhere.

Streamline asset management using your iPad The popularity and effortless usability of the iPad means even the most inexperienced user gets quick, simple access to all necessary information from your Infor EAM system. Because Infor EAM Mobile for iPad is a standards-based solution, you can implement it straight out of the box or easily configure it to meet every user’s unique requirements. And by relying on the iPad for access, you’re not constrained to the costs and limitations of proprietary hardware solutions.

The rich functionality of Infor EAM Mobile for iPad delivers:

Work order management: Users can download work orders directly from the database and then assign or re-assign those work orders to the appropriate individual. Infor EAM Mobile users can view their assigned activities and access work order history and asset information to facilitate diagnosis and repair. They can also issue and return parts, book labor hours, view documents, and add images to the work order for future reference. Users can create personalized to-do lists that include the specific details for a task. When workers have completed the task, they can close the order, include comments and closing codes, and even upload pictures. With Infor EAM Mobile for iPad, it’s simple to book and capture labor information accurately using start, stop, and pause controls, and you can print work order reports just as easily.

Improved usability: Using the iPad’s FaceTime™ video conferencing app, workers in the field can consult directly with workers in other locations to solve issues quickly. Workers can use iPad mapping software to view exactly where assets are located and find driving directions.

21 CFR 11 support: To simplify compliance with government regulations such as 21CFR 11, Infor EAM Mobile delivers record-locking and electronic signature capabilities using the iPad. You can remotely conduct validations, change work order status, obtain electronic signatures, and run authentications.

Asset tracking: Workers can view all equipment on a map, consult the full history of the equipment, and see all relevant documents. Infor EAM Mobile for iPad also supports the Infor EAM asset inventory process.

Inspections: Users get a list of inspection points, which improves the overall efficiency and thoroughness of the inspection process. After completing the inspection, mobile users can enter the results into Infor EAM Mobile for iPad’s inspection result-entry lines.

Configuration: Administrators can create, configure, and consolidate prompts for simplified deployment and reduced support costs. Screens can be configured by hiding and arranging fields, making certain fields mandatory, and setting up default values. Unique user profiles identify what data to synchronize to a specific handheld device, which equipment to include, what and how much history to store, and numerous other  import and security rules.

Business-specific mobile processes: You get the tools to create new business-specific mobile processes to support your unique business requirements. You can create processes from within the Infor EAM environment, then configure and deploy those processes to the mobile device for immediate use by the field workforce.

Synchronization: You get support for two-way, real-time exchange of data between mobile devices and the central Infor EAM database. Each time a user transmits data from an iPad to the database, the entire system is updated and a return transmission updates the data on the handheld device.

Because Infor EAM Mobile for iPad is an Infor solution, every time a change is made to your core EAM solution, that change is automatically added to your mobile solution—no middleware is required.

Build productivity

Infor EAM Mobile for iPad delivers a state-of-the-art, cost-effective, mobile computing infrastructure on an easy to use consumer device. With Infor EAM Mobile for iPad, you can:

• Allow mobile workers to record as they work, rather than recording work after the fact
• Automate work order tasks and requests for labor, saving up to 20% on associated labor cost
• Improve response time and avoid unnecessary travel

As a result, you get better decision-making and productivity in the field, and a quick return on investment.

ServicePower have shown a further investment in their product platform, as a result of continued growth in the European market, by implementing extensions to its German and the Czech solutions as well as the US Territory of Puerto Rico, supporting recent customer wins in these regions and expansion with existing customers.

ServiceScheduling, which uses a proprietary artificial intelligence-based algorithm to route and optimise employed or dedicated field resources, previously supported travel calculation in North America, including the US and Canada, and in Europe, including Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.  Now it has been further upgraded to support travel logic in Germany, including the new pre calculated, in memory travel data to support real time field service environments.

Also the system has been improved and now includes support for complete application translation to the German language, ensuring a fully localised user experience. This latest release will also support multiple languages within the same deployment, including on premise or hosted instances, a key requirement for the Company’s multinational client base.

ServiceMobility has been enhanced to support complete localisation, including language, and other critical data such as dates, times and user location information, for the Czech Republic. This extension, as well as several additional planned geographical deployment expansions, enhances ServicePower’s ability to support its international clients, as well as improve its penetration outside the North American and UK markets.  Mobility will also be extended to field based teams in Puerto Rico.

Marne Martin, CEO of ServicePower, commented, "ServicePower continues to invest in our platform, driving innovation and improved market penetration for our shareholders.

“ServiceScheduling, our flagship optimised routing product, continues to outperform competitive products, with proven superiority in real time optimisation, part scheduling, in memory travel calculation and M2M data utilisation, as well as growing multinational support. ServiceMobility is enjoying similar success, providing new features and support of diverse device deployments within employed or third party field service networks. Our investment decisions continue to position ServicePower well for future market growth.”

A recently published study from Aberdeen Group commissioned by Trimble FSM has found that the best-performing field service organisations are extremely focused on improving service, and to achieve that, they are leveraging performance analytics to launch new initiatives and enhance existing ones. As a result, they are reaching higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The report, Secrets to Optimize Field Service for Better Customer Experience, written by Aberdeen analyst Aly Pinder, revealed that top performers exceed customer expectations and SLA goals in their efforts to retain valuable customers, and that customer satisfaction is a leading contributor to their success.

Streamlining service in the field and improving efficiency are key objectives of today's executives, the report stated. Customer experience is a top priority, and organisations are leveraging analytics to drive quality and enhance customer interactions. More than 50 per cent of the organisations surveyed say they use performance data to evaluate the effectiveness of their service.

The field service organisation traditionally has been evaluated based on operational metrics such as workforce utilisation and overtime costs.

This model worked best when field service pursued a break/fix strategy but is no longer the only path to service differentiation and success, the report found. Customer experience must now be at the centre of the entire service operation's strategy.

Organisations meeting 80 per cent of their customer service requirements for issue resolution times on average are able to retain 12 per cent more customers than those that meet only half of their customer requirements, the report says. With service a key factor in customer loyalty and a leading indicator of field service success, it is critical that companies deliver on what they've promised, when they've promised it. For businesses with mobile workers in the field, it becomes even more important to achieve excellence in delivering services

 The report is available here (registration required) 

Introduction:

Tucker Gardner Residential Limited (Tucker Gardner) was formed in 2005 by the merger of two market leading property specialists: Tucker Gardner Partnership (established 1989) and Camflats Property Management Limited (est. 1983).

With a portfolio of services spanning residential sales, lettings, land development, planning consultation and mortgages, Tucker Gardner employs over 85 people and has specialist offices in Cambridge, Great Shelford, Histon and Ely as well as a showcase suite in Mayfair to attract the London and international markets to East Anglia.

Against a backdrop of 35% of the housing stock in the Cambridge area being rentals, the business has grown through a mixture of customer service focused investment in technology (including mobile solutions) and aggressive expansion.  Tucker Gardner currently manages over 2,500 properties in the Cambridge area.

The challenge:

A key service for rental landlords is the inventory check carried out at the beginning of each tenancy: listing and documenting the condition of various elements within the property, from the state of decoration to fixtures and fittings.  This has traditionally been carried out by hand leading to a time intensive process that saw an average of four hours spent writing up notes on site and a further three hours inputting the information into the Tucker Gardner database.

Faced with an ever increasing portfolio of properties to manage, Tucker Gardner began to look for a mobile solution to reduce the time spent on this largely administrative task.  Following consultation with CamTech, a leading local technology mobile solutions provider, Tucker Gardner invested in the Motion J3500 tablet PC and the iAssist inventory software from IT Proz.

The solution:

Tucker Gardner chose the J Series on the basis of its superior processing power, ruggedisation and ease of use.  Weighing just 3.6lbs and coated in shock dampening rubber, the J3500 features:

• Capacitive Dual Touch display options for both finger and digitizer pen input
• An outdoor viewable 12.1” AFFS + LED backlight, screen available with View Anywhere or Gorilla® Glass for increased display damage resistance
• MIL-STD-810G and IP52 ratings for ruggedisation
• Hot-swappable dual batteries that can deliver virtually uninterrupted performance
• Industry leading anti-theft security technology suite
• A complete range of peripherals including a battery charger, FlexDock and attachable, spill-resistant mobile keyboard

The benefits:

The J Series and iAssist have led to a substantial improvement in productivity for Tucker Gardner. Combined with docking stations, and a wireless mouse, the J Series now enables inventory checks to be carried out in approximately two hours and uploaded directly into the database.  Combined with a dedicated inventory resource, this mobile solution has freed the Tucker Gardner property managers to focus on developing properties and improvements in customer service.

The reduction in time spent on inventories has been especially noticeable around the seasonal peaks of sabbatical and annual term starts; previously managers ran up extensive overtime, something which has now been eliminated.

The network capability of the J Series enables communication with the office via email and instant messaging, as well as field research for subjects such as council tax bands or local services.

Stephen Hull, Lettings Support Administrator, Tucker Gardner explains:

“Out in the field, the combination of connectivity, ease of input and processing power means the J Series has cut time spent on inventories to such a degree that we are now thinking of rolling it out as a dedicated service beyond just our managed lets.  This will turn a cost centre into profit centre, built directly on the investment in tablet technology.”

“The iAssist software is easily customised to our precise needs and we have had strong support from both IT Proz and CamTech.   We are already looking to expand our investment in the solution with additional unit for our other offices, which will give us a standardised mobile platform throughout the network of offices.”

John Adamson, Managing Director, Tucker Gardner adds:

“We expect to realise full ROI on our investment in around a year, and the increase in customer service that the J Series and iAssist have enabled has been a huge benefit.  We are leaders in the Cambridge property market and it is investment in progressive solutions such as the J Series and iAssist that will keep us in that position.”

In the part one of this two-part feature we looked at the launch of Amazon Prime Air and whether Amazon’s announcement heralded a revolutionary new delivery method which could change field service as we know it, or if it was little more than a PR stunt to put the ecommerce giant in the public eye ahead of a key revenue-generating period and whether (or not) the public was ready for fleets of drones delivering their goods?

Now in the second part of the series we review how the business world has reacted to the launch, the regulatory challenges that stand in Amazon’s way and one reason why it might just work after all….

The business world poured scorn…

Whilst public opinion remained divided, in the corporate world Amazon’s competitors both current and potentially those from the future if they step into the realms of delivery and logistics.

When asked if Amazon could emerge as a competitor, FedEx CEO Fred Smith commented:

“Quite frankly I don’t think I’ve seen more mythology in the press about anything than I have about the e-commerce space over the last year or so…”

He further clarified FedEx’s position by adding:

“Now that’s not to belittle UAS [unmanned aerial systems] technology because we’ve got a lot of studies underway in that area ourselves,” he said. “…but at the end of the day [most products will be delivered through] the intercity transportation networks of FedEx and UPS and to a lesser degree the Postal Service, which is designed around delivering very lightweight items.”

John Donahoe, CEO of Ebay was equally dismissive of Amazon’s plans. Not pulling his punches he commented that Ebay were “Not really focusing on long-term fantasies, we're focusing on things that will change consumers' experience today," 

Meanwhile in a fantastic parody of the Amazon announcement British book retailer Waterstones, announced they were launching a new service using specially trained Owls to deliver online purchases within 30 minutes.

A question of regulations...

In fact whilst it does seem that open season has been declared on Amazon and mischievous sniggering can be heard in corporate boardrooms around the globe, the simple fact is that the technology to make this happen is very much a reality and should Amazon be able to overcome the regulatory obstacles then they may well find themselves not only laughing last but also lughing loudest.

So what exactly is the current state of affairs in terms of the regulation Unmanned Ariel Systems (UAS) to give the drones their official moniker?

Well last year the US Congress passed a law that required the FAA to publish their final regulations that would allow certain applications of commercial UAS by September 30^th 2015 – which is the likely the source of Amazon’s own claim that Prime Air could be launched as soon as then.

Having recently published its first annual “road map” in which it laid out the necessary steps it will be taking to move forward with plans for draft legislation within the next year, the agency has already approved certain UAS for use by energy firms off the Alaska coast, as instructed by Congress.

However, both types of UAS that the FAA certified had already been approved for military use, something the Amazon drones don’t have behind them. Whilst law enforcement agencies and other public organisations have also received permission from the FAA to fly UAS in US airspace for surveillance and other purposes, corporate uses are a long way from being cleared. One un-named source at the FAA is even quoted as saying:

“We can’t even handle the simpler cases… this is taking ridiculously long. We’re hurting a lot of industries.”

In fact as the Washington Post highlighted:

"The fact that Amazon had to leave the country to make the video underscores how slowly U.S. officials have embraced the policy challenge."

In the UK the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are responsible for the authorization of UAS. In response to the Amazon announcement a CAA spokesman commented

“There are rules in place to make sure unmanned aircraft are operated safely and don’t pose any risk of harm to the public. A key element of this is the operator must have the aircraft within visual sight at all times during the flight. So there are a number of safety issues Amazon would need to address before this type of operation could go ahead.”

Yet it could still work…

However, there is one potential application of delivery drones which has been overlooked by the Amazon spin machine but could actually prove to be a much more viable solution in terms of both the logistics of operation and also meeting existing regulations, which was outlined by Ralph Rio, A Research Director with the ARC group in an article on Forbes Magazine.

“Instead of replacing, think about augmenting.  Jeff [Bezo] said that 80% of the packages are light enough for a drone to carry.  That means 20% of packages will need a delivery truck and person to carry the package to the destination…”

“…Consider a truck with sides that roll-up to reveal shelves with drones.  The truck stops at a home and, while the delivery person gets and delivers a package, multiple drones emerge and deliver packages within a few hundred feet, and return.  If a drone has a problem, the delivery person is there to help.  Also, the drones could be limited to a lower altitude that avoids FAA issues. “

“With the delivery augmentation approach, each stop releases a swarm of drones.  One stop delivers five packages rather than one.  This would be a huge productivity improvement for a dense, same day delivery route – like in suburbia.”

“ Of course, this approach to package delivery requires creation of complex algorithms for issues like when to use, route optimisation, sequencing, error correction, failure response, and more.  Amazon has the PhD math scientists to solve these problems.  The major impediment may be the business agreement between Amazon and the package delivery service providers.  But, this may solved with the next iteration of its agreement with the post office.”

“The technology is known, and could be deployed.  We will be watching for you to see how the application of this technology unfolds.”

This would certainly seem to provide a more practical application of the drones for deliveries, rather than Amazon’s initial more simplistic version drones leaving direct from the factory. Of course drones have been applied in other field service environments such as this example here as well. So whether the announcement was a perfect PR exercise or not, perhaps the idea of seeing delivery drones is the next few years is not as far fetched as it might seem…

At the beginning of this month Amazon caused a global sensation when they announced their intentions to launch a new service Amazon Prime Air.

Prime Air is a revolutionary new delivery mechanism that would see the e-commerce giant utilise small unmanned drones to deliver packages weighing under 2.3kg to consumers within 30 minutes of ordering. It is the stuff of science fiction fantasy but if the plans are real then Amazon’s plans then it could be a move that will change field service forever.

But is there any substance to Amazon’s claims or is this just a very sophisticated marketing move? Serious questions remain about the legality of such a venture with legislation unclear both in the US and the UK , whilst the timing of the announcement, with the usually secretive Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos appearing on CBS’ 60 Minutes programme the day before ‘Cyber Monday’, raised further questions also.

Yet at the same time, if Amazon can find their way around the legislative maze that stands in their way, and if they have indeed perfected the technology then the business case for such a bold move is certainly sound.

Online purchases have been reported as having increased 20% year over year over the Christmas periods.  If this figure is compounded, that equate to business doubling within just four years.  The likelihood of Amazon being able to double their delivery capacity using existing methods by 2017 is questionable at best. Add to this the increasing consumer demand for free delivery driven by a highly competitive market, then finding an improved means of delivering small packages becomes a high priority to keep their business sustainable.

What Amazon’s official statements say…

With a powerful video that outlines Amazon’s vision for future deliveries sat prominently on their official site it certainly seems that Amazon themselves see Prime Air as more than just a pipe dream but an actual viable solution they will be rolling out to customers within the medium term.

In a dedicated FAQ about the Octocopters (Amazon’s official name for their drones) they describe the technology as:

"It looks like science fiction, but it's real. From a technology point of view, we'll be ready to enter commercial operations as soon as the necessary regulations are in place. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is actively working on rules for unmanned aerial vehicles”

In the same section they also claim that the “One day, Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today” and that the drones could be in action as early as 2015. They also appear to address one of the most likely objections to drone fleets taking to the skies… public safety.

Amazon’s official statement reads  “The FAA is actively working on rules and an approach for unmanned aerial vehicles that will prioritise public safety. Safety will be our top priority, and our vehicles will be built with multiple redundancies and designed to commercial aviation standards.”

But safety isn’t the public’s only objection to the drones…

A divided public reaction…

In the days following the announcement the Internet was buzzing with articles and comments about the drones. If the old cliché that there is no such thing as bad coverage is true, then this certainly was a PR masterpiece by Amazon as their brand was suddenly everywhere.

Many responses were positive, openly welcoming the announcement. Comments from a BBC online article discussing the drones included:

“The sooner the better. I'm sick of being imprisoned in my home waiting for deliveries to my online shopping mad daughters. Perhaps with this delivery system I will be able to go out and do some real shopping. You know, the type where you choose what you want and get it there and then.”

And

“Yes, I believe that this would be an effective means of parcel delivery... Eventually. Drones of this type can be easily flown and built, from as little as £100. A model aircraft can be classed as a drone. The law does not currently stop people from strapping a small GoPro camera to the front of a model aircraft, yet. Drones have many practical uses, but must be used in the correct way.”

However, whilst some greeted the prospect of drone fleets warmly many used the forum to express their misgivings about the concept.

“What about people living in apartments with no direct access to street level. I'm reckoning this will be limited to people who live in suburban detached or terraced houses - can't see this making its way to inner city areas with the technology advancing well enough to avoid substantial damage to property or life.”

And

“Amazon's aim is to get goods to customers faster and cheaper; and make more profit. Machines can put many people out of work, but we still have no plan in place to deal with it's effect, i.e.: unemployment.”

Certainly it seems that public opinion remains divided but what about the corporate world? Read the second part of this feature where we assess how Amazon’s competition has reacted, the regulatory challenges that need to be overcome if Amazon Air Prime is ever going to be realised, and one potential solution that could see drone fleets arriving sooner than you might think…

 

 

New updated range of rugged tablets  makes working in the field, at the warehouse or with the patient easier, faster and more accurate than ever claim Motion Computing...

Motion Computing, a leading global provider of rugged tablets and mobile technology built for business, recently  announced the expansion of its mobile technology platform.  Motion launched new image sharing & documentation software, an asset and inventory management UHF RFID reader*, workflow-enabling accessories and the latest generation of Motion F5 and C5-series Rugged Tablets.

“With this launch, Motion continues to fulfill the mission we set forth 12 years ago,” said Peter Poulin, vice president, marketing at Motion.

“To provide the mobile workforce tools to complete their work easier, faster and more accurately.   As we strive to deliver innovative technology, we never lose sight of our customers – the mobile workers.  Their needs remain at the forefront of all our offerings.”

Motion’s new software, SNAPWORKS by Motion is an intuitive, touch-based camera application that provides mobile workers an easy way to capture, annotate and share images. The new EasyConnect RFID Long Range Reader transforms Motion Rugged Tablets into long range UHF RFID tag readers for obtaining and processing critical asset data from a distance - ideal for an oil rig, rail transportation or warehouse environment.   And, the just released Multi-Bay Battery Charger accessory charges up to 5 batteries at the same time.  The charger is ideal for multi-user work group that facilitates a team-based, pooled work environment.

In addition to the software, RFID reader and charger, Motion has released the latest generations of the F5 and C5-series Rugged Tablets.  The Motion F5te and C5te offer uncompromising levels of power, security and manageability with integrated field tools that improve documentation and collaboration.  Running Microsoft Windows, the tablets are designed to optimize the performance of mobile workers across industries like utility, insurance, public safety, retail and healthcare. The convenience of touch navigation, accuracy of pen input, durability of Corning Gorilla Glass and visibility of View Anywhere Display Durability provide functionality without the extra weight and price associated with traditional fully-rugged devices.  Motion offers convenient options for enhanced mobility including tailored docking, mounting and charging solutions.  Powerful Intel Core™ i3 or i5 & i7 vPro™ options with Intel Hyper-Threading technology provide higher performance.  New features include 10-point touch panel with Windows 8 Pro support, SNAPWORKS by Motion,  Multi-Bay Battery Charger and EasyConnect RFID Reader.

*The UHF RFID Reader will be available late Q4 2013.