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Companies keen to deploy the Motion F5m tablet, who have been thwarted by lack of availability got some good news at last week's Service Management Expo - new owners Xplore Technologies announced that the tablet has begun shipping again.

Stocks dwindled rapidly when Motion Computing's screen supplier abruptly closed its factory in China at the end of last year. Production has now restarted with a new supplier and lead times are back to normal, Ian Davies, Country Manager, Northern Europe, told Field Service News.

The F5m specification includes an Intel i7 vPro processor and the option of ultra-fast 4G mobile broadband connectivity.

Last week's event was the first time service companies had the chance to take a look at the new combined range from following Xplore's acquisition of Motion Computing in April. Both companies are leading providers of Windows-based rugged tablets designed to enable mobile workers to securely capture and share critical data at the point-of-service, delivering real-time decision making capabilities necessary for improved productivity, operational efficiency, and faster / smarter service tablets.

"I'm pleased with how the integration is going," said Davies. "Xplore Technologies can now offer a wider line-up of tablets addressing a broader range of customer needs."

Look out for Field Service News' review of the F5m next week.

 

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Welcome back to this exclusive Field Service News series in which Kris Oldland is exploring some of the technologies that could well become common place tools in the field engineer of 2020’s armoury.

In part one the focus was on smart watches, now in this the second feature in the series we look at how their close cousin the smart glasses and drones could begin to see regular use in field service also.

Wearables- smart glasses

However, whilst smart watches have the ability to improve the way we work in field service, smart glasses have the power to completely change the way we approach our field service operations.

A big statement? Perhaps, especially given the recent press Google Glass has had.

However, it’s important to highlight that whilst the ending of the Public Glass Xplorer program may have been reported in some quarters as an admission of failure, the fact is that the very opposite is true.
Google’s move of taking Glass out of their research division and into their main headquarters, as well as placing Tony Fadell, the creator of the iPod and the NEST thermostat suggests anything but. Yet there has definitely been a change of emphasis for Glass and the new focus is very much on industry which makes a huge amount of sense given it’s potential applications.

Of course whilst Glass may be the most high profile brand of smart glasses, Google are not the only maker of smart glasses, in fact there many other companies such as Vuzix or Pivothead as well as a Samsung release being expected this year. And then there is the highly exciting Microsoft Hololens also rumoured for launch later this year again, which if it lives up to the early hype could even push this fledgling technology space even further.

 

However, lets return to the topic at hand, a moment ago I mentioned that smart-glasses could change the very way field service operates… so what did I mean by that…Smart glasses don’t just offer hands free communications, they provide a true ‘see-what-I-see’ experience. The implications for this in field service are huge.

Not so long ago labour used to be cheap and things were expensive. Today the reverse is true and this is simply result of the continuing evolution of technology one of the big challenges for many field service organisations, particularly those working on complex devices such as medical equipment for example is managing the cost of getting their highly trained engineers on-site.

In fact this is often the biggest cost of a repair rather than any replacement parts etc.

Not only is there the cost of flying or even driving an engineer to a location which can be considerable, particularly if your operation is global, but also the time it takes for that engineer to be working on each specific repair, especially if your engineers are a highly skilled workforce.

Smart glasses can give a company the ability to use cheaper, less skilled local engineers, to undertake the repair guided by an experienced, engineer who is able to see the work carried being carried out remotely via video stream.

Through this type of application of smart glasses companies can open up huge potential cost savings by not only reducing the cost of each repair, but also by improving the efficiency massively of each of your engineers.

It could also lead to the potential expansion of a field service company into territories it may have been previously uneconomical to enter in. Not too mention the soft benefit of improving your engineers work/life balance which again could lead to better staff retention.

So the simple introduction of smart glasses could pave the way to completely restructure your entire field service operation into a much more efficient and productive unit.

Drones

Whilst Drones or UAD’s to use the official title have been around for sometime they’re potential commercial applications has recently starting soaring.

It was just over a year ago that Amazon launched, what I truly think will go down in history as one of the greatest PR stunts of the last twenty years by announcing Amazon Prime Air complete with a slick video of a drone picking up a parcel from the depot, making it’s way cross country before politely delivering it’s package at the front door.

The result was global press coverage and an 18 minute slot on America’s prime time show 60 minutes as Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos did his best to make the whole thing look like a genuine glimpse of the not so distant future.[quote float="right"]Like any great ‘blag’ it included a very healthy dose of truth to add as much credibility to the statement as possible.

 

The way the online retail giant painted the picture is of course absurd and riddled with flaws. The approach would require huge amendments to air space regulations for a start not to mention the vast amount of investment in AI to give the drones the ability to deal with any potential pitfalls and hazards along the way.

However, not only was the Amazon announcement was perfectly timed as it raised the their profile the day before cyber-Monday, but like any great ‘blag’ it included a very healthy dose of truth to add as much credibility to the statement as possible. The fact is that the commercial use of drones is very much on the rise.

In fact the Guardian reported towards the end of the year that licences for flying unmanned drones had risen by 80%.

Of course not all uses are dependent on requiring a license either, for example if the drone is staying within the eye-line of the pilot and the drone is only flying within the vicinity of buildings and personnel for which you have consent to record you may well be fine (although it is always best to check this properly).  Having a drone on-site can give an engineer the opportunity to easily get to high positions and make a quicker analysis of a situation.

Not only is this a time saving measure, it also means that an engineer working on his own can make this evaluation – whereas without he would be reliant on a second engineer coming to assist in order to ensure health and safety requirements were met.

When we consider that a decent quality drone, with HD Camera footage and built in WiFi to allow for instant streaming can now be purchased for under £400 the argument for including one as part of your field engineers kit is a very compelling one for any company whose engineers will be required to work at height.

Look out for the third part of this series in where we turn our attention to Near Field Communications and 3D Printing…

 

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In this new four-part series Field Service News Editor Kris Oldland takes a look at five key tools forecast to become part of the field service engineer’s toolkit in the not so distant future.

 
As a child of the eighties with a penchant for a bit of science fiction to me the year 2015 sounds very much like the distant future we might have heard about when watching Tomorrow’s World back when we were kids. And whilst not all things that we thought would appear in the future have arrived -  for example,  we are not all walking around in  shiny silver outfits and the hover car has yet to be invented  - there is so much technology that is commonplace today which is truly remarkable and has that futuristic feel.
 
Devices like satnavs, tablets and smartphones could all have come straight from the set of Star Trek and just a decade ago it would have seemed incomprehensible that devices like these would be regular items in both our working and our personal lives. These devices are now not only widely in use, they are hitting mass saturation.
 
And it’s little wonder really when we think how big the impact first smartphones, then tablets and other forms of mobile computing have had on the way we work , how we communicate, the way we interact with each other, and how we manage tasks - all empowered by the mobile Internet. And in no other industry has the impact of improved mobile computing been felt more than in field service.[quote float="left"]In no other industry has the impact of improved mobile computing been felt more than in field service.

>However, I truly believe that the leaps forward we have made in terms of technology this decade are just the tip of the iceberg and in the next few years we will see further technologies that are now starting to emerge become as commonplace as the smartphone, satnav and tablet, and that they will have an even greater impact.  Phrases like the fourth paradigm, industry 2.0 and the new industrial revolution which were once being whispered in corners are now being used by very senior and respectable people with more and more frequency and more and more confidence.
 
Just consider this a moment – we are talking about a leap forward in technology that is comparable with the shift in society created by the industrial revolution.We are talking about massive changes in the way we work, a wholesale sea change bigger than anything we have experienced in living memory - all empowered by technologies that whilst they may seem futuristic are already out there and being used in industry today.
 
So lets take a look at some of these technologies and how they can be put to work as part of the field service engineer's tool kit.
 

 

Wearables: smart watches

 
Having spoken about smartphones in the introduction perhaps the most obvious place to start is with wearable technology such as smart watches. Last year was widely touted as the year of the wearables yet it didn’t really live up to the hyperbole.
 
In fact it was quite the opposite... research from digital research firm L2 confirmed what a lot of people in the industry would already have guessed:  that whilst 75% of consumers are aware of wearable technology, just 9% actually had any desire to purchase and a tiny 2% confirmed they actually owned a wearable device.
 
So not quite the mega-impact that many industry experts had been predicted.
 
However, whilst the consumer world might not be ready for such devices there is a definite home for them in the world of industry and particularly in field service.Lets take the smart watch to begin with. As part of the recent release of IFS Applications 9,  smart watch integration is embedded. Other companies like ClickSoftware have also built smart watch apps into their field service solutions.
 
The ability to communicate hands free, whether it be receiving messages or making a call, has obvious benefits for the field engineer whether it is when they are driving between jobs or working on site on a repair. This is the first key benefit of a smart watch. And whilst much of this functionality is available either through bluetooth headsets or through the smart-phone itself being put on speaker for example,[quote float="right"]A smart watch brings together and streamlines functionality in a much more convenient manner.

The impact that smartphones have had on field service is widely recognised - smart watches simply take the power of the mobile phone and deliver it in a more convenient device that enables the engineers to work with both hands at all times
 
And for me introducing additional convenience and improving the overall efficiency of the tasks we are trying to undertake, is a large factor in whether an emerging technology will take root and I do believe that smart watches certainly tick many of these boxes and have the potential to do so and should absolutely be considered when selecting the right hard ware for our field engineers.
 
Look out for the next feature within this feature where we look at how smart glasses and unmanned drones could also become regular tools used by our 2020 field engineers.
 

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The Scottish Ambulance Service has signed a deal with leading ICT supplier Terrafix to use Getac’s T800 fully rugged thin and light Windows 8.1 tablets within its fleet of emergency vehicles.

Under the framework contract, Terrafix will supply 1,200 of the 8.1” Windows tablets from Getac, the global designer and manufacturer of rugged mobile technology.

Each ambulance will be equipped with two tablets - one for use in the front of the vehicle for mobilisation and routing, and the other positioned in the rear of the vehicle, but remaining portable to be used as a method of recording Electronic Patient Report Forms. Paramedics benefit from high-speed processing power and an 8.1” display for accessing critical patient information, while also providing full ruggedisation designed for critical field performance, ensuring focus on patient care.

The device complements the Terrafix Aggregator (T.AGG), a vehicle-based communications management hub with integrated GPS that streams data to the T800 tablets. The complete system is the first step in Scottish Ambulance Service’s Telehealth programme and their strategic framework, Towards 2020: Taking Care to the Patient.

Liam Coughlan, Programme Manager, Scottish Ambulance Service, says: “We needed a device that could survive every environmental condition, because device failure can be the difference between life and death. With the Getac T800, we have a device that can handle drops, shocks and performs in all weathers, while still being extremely portable and easy to use. It gives us reliability and therefore, peace of mind.”

 

The T800's 8.1” screen allows patient data to be read even in direct sunlight and new information to be entered easily thanks to Getac’s proprietary Lumibond® screen technology. With ruggedisation to military standards (MIL-STD-810G) the T800 can survive a drop of 6 feet and with an ingress protection rating of IP65 and operating temperatures between -21°C to 50°C, the T800 is designed for all weather.

Running Windows 8.1, the T800 incorporates BitLocker disk encryption which provides government-level data security.

The T800 incorporates the latest communication interface technology for unparalleled connectivity. The unit plugged into the docking station makes use of the ambulance’s in-built connectivity, while the mobile field-use terminal can connect to data networks via 4G, Bluetooth and 802.11ac WiFi. Weighing just 880g, the T800 is one of the thinnest and lightest devices of its class, making it perfect for both portable and fixed use.

Chris Green, Terrafix Managing Director, says: “Utilising the Getac T800 alongside the Terrafix T.AGG provided us with the opportunity to put forward a bid-winning system. The Scottish Ambulance Service’s vision of mobile consultation, coupled with reducing the need to travel to receive healthcare, can now start to become a reality. The Getac T800’s reliability and extended support proved the best choice for this mission-critical system.”

 

Peter Molyneux, President, Getac UK, says: “The T800, with its unparalleled connectivity, ruggedisation and portability, fits perfectly into the Terrafix solution. We are very pleased our hardware can perform a critical role in the complete technology solution, which is helping Scottish Ambulance Service to protect life and health for people across Scotland.”

The first tablets will be rolled out to the ambulance fleet this summer, giving Scottish Ambulance Service a complete tablet and resilient communication solution that will provide a leading patient care service.

 

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In the first part of this exclusive research project run in partnership with Advanced Field Service, we looked at the types of mobile devices being used in the field and why it seems that the days of pen and paper are becoming increasingly numbered. Now in the second of this four part series we look at whether there is a future for wearables in field service, are devices being used rugged or consumer and has BYOD worked?

There is also a white paper accompanying this series, with even further insights, which you can download here

The next wave of technology –wearables

Of course whilst one end of the spectrum is the laggards still using paper based systems at the other end we have the bleeding edge early adopters. With 2014 being predicted to be the year of the wearables have these very personal computers started to become part of the fabric of the field engineers tool-kit? Or have wearables faltered in industry much as they have done in the consumer world?

Our research would seem to indicate that the latter is true with two thirds of our respondents stating that they didn’t think Wearables would be a device they would be implementing within the next 12 months. Many of the arguments against such devices becoming part of the field engineers tool-kit were focussed around there simply not being a need for them in the eyes of many.

Comments from those who didn’t see Wearables coming to the fore anytime soon included there being “no obvious benefit of wearable technology”,“Too small, not enough visible info, techs have enough gadgets they need tools that work efficiently – not toys to keep up with technology” and the rather damning “They are a gimmick. No-one takes them seriously”

However, even within this group there were those that felt that Wearables would eventually come good with one respondent stating “It will happen, but it will take longer than 12 months.There will be some customer resistance to overcome”.

 

As for those who did see the march of the Wearable happening within the next 12 months almost three quarters (71%) felt this was because Wearables could help “improve the engineers work-flow” over half (56%) saw the advantage of “hands free working” as key to the potential of the devices while just under a third (32%) identified “health and safety” as a reason why Wearables could be important. 

Rugged vs. Consumer

Having established the form factors that were prominent in the industry, the next focus of our research moved on to another ongoing debate in field service – is the higher cost of rugged devices worth it in the long term?

Or are consumer grade devices fit for the task?

Our research highlighted that amongst our sample group of field service companies at least, the vast majority of almost three quarters of companies (74%) were using consumer grade devices compared to the 21% of companies using more rugged devices.

 

Often one of the most frequent arguments put forward by rugged device manufacturers is the Total-Cost-of-Ownership – i.e. that whilst a consumer grade device may be available at a lower cost, across the space of the devices lifetime the more expensive rugged device will prove to be a better investment as repairs and replacements for the consumer grade device mount up.

It would appear however, that either the numbers don’t stack up or that the argument is falling on deaf ears as almost half (48%) of those companies that selected a consumer device based their decision around cost, while 44% cited the fact that they felt the “improved speed of user adoption” was what drew them to a consumer device.

BYOD

The other reason cited for the preference of consumer devices was BYOD. However, despite a large amount of hyperbole surrounding the movement towards implementing a Bring Your Own Device policy this remains a largely unpopular option, with less than a tenth (8%) of those companies opting for consumer devices citing BYOD as the reason for doing so.

Amongst this small group the leading reasons for taking this approach were “quicker user adoption” and “employee satisfaction” which were both identified by over half of the respondents. Meanwhile the lower costs associated with the BYOD was acknowledged as a driving factor by a 29% of respondents in this section.

However, whilst a small group, those who had implemented a BYOD policy had universally found it to be a successful approach with 86% reporting that it had been a successful strategy and 14% stating it was highly successful.

 

The reasons for the success of BYOD were stated as “increased productivity” (44%), “engineer satisfaction” (43%) and again interestingly the cost factor scored lowest with just 14% stating that the “reduced cost of mobilising their workforce” was a significant factor in why they perceived their adoption of a BYOD policy as a success.

From the engineer’s point of view the adoption of a BYOD policy was also mainly positive with 86% of respondents stating their engineers were “generally supportive of the policy”. However, such a policy was not universally accepted by engineers with 14% of respondents admitting they had faced “strong resistance to  BYOD” from their engineers.

 

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Panasonic Toughbook's Enterprise Mobile Technology was the first big UK event of the field service calendar and it set the bar high for the rest of the year writes Kris Oldland...

Deep in the heart of the English country side lies the St Georges complex, home to aspiring dreams of the English football association, and given the fervour that surrounds the English national team every time a major footballing tournament comes around, such dreams of aspiration and success are reflective of an entire nation’s subconscious.

Such auspicious surroundings then were an ideal location for an event that had aspirational themes of it’s own. Namely the continuing evolution and improvement of how we operate our field service divisions, how we streamline our efficiency and establish ever greater levels excellence in our service delivery.

And as with modern sport, including the beautiful game, the alignment of technology with forward-looking strategy is a core part of how we take these steps forward. And technology was of course at the heart of the Enterprise Mobile Technology conference (admittedly the clue was in the name!)

With a number of new advances being revealed both by host Panasonic and a number of their key partners including the likes of Brother, NetMotion and Microsoft, the day certainly met it’s objectives.

Namely introducing those in attendance to the technologies shaping our industry today, and also identifying the direction in which the next stages of technological advancement, those that are waiting just around the corner, may lie.

 

The day began with a brief introduction from Kevin Tristram, General Manager, UK & Ireland Panasonic Computer Product Solutions before we moved to an excellent look at ‘smarter technologies for a connected mobile workforce” presented by Russel Young-Husband, Sales Director Panasonic Computer Product Solutions, which nicely set the tone of the day, giving us insight into the technology our hosts were developing and how it can improve our workflows, without ever feeling like a hard sales pitch.

Given the backdrop, and the many reminders of great moments in English Footballing history that adorned the walls throughout the impressive complex, there was perhaps a definite hint of fate’s irony in the fact that the closing session of the morning was presented by Welshman Jon Tucker, European Product Marketing Manager, Panasonic Computer Product Solutions.

However, obligatory rugby jokes aside, today was about collaboration not rivalries and this very much came to the fore in what proved to be a highly interactive opening session, cleverly enabled by some of the mobile technology being showcased later on throughout the day.

Tucker posed a series of questions to the audience based around some strong industry research from a number of sources and with each table having a FZ-G1 on the table quick polls were taken from the audience to see if the consensus in the room match the wider research findings.

What was particularly interesting was that throughout the session we kept seeing the audience responses matching quite closely with the wider research adding validity to the trends being highlighted in a very tangible way.

It was a good start to what would prove to be an excellent day.

In the first break of the day there was the requisite buzz amongst the delegates that can so often signify how an event will pan out. The sound of the dreaded muted and strained polite discussions that any business event organiser must dread was thankfully absent, and instead there was a positive energetic buzz in the long, narrow hall where refreshments were held.

 

Yet this was not down to chance.

For a start this is that was not Panasonic’s first rodeo when it comes to putting such an event together, but this isn’t only evident in the slick presentations and great execution, it is at events like this that real relationships can be formed and much of the conversation was of people reconnecting.

There were clearly many such relationships both between Panasonic and their customers, but also between the delegates themselves, who despite coming from wide and disparate disciplines, face similar challenges in managing their relative mobile workforces.

With opportunities for such peer-to-peer networking somewhat more restricted in field service compared to other business sectors (largely due to the horizontal nature of the sector itself) the chance to resume conversations and compare notes at such events is often taken up with gusto when presented.

Indeed the conversations continued right through the break and back into the next session, which featured David Rodger, Commercial Lead, Windows Business Group, Microsoft UK Unfortunately, we are unable to tell you much about this session as there was a no media policy in place so we an say is that it possibly interesting and probably was about holograms and that Microsoft 10 is hopefully going to be more of an XP than a Vista.

It is an ironic fact of how business works, that often the people we would most like to here from as leaders in there field are often simply too busy doing what it is they do (and what it is that we want to here about) to find the time to write a presentation about it for our benefit. The panel debate format allows us to benefit from hearing from such folks and the panel here certainly didn’t disappoint.

The conversation was open, honest and insightful with a number of key learning’s being presented from the panel and as with any session of this format we left with not only a number of answers, but also with a number of new questions, plus the seeds of a few embryonic new ideas of how we can apply some of these learning’s in our working lives.

 

Indeed again the conversations across lunch were vibrant fuelled by the morning sessions, with ideas generated from the panel were being bounced around and exchanged.

A short hour later, the delegates were separated into four groups as we moved into the smaller breakout sessions. I mentioned earlier the dreaded death by PowerPoint scenario and often it is at such a point in a day that the risk of this raises its head. I always find that an early start, some intensive early sessions and a full stomach are natural enemies of attention when it comes to sitting through presentation after presentation.

Thankfully, the event organisers were of the same mind-set and so put together a great mix of approaches to the afternoon sessions.

The first of which was a look at some of the latest technology to come from Panasonic.

Whilst this session could of potentially have strayed worryingly into sales pitch territory, thankfully the hands on approach delivered Tom Szwed, Customer Relationship Manager, Panasonic Computer Product Solutions didn’t ever have the feel of a straight marketing push, instead the underlying vibe of the session was more akin to earnest excitement, and genuine pride in the technology on show.

With the announcement of Panasonic’s latest rugged laptop the CF-54 having been made just a few weeks earlier this took pride of place within the session although much of the thinking of the new launch seems to apply to Panasonic’s approach to product development moving forward.

The CF-54 boasts a wide range of customisable options which makes it an interesting proposition for a number of industry verticals, but it’s thinner, sleeker profile has much of the look of a consumer device despite the device being certified as ‘semi-rugged’.

 

Powered by a fifth generation Intel Core i5 vPro processor and running Windows 8.1 Pro or Windows 7, with the option of an upgrade to Windows 10 upon availability, the CF-54 delivers an impressive computing power compared to similar products yet.has also been put through vigorous test, which Swzed guided us through to achieve it’s semi-rugged certification.

As well as being able to survive a fair share of drops and bumps, the CF-54 is also capable of operating between temperatures as low as -10C to 50C, is dust and water plus boasts additional spill protection, which now covers both the screen and the keyboard.

However, if the CF-54 was the central product in this session, it was the yet to be released and as yet unnamed prototype device that generated the most buzz.

This device was what could potentially be the world’s first rugged detachable, and straightaway it’s potential application within the field was being discussed. As those attending the session got their hands on this initial prototype, which at first glance looked like a standard rugged notebook but whose screen could be detached to be a fully operational tablet in it’s own right the application of such a device was clear.

“They [the engineer] would just take the tablet into the customers, but then could slot it into the keyboard as soon as they are writing up their reports” commented one fellow attendee.

Indeed, the idea of a rugged detachable makes a huge amount of sense. Detachables are not anything particularly new and surely we will see a number of similar devices appear on the market in the not too distant future.

However, there is a definite advantage in being the first to deliver such a device, and on the evidence available here it would seem Panasonic, with a working prototype that is close to a final iteration, may well be able to gain that advantage and further grow what is an impressive market share within the rugged space.

Having had an opportunity to get our hands on some of the latest hardware from the Toughbook stable, the next session was one which was certainly a memorable one.

 

We were led into a room that was dominated by a huge snakes and ladders-esque board.

Split into teams our challenge was to navigate our way from start to finish with challenges such as dropped devices, drained batteries or working in the rain barring the way. With half of the teams being allocated a Toughpad and the other half being allocated a ‘consumer device’ Perhaps unsurprisingly (and despite strenuous denial of any underhand rigging) the game was comfortably won by a team brandishing a Toughpad.

However, whilst there may have been a less than subtle message around the benefit of rugged vs. consumer when it comes to total cost of ownership it was delivered in what was a genuinely enjoyable format.

The next session we returned towards convention with a presentation from event partner NetMotion Again the session had the potential to stray into dangerous territory. There is only one thing worse than death by PowerPoint, that is death by PowerPoint whilst being sold at.

I’ll admit to having some trepidation as energetic American Erik Helms, VP Strategic Partners & International Sales, NetMotion Wireless, began his presentation. Being a reserved Brit, with an upper lip so stiff it may have passed away without me noticing, my natural defences tend to get raised when confronted by American presenters.

They are just so excitable, so enthusiastic and so damn friendly that I can’t help but think ‘what’s the catch’.

So admittedly Helms already had a significant hurdle to overcome. Yet he not only managed to win me over, he did it with style and panache.

The NetMotion product whilst having a number of functionalities and layers is relatively straightforward. It just makes online stuff better, much better in fact. Okay that may not be the exact way that Helms would have described it but essentially that’s the layman’s explanation. Through clever algorithms and coding the NetMotion app increases the speed of your connection, it increases the power of your connection and it makes the way your computer understands your connection more intelligent.

 

All of this was outlined by Helms, with the assistance of his two colleagues Lee Johnson, Global Field and Channel Marketing Director, NetMotion Wireless and Chris McKie VP Regional Salesw EMEA, NetMotion Wireless, through one of the best 30-minute presentations I’ve sat through in a long time.

Helms based his presentation around one user comment that the system ‘just worked like magic’ and played on this with a magician theme that quoted some of the great classic magicians, bringing an excellent sense of theatre to the session – with a great use of props including some beautifully lo-fi home made faraday cages made of aluminium foil.

It was also the first time I’ve ever seen someone use a machete as part of their presentation, well in field service at least.

However, Helms didn’t just rely on gimmicks to promote his product. What was truly impressive was the technology he was showcasing which sat at the heart of each section of his presentation.

Similarly, Helms himself was by no means just there for his admittedly very good presentation skills. As the session came to an end a number of questions were fielded and name was able to give knowledgeable answers throughout. For the second time in an hour I found myself leaving a presentation I had expected to be a straight sales pitch, genuinely interested in what I had seen, and with the way it had been delivered.

It was in the final break-out session however, run by John Harris, General Manager- Engineering, Panasonic Computer Product Solutions, which had not only peaked my interest but was also perhaps the most effective in communicating why field service companies should seriously consider spending their money with Panasonic – yet there was no sales pitch here.

In fact it was a forward look at products in development with Harris providing some insight into some hands on testing he himself had undertaken.

We were given a detailed overview of smart watches Harris had trialled including the Intel and Samsung offerings and a fascinating glimpse of a wearable vest that Harris was actually wearing during the presentation which monitored heart rate. One simple application of which Harris outlined could be linking the sensors to the engine of commercial vehicles – the implication of this of course having added resonance in the wake of a recent tragedy in Scotland where a bus driver suffered a heart attack at the wheel causing an accident with multiple fatalities.

As well as also showcasing some impressive technology around digital signature capture and processing the potential benefits of such applications there was the show stopping demonstration of a 3D camera, which was able to measure, the full dimensions of a real-life box accurate to within a few millimetres.

The technology on display was certainly impressive and Harris was an assured and clearly knowledgeable speaker, however what was perhaps the most impressive aspect of this session was the two-way dialogue. Harris opened the session explaining that much of the developments we would be looking at had come from customer feedback and requests, and customisation of devices had been clearly evident in the earlier sessions, but it was here that we saw actual evidence of this.

 

There were a number of requests and suggestions made throughout the session, which largely due to Harris’ relaxed style felt more like an open forum than presentation, including one attendee pointing out that the Panasonic camera’s his organisation (a broadcast company) required standard SD cards for storage, yet the Toughbook’s they used had no option for incorporating this format.

It was an obvious issue which whilst certainly not insurmountable would impede and slowdown the workflow for their remote operators. However, as the explanation was outlined to Harris, he not only quickly grasped the issue but also promised to look into the issue and see how this could be fixed in future product iterations.

Admittedly, many presenters in most organisations would say something similar, at least paying lip service to the request.

However, there seemed an earnestness about Harris which when aligned with his role and seniority made me genuinely believe that he will actually look into each of the requests made.

Observant readers may have noticed that is the second time I have used the word earnest and this was perhaps the biggest surprise and also the most powerful argument for why a company should opt to work with IT giant.

Very simply I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised by just how accessible the senior management at Panasonic were. There was a true willingness to engage with and listen to their customers throughout the day, and this was exemplified by Harris’ session.

After one final coffee break it was time for my own keynote presentation. Which was of course excellent but modesty prevents me from saying much more other than we covered a lot of the topics regular field service news readers will be familiar with as we looked at what tools the field engineer of 2020 may be using, including NFC, 3D Printing, IoT and Wearables.

However, whilst it was a privilege and a pleasure to share my thoughts with the audience, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to have a number of really great conversations around my presentation over a beer or two in the drinks reception that followed, today was Panasonic’s day, and they had delivered an excellent event, with an excellent mix of thought-provoking content, delivered in a clever and engaging mix of sessions.

As the first main event of the year in field service, the bar has been set nice and high. Lets hope the rest of the calendar meets the same standards.

 

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Global designer and manufacturer of rugged computing devices, Getac, has signed a deal to supply Southern Water with 380 F110 Windows 8 fully rugged tablets for field service use...

The devices will be a critical component of Southern Water’s Work and Asset Management and Management Information (WAMMI) initiative, designed to streamline operations out in the field and improve service for customers.

Southern Water selected Getac as its hardware supplier of choice following feedback from field operatives who rated the F110 tablet as superior to their existing hardware. The utility provider was also impressed by Getac’s service levels and ability to deliver a fully rugged device at a cost-effective price.

Alex Chandler, WAMMI Business Lead, Southern Water, says: “We needed a device with a large screen and rugged reliability for our field workers to effectively work with our geographic information system (GIS). After field testing, we found a very high user acceptance for Getac and the devices were cost-effective. As a result, we’ll have rolled out more than 300 Getac F110s to our teams by the end of June.”

 

The new devices will provide a substantial efficiency boost for Southern Water. Thanks to the F110’s unparalleled connectivity and GPS capability via 4G LTE and SiRFstarIV™ GPS, the devices will be directly synchronised with the utility provider’s GIS solution. This means field workers can easily mark off areas of work and keep HQ dispatchers aware of the progress of operations – information that can then be used to allocate jobs to other workers and keep customers updated.

The F110’s large 11.6” screen provides ample space to display detailed information and allows the easy filling in of electronic forms, while the Windows 8 OS provides a familiar and easy-to-use interface.

The F110 includes Getac’s proprietary QuadraClear® screen which is viewable in even the sunniest conditions, while the touchscreen can be operated without having to remove gloves. MIL-STD-810G and IP65 rated, the F110 can also handle drops, shock and exposure to dust and water without damage. To support Southern Water, Getac has provided a five-year return-to-base warranty and providing full set-up to ensure field workers can boost their productivity the moment they receive their device.

Chandler adds: “We needed a tablet we could rely on in all weathers and conditions, with a familiar interface and high user acceptance – with Getac we have exactly that device.”

The devices are expected to be in operation by the end of June.

 

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Xplore Technologies Corp a manufacturer of award-winning rugged tablet PCs, announced in the last few days that it has agreed to acquire substantially all of the assets of Motion Computing, Inc. and its subsidiaries Motion, another Austin, TX-based leader in the rugged tablet space, which is currently the second largest provider worldwide of rugged tablet PCs, according to VDC.

“The acquisition of Motion is consistent with our goal to establish the best and broadest line of rugged tablets for the enterprise market,” said Philip Sassower, chairman and CEO of Xplore.

“Motion represents a unique opportunity for Xplore to acquire an Austin-based company with deep industry domain expertise and that possesses products and channels complementary to our own. Together we will address a broader range of customer needs and provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for rugged tablets.”

“Nearly fifty percent of Motion revenue comes from outside the United States,” said Mark Holleran, president and COO of Xplore. “Leveraging the mature distribution channels that Motion has developed over the last 10 years, Xplore will significantly expand its international reach.

We are particularly excited to include in our offering Motion’s R12, which was recently named by PC Magazine as Editor’s Choice for Rugged Windows Tablet PC.  Its 12.5” LCD form factor has been very successful in law enforcement and manufacturing markets and is just one example of the expanding market in which Xplore will now participate.”

[quote float="left"]We are particularly excited to include in our offering Motion’s R12, which was recently named by PC Magazine as Editor’s Choice for Rugged Windows Tablet PC.

“Motion is excited about what this combination brings to its customers and business partners,” said Peter Poulin, CEO of Motion.  “The capital backing of Xplore supports a robust product pipeline and customer service capabilities that are critical to enterprises with whom Motion has had long standing relationships.”

 

“Xplore has a proven track record in focusing its resources to generate sustainable growth,” said Mike Rapisand, CFO of Xplore. “After a successful recapitalization and offering in 2012, we invested cash to significantly expand our addressable market, revenue and EBITDA.

Our executive management team has over 200 years’ combined experience in managing companies like Xplore and Motion, and we are confident that the two businesses will be successfully integrated to deliver growth and value to all of our stakeholders.”

The transaction will be effected through an asset purchase and sale agreement by and among Xplore, Motion and Square 1 Bank.  Xplore will acquire Motion for approximately $9 million, plus the assumption of approximately $7 million in net liabilities.

The closing of the transaction is expected to occur on or about April 17, 2015 and is subject to numerous conditions, including the receipt of financing and third party approvals and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.  Xplore intends to consummate the transaction using proceeds from a new $15 million credit facility with Square 1 Bank and to support integration and growth of the two businesses with its cash on hand.

In its most recent fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, Motion’s unaudited revenue was approximately $83 million, its unaudited gross margin percentage was approximately 25% and its unaudited net loss was approximately $7 million. Xplore intends to file a current report on Form 8-K on or about June 30,

2015 that will include Motion financial statements, as well as historical pro forma financial information for the combined businesses.

 

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Motion Computing's Ian Davies asks whether we can get too obsessed with specs when it comes to selecting a rugged device and why it's important to get the balance right...

When investing in a rugged tablet platform, a business must be confident that the assets can withstand varying weather conditions, wear-and-tear and even unexpected accidents. In particular, field service applications in more demanding environments need assurances that tablet PCs – which are often the one and only work computer for field service personnel – will still continue to function even if dropped from waist-high, left out in a rain shower or given a light dusting.

The IEC standardized markings for Ingress Protection (IP) clearly classify and rate the degree of defences that mechanical casings and electrical enclosures provide against dust and water.  “IPxy” is the default system for showing which mobile tablet is built tough enough for the job at hand. The two numbers that follow “IP” to rate the level of protection guaranteed with each tablet PC, refer to the protection against solid particle and liquid ingress.  The IP ratings seen most often in today’s top performing rugged tablets are IP54 and IP65.

Typically this is best understood when evaluating why a consumer grade unit may not be suitable for life in the field or on the factory floor.  Many businesses are already realising that consumer units simply cannot take the knocks of business use, even when they are placed in cases or shells.

 

Some consumer unit manufacturers have begun to use IP ratings as part of marketing material and this has further increased awareness of the issue of ruggedisation.  As these consumer units have become more rugged, they have put pressure on “dedicated” rugged manufacturers to increase the gap between enterprise and consumer units.

But having too much of something can be just as expensive as not having enough.  In the case of IP ratings, less can be more (in terms of both peace of mind and money) because excess protection can be very counterproductive for mobile workers.

This is far from a statement of the obvious.  “Specmanship” throughout the procurement cycle in many enterprise mobility projects has led to the over-design of many rugged mobile computers, which has quickly led to the completely unnecessary predicament many field service organisations now face: too much or too little protection for the job at hand.

The push for ever more rugged extremes and the impact of BYOD has led to a swathe of examples at either end of the ruggedisation spectrum.  Some projects have ended up with an expensive, heavy mobile tank of a tablet PC that is difficult to incorporate into workflows. Elsewhere, an army of consumer grade devices, such as an iPad, barely survive one month in the field.

 

This extremism is not just an operational concern.  It has substantial impact on warranty discussions and as such affects procurement and finance.

There is however, a third way - a Goldilocks zone situation that can resolve the issues by having “just enough” ruggedisation without drowning in unnecessary specification and cost.

Getting this balance of ruggedisation, cost and productivity right is based in an honest assessment of “Which IP rating is right for this workflow?” This means an accurate consideration of two main factors:

1. How business critical is the process that is enabled by the tablet PC? (The more critical the process, the greater the argument for ruggedisation that will protect the continuity)
2. The actual environment(s) that the tablet will be deployed in (and how the use of the tablet PC may change in those environments)

Many applications substantially over-estimate the amount of ruggedisation needed.   The vast majority of mobile work flows do not require a dust proof device as dust tight will suffice and offers several advantages over dust proof, including reduced thermals (which allows for higher tablet performance).

And when it comes to liquid, how much water is the tablet PC going to be exposed to?   IPX4 exceeds even the heaviest of downpours. Think “buckets of water” equivalent to approximately 10 litres per minute, or a litre every 6 seconds.  The chances are this will cover off 99% of all applications in an environment exposed to water.

Liquid ingress is also a key issue for many markets that need to clean the tablet PC, such as healthcare.  However again, IP54 is more than sufficient for the actual workflows in place.

 

Why does this matter?  Firstly because “excess IP” is expensive.  It not only adds to the upfront cost of the units but also means the device is heavy and bigger, meaning more accessories are needed throughout the workflow. In some cases this will then compromise the mobility offered by the unit and that threatens the entire mobility project being undertaken.  This typically happens when concerns over the environment of the deployment overtake considerations of the process that the mobile technology enables.

But perhaps the biggest threat is that choosing a rugged tablet on its IP rating causes - in any business - a series of compromises elsewhere.

 

This may then lead to the sacrifice of features such as input devices that a mobile team simply cannot afford to miss.  Bulky, heavy units are not welcomed by teams in the field and even more so when those units cannot do the job demanded of them; not because the unit is not tough enough, but simply is not equipped with the right kit because of the weight and IP rating of the tablet itself.

Many procurement managers, IT teams and even manufacturers have made a fetish of the IP rating and the subsequent perceived “ruggedness” of a given design for different reasons.  It is now time to correct this early error and realise that not every application demands the toughest possible tablet.

Whilst it is clear that consumer units will not meet the needs of business users out in the field, there is now a clear case to evaluate the specific workflow and environment for a deployment and select a tablet accordingly.  Just as a business would not equip its field service teams with armoured vans but finds the right vehicle; so it should issue tablets fit for purpose rather than excessively laden with unnecessary specifications.

 

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