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The term closest competitors could have been coined for Xplore Technologies and Motion Computing. Whilst they both competed in the niche market place of rugged computing, physically they were even closer - both being based on the same stretch of road in Texas. So it was almost inevitable that the two would eventually merge, which they did in April 2015 - making them the world’s 2nd largest manufacturer of rugged tablets overnight.

But when something is inevitable it doesn’t always mean it’s easy. Kris Oldland spoke exclusively to Mark Holleran COO, Xplore Technologies to find out more about the recent past, the present and the near future of the Texan Rugged Specialists.

It is testament to Holleran’s hands on approach to managing Xplore Technologies and his resulting busy diary that it has taken the best part of three months of diary juggling on both sides of the Atlantic before we are finally able to schedule a call that actually worked for this interview.

With this in mind, ahead of the call I was expecting it to perhaps be a somewhat hurried affair, with Holleran spouting off some pre-scripted soundbites that most CEOs seem to usually have to hand - particularly when being questioned about M&A activity. Generic quotes about mutual respect, optimistic futures and grandiose visions of world domination that to put it politely aren’t never quite in tune with reality.

Fortunately, it turns out my instincts were wrong.

Whether it was a result of the legendary friendly nature of Texans so often commented on, Holleran’s genuine passion for his company and the industry at large (he has been with Xplore for over 13 years and in the tech space for over 30) or as is more likely a combination of both factors, Holleran proved to be both engaging and insightful during the hour and a bit that we spoke.

Indeed, he was not only prepared to take the time to answer the questions put to him with thoughtful and reasoned responses, but also with a level of straight honesty that is all too often missing in trade journal interviews today.

Often, the real insight within an interviewee’s responses can get buried under wave after wave of hyperbole and over exaggeration that often needs to be translated back from marketingspeak.

At the same time it seems that many trade journalists are frightened to ask anything too probing these days in case it upsets any commercial relationships.

Whilst as Editor-in-Chief, I have the ability to control at least one side of this set of challenges to help ensure we continue to publish content our readers value, I’ll readily admit that some interviewees make our lives as business journalists that much easier when they just speak from the heart and shoot from the hip.

 

Fortunately in Holleran, it seemed I had discovered a kindred spirit in someone that believes in the virtues of just saying it as it is and letting the story speak for itself.

That said, it does of course help when the story is as compelling as Xplore’s acquisition of Motion which suddenly catapulted them to being the world’s second largest manufacturer of rugged tablets, seemingly almost overnight.

As mentioned above the prospect of Xplore and Motion coming together at some point had a certain sense of inevitability about it.

However, most analysts would have predicted it would have been Motion who acquired Xplore rather than the other way around and the speed of Xplore’s acquisition of their rivals from up the road certainly took a few in the industry by surprise.

“I think Motion was foreclosed on Friday, on the Monday we bought the assets and the next Friday we had a BBQ where there was 53 people all together” Holleran explains when we discuss the speed at which everything was completed.

Indeed, the shared culture of the two companies that were literally based on the same road in Texas, was already firmly in place well before the acquisition happened.

Holleran recounts how at that inaugural group BBQ one very astute individual asked all those who had previously worked for both companies to stand up - about 40 people did so.

In fact, there had already been previous conversations about bringing the two companies together as Holleran explained.

“It was originally the Motion founders that approached Xplore, but my predecessor wasn’t receptive to that, we did talk and in the end we did try and help each other.”

“For me, did I think we would we eventually work out something – yes I’d like to think so. Then we took the opportunity when it came around and fortunately for us we were in the better financial health - so it was us who acquired them,” he adds.

What is particularly interesting however, is that despite both companies sitting in the rugged tablet space, being in the same location and as a result of that proximity even having an informal movement of personnel between one another, the product ranges were actually very complimentary and with very little overlap.

 

As Holleran explains “If you look at Xplore’s history we were in the Ultra Rugged tablets space, we made the most rugged PC in the world. Then about five years ago we decided to enter to the fully rugged space but we didn’t really compete with Motion, who would have been in what we viewed as the semi-rugged space. So we saw a unique opportunity to acquire an asset that was very complimentary, their products are 100% complimentary to ours. Their channel was also very complimentary with around 80-90%, distribution which was also something they did which we didn’t do, They were working on a dual tier model and we were working on a single tier  model,” he adds.

Basically, what Xplore did well, Motion was weaker at and vice versa and this also translated into vertical and geographical exposure.

“Some major companies and customers are now embracing our products more because Motion was number three in the market and we’ve got over 20 years experience,” Holleran asserts before making the bold, yet perfectly valid statement that with Motion and their product range brought into the Xplore fold they now “have the god given right now to expect to be on every major rugged tablet RFP.”

At this point we do need to address the elephant in the room. Namely the fact that the reason Xplore was able to acquire their bigger competitor was largely due to the fact that Motion had suffered from issues in the supply chain, that ultimately led to financial challenges.

Was this an issue that was now fully resolved?

“There are always issues in the supply chain but if you understand that and you work closely in the supply chain they can be overcome,” insists Holleran.

“Myself, I travel to Taipei once a quarter. And don’t forget we’ve been doing this longer than anyone else. We were there 14/15 years ago so we understand their culture and their history, we have long standing relationships over there and we have an excellent reputation there,” he adds.

Yet, supply chain challenges are not the only potential threats to the ongoing success of Xplore Technologies. Is the rugged tablet market itself in a healthy position?

It is all very well being the second largest maker of rugged tablets in the world- but should the market move away from tablets and embrace the newly emerged form factor of the convertible or detachable does that leave them exposed?

 

I was keen to get Holleran’s opinion on products such as the Panasonic CF-20 - a fully rugged detachable that offers the dual benefit of being both a laptop and tablet at the same time. Will we ever see a similar device from the Xplore team?

“We never say never but our speciality and history is in tablets and we consider ourselves the world experts on rugged tablets – we’ve been doing it for twenty years which is longer than Panasonic has,“ he replies when I put the question to him.

“We’re investigating that area – but I would say that basic physics says that you cannot build a notebook or a 2-in1 device as rugged as a tablet”

“It all depends on your needs – if you're really keyboard centric and data intensive then a 2-in-1 is for you, but as soon as you put a keyboard onto a device it is not a truly mobile device to use. You can carry it, but you can’t just pull it up within one hand and then use it, that’s only the function of a tablet. So if you need mobility, if you need to have one hand free to keep other things working – then you really do need a tablet,” he added.

Of course, another threat to rugged manufacturers is that of the consumer OEMs.

In the past the argument from rugged manufacturers was a fairly straight forward one. If you worked in an environment where your tablet could get a bit wet or accidentally knocked about then you really needed to go with something rugged.

However, with consumer manufacturers releasing products that are themselves becoming more rugged such as recent Samsung products being IP68 certified - are the lines between business-rugged, semi-rugged and rugged all blurring somewhat? If so why should we invest in devices from specialist rugged manufacturers such as Xplore?

“I would say that ruggedization has various hats,” Holleran begins.

 

“If you are looking at an IP rating, which means it is protected against dust and water that’s one thing, but you can’t use these devices in extreme temperatures, you can’t see them in the bright sun, you still can’t drop these devices,” he adds.

“There is a need for different types of devices but those devices are not enterprise class PCs. They’re basically for reading your emails, watching a video or game – if you want them for doing a dispatch, accessing your ERP or picking system for example then no – they’re not going to run.”

“Our market is not inside an office or going out occasionally. Our market is in nasty plants, outside, with rain, sleet, snow, hot, cold, vibrations from vehicles. So if anything we see it [competition from consumer brands] as good for us as it lends more credibility to the need for fully rugged devices.”

“It gives some people a better understanding of the fact that in different environments you’ll need different types of ruggedization and there are considerable degrees of ruggedization. There are different needs for different people of course.”

For Holleran it all comes down to a simple question of reliability, which given the often mission critical nature of both installation and maintenance work carried out in the field, is of course paramount for most field service organisations.

 

“Basically it’s simple – when the product is a tool for your job, in other words if your computer is not working then you cannot do your job – then you really need a rugged device. If you’ve got your dispatch system, your inventory systems, your schedule, your maps, your components then if that computer is not working you can’t do your job – so people in that scenario want a rugged device that’s going to last.”

“Our marketing strategy is quality; our products exceed our customer’s specs.”

“If you want a product that can stay in the field for three or four years, then you need a rugged device, you can’t put an enterprise device in – it just won’t last,” he concludes.

What about the sometimes mooted concept of just having a rack of pre-loaded cheap tablets, so when one device fails an engineer can just pick up a new one from HQ?

“The problem with this idea problem is how do you get to all your data?” Holleran retorts.

“If your computer breaks, that data has then got to be put on a new computer and then you have to make sure that the new computer has all the security protocols etc, so your talking about days - maybe even a week if there is a backlog. A week where nothing happens and a guy can’t work? Do they just get an extra vacation whilst you lose money?” He asks.

From our conversation it seemed clear to me that Holleran not only has a strong depth of knowledge about his own market and the wider sectors he operates in, but also has similar depth of knowledge in understanding his customers needs and their workflows. I was keen to discuss this further so asked him how prevalent was such knowledge of their customer’s workflows across the company and was this ingrained into the success of Xplore to date.

“That is very important to us – Xplore is very much a customer centric company,” he begins.

“We will even put features into a product for the customer if required. For example, in our Rugged Android D10 we have HDMI-in port which allows it to work as a Telco testing device. So yes, that is one of our core competencies, it’s critical to the company and is a foundation which the business has been built upon.“

Indeed, it seems that the future for Xplore Technologies is well plotted and in Holleran they have a leader who has a clear understanding of where their strengths lie and how they can leverage those to best serve the markets they operate within.

“We still have new products under development the XSLATE will be the brand. We will continue to be a premium supplier with innovative technology; we have some new innovations under development,” he asserts.

“We intend to be the world’s expert authority on rugged tablets and peripherals attached to that. I tell people if you really want to buy a rugged notebook go buy Panasonic.”

“If you want to buy a rugged tablet come to Xplore – that’s what we do and we are the world's best at it.”

 

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Texas is home to two of the biggest names in rugged computing and earlier this year they came together when Xplore Technologies acquired Motion Computing. It's good news for field service companies, says Ian Davies, Country Manager, Northern Europe, for Motion, in this interview with  Field Service News Editor, Sharon Clancy.

SC: Where do the two product ranges sit in the rugged PC sector?
ID: Both companies sit at the top of the rugged PC sector. Xplore is the number one vendor in the ultra-rugged PC sector, while Motion claims second place in the rugged tablet space. Motion has a more mature and stronger presence outside the USA, with 50% of sales to European customers. The majority of Xplore's customers (80%) are in North America.

This give us plenty of opportunity to grow our customer base. The Motion brand will be retained, with the product being called Motion by Xplore.  Xplore has said it sees the acquisition of Motion as consistent with its goal to establish the best and broadest line of rugged tablets for the enterprise market and a one-stop shop for rugged devices.

As part of Xplore Technologies, Motion is in a stronger, more secure position financially.

SC: Will there be any rationalisation of the product ranges?
ID: In the long-term there might be some, but for the immediate future, no. In my working life, I've experienced several acquisitions and appreciate customers are naturally nervous about how long availability and support for existing products will continue. They have invested in devices that have a lifespan of at least five years, sometimes seven or even longer, and they're being used for mission-critical tasks. They want reassurance.

 

There's actually very little overlap in the product range because of the different sectors the two brands are focused on. Xplore is very active in large-scale deployments in sensitive sectors where security is a paramount: energy, public safety, telecoms and cables and the military. Motion has a broader customer base, active in utilities, healthcare, retail, construction and the emergency services.

There is some overlap is on the technology front, but we make no apologies for that: customers benefit from our using best-in-class components. Earlier this year, our processor supplier Intel, named Xplore as its Mobile Platform Partner of 2015.

SC: Both Xplore and Motion have adopted the indirect channel sales route. Will that continue?
ID: Yes. There should be no integration issues as far as channel partners are concerned.
Our partners have different strengths: some are hardware specialist, others are independent software vendors. What they have in common is a commitment to the customer. At this end of the market, buyers are interested ensuring tablets have the functionality for their workflows. It's why we work closely with IT departments and our channel partners: you are not just selling a piece of hardware but everything that goes with that. It will need customising for the workflow and configured for integration with back-office systems, for example.

Never underestimate the value of a great partner: our Motion Valued Partner eco system recognises the important role they play. Our partners need to be consistent and have integrity: they are our face to the customer and the first port of call for support. In return, we believe in long-term partners: we won't pull the run from under their feet and we won't change the rules down the line.

 

SC: Motion has stayed loyal to Microsoft Windows, even when the clamour for Google's Android OS was at its highest. Why was that?
ID: Continuity is important to us and our customers. We have been advocates of Windows because our enterprise customers prefer a back-office compatible OS and they want their mobile workers to be able to switch smoothly from the office and into the vehicle and field via their tablet PC, including for those advanced tasks that are proving a challenge on other mobile devices.

All Motion tablets currently ship with Windows 8 and are capable of supporting Windows 10. Windows 10 combines the best of Windows 7 and 8 and its arrival is good news for those companies who decided to skip Windows 8 and have been patiently waiting for the next incarnation.

 

However, there is now a big market for Android OS and it is on the technology roadmap for the Motion range.There is customer demand in some vertical industries with unique application and workflow needs, and we acknowledge that. Android OS gives them with greater flexibility and a wider access to more apps. Xplore's Ranger X tablet already ships with Android OS.

SC: Finally, will the trend for consumer tablets in field service impact on future sales for the group?
ID: I believe that field service companies recognise the value in enterprise-grade rugged tablets and understand Total-cost-of-ownership. There's little demand from enterprises or their workers for consumer devices. Companies understand the risks on mission-critical operations of breaking the tablet and losing data and the affect device reliability and that field workers who don't trust the device, won't use it as intended, will leave it in the vehicle, adding or retrieving data when they return, all of which has a direct affect on productivity.

One often overlooked aspect of the consumer v rugged debate is the critical role supporting peripherals accessories and additional modules play smoothing workflows.

Both Motion and Xplore understand that the ease of charging, mounting, carrying and storing tablets is key for user acceptance and that enterprises may need a variety of data capture and communications modules to maximise productivity - none of which is usually available on a consumer tablet.

 

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Xplore Technologies Corporation, the rugged tablet computer manufacturer, has expanded its presence in the UK with the acquisition of Motion Computing Inc. and its subsidiaries. The acquisition broadens Xplore's product portfolio to encompass rugged as well as ultra-rugged tablet computers. 

By bringing together two industry leaders, organisations in the United Kingdom now have access to the most robust product portfolio of rugged tablets in the industry that are purpose-built for the unique workflow demands of critical industries. Both Xpore and Motion by Xplore  products will continue to be available through local channel partners in UK

"We are excited to now offer the UK the broadest portfolio of purpose built rugged tablet computers and accessories,” said Ian Davies, country manager, Northern Europe, Xplore Technologies. “With more than 30 years of combined industry experience focused solely on the rugged tablet market, we are confident the strength of the collective companies will address a broader range of customer needs and provide a one-stop shop for rugged tablets.”

 

The portfolio of Xplore and Motion by Xplore tablet computers use powerful and modern processors and components and are tested more vigorously for shock, thermal, vibration, impact, ingress and emissions than any other in the industry.  In May, Xplore won the prestigious Mobile Platform Partner of the Year award at the 2015 Intel Solutions Summit in North America.

Xplore’s products enable the extension of traditional computing systems to a range of field and on-site personnel, regardless of location or environment, providing  an ecosystem that turns the tablet PC into a solution for their specific workflow.The company’s industrial grade rugged tablets meet the demands of customers in the energy, healthcare, utilities, manufacturing and distribution, public safety, field services, transportation, and military sectors.

 

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The Danish Ambulance service is to deploy almost 600 Motion C5 tablet computers as part of an innovative “Intelligent Ambulance” project that has been proven to save lives, Xplore Technologies Corporation has announced. The C5 units, which will be deployed across five regions, will enable ambulance teams to capture, accurately and quickly, all relevant patient data and transmit it to the hospital ahead of arrival.

Typically, a patient in an ambulance has hand-written notes that are passed on at admission into the hospital. As a process this is deeply flawed: the notes can be illegible and the risk of loss is substantial. Even if complete, perfectly readable notes are delivered to the hospital immediately on arrival, there is an inevitable delay as the information is actioned. This delay can increase if specialist doctors, teams or equipment are needed. Furthermore, with handwritten notes, there is typically only one perspective given – that of the ambulance personnel that has taken the details from the patient.

By comparison, the Intelligent Ambulance, equipped with the C5, can transmit vital observations direct to the hospital while the patient is en-route. Details on blood pressure, heart rate, temperature and oxygen saturation can be updated in near real-time. This information creates the Pre-Hospital Patient Journal (PPJ) that is used to determine a ‘trauma score’ that defines aspects of the care set up for the patient.

The C5 was chosen ahead of competitive units on the basis of improved screen quality and robustness. The camera captures and transmits high-resolution images of injuries, whilst the barcode enables consistent and reliable classification of patient data. Transmission of the data is secure and robust with the C5’s WWAN support. The C5 Mobile Dock which secures the tablet in place in the ambulance is a critical component of the solution, designed and tested to exceed crash impact test standards and enabling the workflow that transmits the PPJ to the hospital, ahead of arrival.

 

Because of the forms within the software, the information is always accurate, understandable and critically arrives at the hospital before the patient, so facilities can be set up in advance, reducing the delays at admission. As the PPJ is shared across all responding and relevant personnel, teams can collaborate to deliver the best levels of patient care and specialist requirements can be sorted before ambulance arrives at the hospital.

The project was co-ordinated by CSC Scandihealth and Atea, with software developed by Judex, hardware supplied by Lexit and installation carried out by Radiocom.

Ian Davies, Sales Director, Northern Europe, Xplore Technologies said: “This project is a clear validation of the improvements that mobile computing can bring to clinical care and strong evidence that the tablet form factor is better suited to the emergency services, compared to ruggedized laptops. The ability to capture and transmit, better quality information, faster is the bedrock of patient care improvements. The Intelligent Ambulance project is set to make a real difference across the Danish Ambulance Service and the C5 will be a critical part of that success.”

 

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The debate around which devices are best suited to a field service engineer is a long, complex and ever changing one...

Arguments can be made for rugged devices or for consumer devices. Equally arguments can be made the various different form factors that are on offer. Is a tablet, smart phone or a laptop best suited to your aiding your engineers workflow? Then there is the growing trends of convertibles (part laptop, part tablet) to consider or even the next evolution of this idea:  the detachable.

Of course there is no hard and fast rule here: each case is different and different devices are suited to different companies and applications. However, in what is becoming an increasingly competitive market it is important to understand the strengths of both various form factors and also of individual manufacturers and devices.

To help you navigate your way to finding the device that is right for your field workers, Field Service News is launching a news series that will give you a closer look at some of the options available to you as we see just how the devices stand up to the manufacturers' claims.

In the first instalment of this we take a look at the Motion F5m rugged tablet.

What the manufacturer says:

Motion describe the F5m as being “built for demanding environments that require robust enterprise software compatibility” and claim the tablet offers “the durability and functionality you need to seamlessly go from the office, to the vehicle, to the field – all while staying connected and secure.”
Motion has also given the F5m series a significant upgrade on its predecessors that delivers high-end, lasting processing power.

The addition of the 5th Gen Intel Core processors, including the highest performing Intel i7 vPro processor, provides the power to quickly move through computation-intensive applications, while increasing overall power efficiency.The tablet also comes with options for ultra-fast 4G XLTE mobile broadband connectivity that should make light work of sharing large files and images easy. Also with the promise of over eight hours of battery life and a hot-swap battery feature, the F5m should be able to last throughout your field engineers shift with ease.

First impressions

The first thing that strikes you when viewing the F5m is that this is very much a tablet designed for industry. With it’s  handle  built-in and moulded into the actual design of the casing,  Motion  demonstrates it is not shying away from this device's intended market nor its heritage - it's evolved from its cousin the C5 which was aimed exclusively at the medical sector.[quote float="left"]The practicality of the handle soon becomes apparent and a much welcome additional feature.

 

With other rugged manufacturers such as Panasonic and Getac and and even other offerings from Motion such as the R12 moving towards a more consumerised appearance for rugged tablets, the handle does give the F5m a slightly dated look, but lets be honest: when it comes to selecting a device for  field engineers a modern aesthetic look  should be quite low down on the list of desirables.

And actually whilst it might seem a touch ungainly , even cumbersome at first, in reality within a very short time of carrying the tablet around the practicality of the handle soon becomes apparent and a much welcome additional feature. It's one which would certainly be appreciated by many an engineer using the device.

In particular,  the placement of buttons just to the side of the handle that act as triggers for either the optional Barcode scanner or RFID reader means the inclusion of the handle adds to functionality by making the use of these features far more accessible than the more traditional tablet form factor.

Also the handle doesn’t actual add to much weight to the tablet. Weighing in at 3.3 lbs the Motion device comes in just a shade lighter than Getac’s 10.1 inch rugged tablet the E110 which is 3.5lbs although it is some way off the 2.2 lbs of either Panasonic’s Toughpad FZ-G1 or Xplore’s Ranger X both of which offer similar screen real estate despite their slimmer physique.

Processing power

Where the F5m is truly impressive though is the processing power it has under the bonnet.

The highly configurable device has three options when it comes to processors all of which involve the fifth generation of Intel Core processors with options for the I3, I5 or I7 available.

The review unit we tested had an I5 processor with 2.2 GHz 5200U plus a Turbo Boost to 2.7 GHz (3MB of L3 cache, 2 Cores/4 Threads) and alongside the base configuration of 4GB the tablet ran the Microsoft 8.1 operating system plus a number of commonly used programs without any significant issues at all.

However, if your engineers are using software which is particularly demanding then the top spec available of an Intel Core i7 vPro processor which boasts 2.6 GHz 5600U with Turbo Boost to 3.2 GHz (4MB of L3 cache, 2 Cores/4 Threads) alongside 16GB DDR3L 1600MHz SDRAM memory should be able to handle most things you throw at it with ease and compares favourably to other rugged devices such as those mentioned above.

For the operating system the tablet comes with an option of the 64 Bit Professional version of either Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

Given Motion’s intent for the tablet to be moved seamlessly from office to vehicle to field, on the surface this seems to be a sensible choice and,  given the meaty processing power the F5m has,  it sits much more comfortably in the category of laptop replacement than many other tablets are capable of.[quote float="right"]If you take the time to learn some of its tips and tricks, Windows 8.1 can actually be a very effective and useable interface indeed.

 

However, whilst improvements between Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 have improved the interface there are still plenty of critics of the Microsoft OS. In their desire to meet the demands of both the PC and tablet market Microsoft many believe they have not quite mastered either

The regular need to move from the mobile- oriented tile interface to the more traditional desktop format is one issue often sited as being a particular frustration of the user experience, and the simplicity and fluidity of  Android and IoS, the other leading tablet operating systems, appears to be somewhat lacking.

However, I use the phrase ‘appears to be’ carefully there because in fact if you take the time to learn some of its tips and tricks, Windows 8.1 can actually be a very effective and useable interface indeed.

That said perhaps the one of the most effective tricks of Windows 8.1, especially for business users, seems to be missing from the help files. That is a function called Snap which provides the option to split screens a la Windows 7 (perhaps why it’s not included in the help files?). Although with the touchscreen interface it’s not obvious unless you know it’s there.

For those Windows 8.1 users who aren’t aware of this feature you need to keep your finger on the screen when dragging an app in and then hold the app and hover either slightly to the left or right of the screen until a black line appears in the centre and the second app will then ‘snap’ into place.

The ability to have two separate apps accessible without having to swap between them is certainly very useful when working with a limited amount of screen real estate and in a field working environment could significantly improve productivity.

 

The fact this feature is hidden away perhaps sums up Windows 8.1 as a whole.

On first glance it may not be the most intuitive of operating systems, particularly in the tablet sector, however if you spend a little time learning learning it’s secrets, it has a lot of features that can massively enrich the user experience.

The pen is mightier than a digital keyboard

Of course one of the key benefits of having a Windows operating system is the ability to work with familiar applications. However,  for those applications that require anything more than light data input, the lack of a dedicated companion keyboard for the F5m can make life that much harder.

Unlike sister devices the R12 or the CL920, Motion offer no companion keyboard for the F5m. This leaves the user with two options, either using the on-screen keyboard or the included digital pen.

As with almost all on screen keyboards text input can often be inaccurate and when entering a mix of words and texts it can be frustrating switching between the various input modes of the keyboard, so this isn’t really a great option for anything other than brief input and form completion.[quote float="right"]The user has two input options: the on-screen keyboard or s digital pen.

 

As for the pen, the handwriting-recognition algorithm was able to make sense even of my spindly handwriting and would certainly be a better option than the on-screen keyboard. However, the requirement to hit the insert button after every few words can soon become a tiresome task and, again, I would see writing a maintenance report of any length a frustrating experience.

That’s not to dismiss the benefits of the pen itself which is a comfortable in hand and feels very much like a real pen, especially when compared to something like Samsung’s S-Pen which accompanies their consumer-focused Note series of tablets and smart phones. One complaint would be that the pen’s sensitivity isn’t as good as others such as the aforementioned S-Pen or Wacom products - but that is not going to have much impact on the average field engineer's working day.

Where the pen could really be of use is when combined with the F5m’s camera powered by Motion’s own photography software Snapworks (which is designed to be optimised for annotation with the pen or touch) and has a very simple yet effective sharing mechanism. Such a tool can make a big difference when it comes to encouraging a collaborative nature amongst field engineers as well as improving an engineers efficiency when it comes to reporting.

A picture is worth a thousand words…

The primary camera on the tablet is a rear facing 8 megapixel camera which is at the higher end of the spectrum when compared to the specifications of other rugged tablets and is more than capable of taking images clear enough for reporting purposes.

There is also a second front facing camera which is 2 megapixels which provides a good quality image for making Internet calls – again aiding collaboration between workers. When we made a test Skype call both the picture quality and audio were of good quality.

However, the test call was in a quiet location and the lack of a headphone jack could cause potential problems for making such a call in a louder environment.

A minimalist approach to I/O options

This leads us to one of the potential drawbacks of the F5m: the lack of input and output ports.With one solitary USB port (albeit a USB3 port for faster data transfer) you can’t help but think there could have been additional I/O options included.

When placed alongside some competitor models it does seem a bit sparse, especially given Motion’s claim that the device is designed to move from office to vehicle to field. Sure, we may not need that many inputs when we are in the field but what about when we are in the office?

 

An extra USB port could come in very handy, as could an external storage option such as a SD card reader or even a HDMI port should our engineer be required to give a presentation.In their defence,  Motion do offer a number of accessories including an Ethernet connector with a USB 2.0 port, a long range RFID reader and a magnetic stripe reader which all connect via the device’s docking connector, so the functionality is available. However, you can’t help but feel that some of these solutions could have been worked into the actual device itself without adding further to the tablet's footprint.

The longest day

Of course one of the most important factors of a device to be used in the field is the reliability of the battery life and here we found the F5m to be excellent. The device was fully charged within just an hour and a half and comfortably lasted an eight hour day when we tested it with a reasonable amount of use (i.e. the same we would use a laptop for in a full working day away from the office).

On top of this the tablet also boasts hot swappable batteries, so should your field workers face extra long days they are able to extend the performance time without hassle.

School of hard knocks

The F5m certainly passes the criteria for a rugged tablet. It looks robust enough and has been independently certified as meeting MIL-STD 801G, it is capable of surviving a fair few bumps. In fact the drop test for meeting this standard requires the device survives no less than 26 separate drops at differering angles from a height of 4ft (1.2 metres).

This durability is largely due to three factors: the tablet is rubberised for shock dampening, features a magnesium-alloy internal frame and a durable Gorilla Glass screen which comes either with a standard screen or the option of upgrading to Motion’s proprietary ViewAnywhere display technology, which is designed for working in the sort of brightly-lit and outdoor environments that can play havoc with readability of standard screens.

The MIL-STD 801G certification also means the device is also capable of operating in temperatures ranging from -10°C to 55°C and storage temperatures from -51°C to 71°C which should cover most working scenarios!

The other certification that the F5m boasts is IP54. The IP rating is defined by two separate criteria each identified by the two numbers. The first number denotes solid particle protection and in this instance the rating five (the second highest rating) means that the F5m is protected to a level where whilst the ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, dust must not enter in satisfactory operation of the device, i.e. the tablet is dust proof.

The second number refers to the liquid ingress protection. In this instance the rating of four denotes that the device is resistant to water splashing against the enclosure from any direction so it will have no harmful effect. In effect this means that the device should be able to function in the rain, for example,  but is not suitable for an environment where it could be fully immersed in water.

The conclusion?

In real life terms these certifications mean that the F5m is capable of dealing with all but the most extreme of environments.[quote float="right"]The F5m is a tablet that is designed for the field

 

However, the lack of a dedicated companion keyboard and only one USB port as standard does limit the device's capability to be used in an office enviroment for tasks such as writing more detailed reports or giving presentations etc. If we go back to Motion’s claim of the F5m offering the ability to go seamlessly go from the office, to the vehicle, to the field then this is a touch disappointing.

However whilst the F5m may not be the perfect device for the office, it does excel in other environments. The device is rugged,  bring powerful computing into almost any environment and when it comes to vehicles Motion also offer a very comprehensive range of in-vehicle docking solutions including dedicated vehicle mounting kits for a range of vehicles.

Essentially the F5m is a tablet that is designed for the field and,  when we consider the type of workflows it will generally be used in,  it is most certainly a good bit of kit for your field workers.

The barcode and RFID options make it a perfect rugged device for cataloguing and inventory tasks in a warehouse environment for example. Also the high quality camera, the Snapworks software and digital pen could also make life easier for field engineers who are required to include photographic evidence.

All in all the F5m is a robust and powerful tablet device. Whilst it is not the most elegant looking rugged tablet on the market, the integrated handle does actually add a lot of practicality and the F5m is both an easy device to carry around and far less likely to suffer accidental drops because of it.

The F5m is light enough to highly portable, durable enough to be put to task in challenging environments, has the computing power to be able to handle most programs expected to be run on it and a battery life that should keep engineers working through even the longest of days.

If your engineers need a reliable device, with good processing power, out of the office enviroment the F5m is definitely worth a closer look.

 

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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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Motion Computing's Ian Davies returns to the question of what defines field service...

We have previously discussed the emerging differences between enterprise mobility and field service.  The underlying current of that discussion was which fish would eat the other.

In the cold light of day, it is clear that (from a market and technology perspective at least) field service management will live ‘within’ enterprise mobility.  But this overlooks a critical point of distinction - what does a field service definition of enterprise mobility look like?  What are the actual, tangible hallmarks of an FS deployment and what does this mean for selecting the right technology?

 

Firstly, don’t even look at the technology.  Look in the mirror.  If you are wearing a hard hat, chances are you are field service and much of the discussion around enterprise mobility may not apply to a great extent.

 

Of course, the same reason you are wearing such a fetching headpiece - safety - does need to be reflected in the choice of mobile technology.    This may mean the right IP ratings for ruggedness, the right protection of critical information or the right certifications for specific environments such as explosive atmospheres.

There are other clear hallmarks of a field service deployment, driven by the needs of the mobile worker.  Whilst these can be broadly grouped into connectivity, computing power and security, it is worth bearing in mind what each of these labels mean to the different vertical markets within field service.

Connectivity

Productivity in the field depends on being connected to other people and resources - be they colleagues at head office, other mobile technicians and engineers or databases thousands of miles away.  When a signal connection drops for a consumer on the high street it is an annoyance.  When a signal drops for an engineer on an oil rig, it can paralyse the operation of the whole drilling platform.

Elsewhere, many public safety and utility businesses operate within dense metropolitan areas where network saturation can impact wireless performance - especially 4G.

Not all enterprise-focused mobile devices are compatible with the latest 4G wireless technology, which means signal availability and data speeds can be unpredictable.

One of the arguments recently put forward has been to view the level of ruggedisation that a tablet needs not as a consequence of the environment in which it operates, but as a result of how critical the process enabled by the technology is, to the business.  The same goes for connectivity - if the connection to the back office or elsewhere is paramount to enabling a given task, it must be backed up with redundancy and alternative options.

Computing power

Software applications for use in the field grow ever more sophisticated, incorporating more and more data and handling increasingly complex processes.  At the same time the need for power efficiency (and the subsequent impact on battery life) remains top of the list of concerns for most deployments.

 

For example, the latest 5^th Gen Intel^® Core™ processors (Broadwell) including the i7 vPro™ chipset, provide the power to quickly move through computation-intensive applications, while increasing overall power efficiency. However, again applying the idea that the process, not the environment is the defining aspect of selection, it is important that such technology is paired with the ability to hot-swap the battery in the field.

 

Despite the fact field service is - by definition - away from the traditional desk environment, data processing needs remain the same. Devices must offer the same processing capabilities on devices such as tablets as they do on a desktop or laptop.

Security

From a security perspective, the net result of a more connected mobile workforce with access to increasingly sensitive information is greater vulnerability.  Stories of lost laptops still make the headlines and more endpoint devices offer more openings to malicious attacks on a corporate network.  Part of the answer here lies in greater training and better procedures for field service personnel.

 

 However, technology can also help - multi-factor authentication capabilities through a combination of password, fingerprint scanner and smart card readers for environments such as healthcare, public safety and manufacturing - are important considerations.  Likewise encryption is a vital component of an increased security profile, with remote management capabilities and kill switches necessary in some cases.

 

Of course, these three areas are neither exhaustive, nor the exclusive preserve of field service.  But they do give serious points for consideration to those procuring technology such as notebooks or tablet PCs for use out in the field.

The needs of the specific industry must also be taken into account (an aspect as equally applicable to hardware as software) if the field service personnel equipped with this technology are to achieve the productivity savings that drive so many field service and enterprise mobility deployments alike.

Key to these savings are the peripherals that will augment a tablet PC and enable it to fit into the workflows of field service personnel.  Vehicle mounts are a great example, as well as carry cases and charging docks.

These are not just additions that are “nice to have” - they form the bedrock of the tablet fitting in to the jobs being undertaken in the field and improving productivity.  They are also, like hard hats, a great indication that the field service teams have the right kit to get the job done.

 

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Recent independent research conducted by VDC found that the top criteria for evaluating mobile devices to support applications in the utilities sector are reliability / quality. Ian Davies of Motion Computing explains more...

By comparison, the issues of water / dust ingress protection and drop protection were third and sixth respectively, mixed with large scale issues such as security and specific features such as GPS performance.

The mobile hardware industry does tend to make a fetish of ruggedisation - and rightfully so. The fundamental difference between a consumer unit and an enterprise tablet PC is the need to perform in any given environment. Consequently, the ability to demonstrate the level of abuse these units can take is important and there is a need to know what precisely has and has not been tested in order to map hardware capabilities onto job demands.

But reliability is far bigger than ruggedisation and it is time to put the horse back in front of the cart instead of letting stress test ratings continually define how tablet PCs are understood in the workplace.

Reliability pulls ruggedisation into the wider issue of the units function, not just its features. This focuses attention on the unit being relied upon to do the job it was intended for, not just the ability to pass lab tests.

In the real world, utility workers need to perform these tasks consistently and efficiently, so the technology has to be a proven solution - the real-world definition of reliability is the trustworthiness of a unit to perform.

This includes far more than IP or MIL ratings. For example, features such as the mode of input choices, integration with back office systems, even something as simple as the outdoor visibility of the screen all contribute to the consistency and effectiveness of the unit. Battery life is another great example - it impacts directly on the reliability of a unit but is nothing to do with its ruggedisation - and research has shown that almost 2/3 of business users say that their tablet does not last a full shift.

 

In this context it is easy to see why QUALITY is linked so closely to RELIABILITY. Excellence in the utilities sector is the ability to consistently perform tasks out in the field. That excellence is based on the complete user experience, not just stress tests of the hardware.

Jon Regan, Head of SAP Competency Centre in Thames Water explained how this arose in their selection of tablet PCs: “Our trial included over 200 users and we tracked a range of factors, from general user perception, physical features and battery life to toughness, application usage and screen usability. Positive comments on the ergonomics, size, weight and design of the device, as well as the accuracy of the pen input, the photo editing application and the screen viewing angle were consistent across all users.”

According to VDC, 2014 mobility budgets are expected to increase by 11% over 2013 and it is this interaction of reliability and quality that explains WHY utilities want to deploy mobile technologies so eagerly. The same VDC research showed that improving worker productivity and lowering operational costs were the two top drivers. Whilst the improved productivity is driven by keenly aligned features it is the reliability that leads to consistent performance that can help reduce costs.

It is also worth remembering the sheer scale of this opportunity - the European mobile utility workforce is the fastest-growing workforce segment. It currently consists of 900,000 workers, and by the year 2018, it will reach 1.2 million. Developing a mature focus on a workflow based assessment of activities instead of a feature fetish and chasing ever increasing levels of ruggedisation, will be a hallmark of those companies that lead in this industry

It is practically a given in technology that for every new trend, application and problem solved, somebody somewhere will coin a name to label the solution and market beyond its original boundaries. But this is more than just a matter of semantics when it comes to Field Service Management and it's younger but far bigger cousin Enterprise Mobility Management. Motion Computing's Head of UK, Ian Davies explains why… 

The naming of new industries and their obligatory acronyms is in itself is no bad thing as it leads to the creation and refinement of entire markets.  Once upon a time, someone at Gartner coined the phrase ERP, and that is now a billion dollar industry in its own right.  Likewise the same for CRM.  And even document management.

But within field service, this rush to label activity has led to some confusion.  As mobile computing solutions have become ubiquitous, present throughout an organisation, from the boardroom to the delivery van and beyond, field service has been swallowed up by the name of enterprise mobility.  Whilst it would be easy to fall prey to hyperbole, this is a dangerous development.

Field service - more specifically, field service management (FSM) - refers to a system that is often hosted or cloud-based and combines hardware and software - typically internet services - to support companies in locating vehicles, manage worker activity, schedule and dispatch work, ensure driver safety, and ideally integrate with inventory, billing, accounting and other back-office systems.

FSM usually refers to companies who need to manage the installation, service or repair of systems or equipment.  Typically this means utilities, telecommunications, construction and logistics organisations, though this is by no means an exhaustive list.

FSM is already a pretty mature market.  Gartner research puts the revenue for packaged field service dispatch and workforce management software applications, not including service revenue, at approximately $1.2 billion in 2012, with a compound annual growth rate of 12.7% and Gartner estimates that market penetration for field service applications has reached just 25% of the addressable market.

 

By comparison, enterprise mobility  - or to give it the inevitable three letter acronym, enterprise mobility management (EMM) - is the set of people, processes and technology focused on managing the increasing array of mobile devices, wireless networks, and related services to enable broad use of mobile computing in a business context.  Critically EMM is an emerging discipline that has become increasingly important over the past few years as mobile computing, via smartphone, laptop or tablet has become the norm.

 

Figures on the entire EMM market vary wildly but the incredible growth of tablet manufacturers, mobile application developers and network providers point to a market undergoing explosive growth.    Aberdeen Group highlights that over 1 billion smartphones and 200 million tablets have shipped globally since 2007.

Which fish eats which?

So, the question now becomes one of hierarchy - does FSM live within EMM or the other way around?  Whilst field service management has a greater legacy than enterprise mobility, it is clear that the reach of enterprise mobility will soon far outstrip FSM.  And therein perhaps lies the answer: FSM is essentially a collection of business critical processes that relies upon enterprise mobility in order to get the job done.

Why is this important?  If FSM is just an example of EMM at work, why does it need to be so carefully labelled and kept separate?  Simply put, because the very value of EMM is dependent on the specific business context of the mobile deployment.

For example, it is pointless giving consumer grade tablet PCs, without the right accessories and running cheap, yet unproven software to a legion of field engineers and expect anything other than chaos to result.  The tablets will not be rugged enough and they will break.  The lack of correct accessories will hamper productivity and work flow.  The software will not interface with back office systems and jobs will be lost.  This is nothing against the tablet or the software itself - just that it is not fit for purpose in the FSM context.

Of course, elsewhere that same tablet and cheap app may be ideal - for example in a controlled office environment. The point is that the very value of FSM is that it is a specific example of enterprise mobility, but that the generic nature of EMM will not sit well in the FSM context.

So what does this mean for those field service managers looking to explore mobile technologies?  Firstly it means that they must recognise that they hold the key to a valuable deployment of mobile technology that will bring real ROI.  Traditionally these decisions have lain with IT or perhaps finance - but for EMM to work for a field service organisation, it must be operationally driven.

And secondly it means that field service managers must become well versed in the options available to them.  If the Gartner figures are correct, then the remaining 75% of the field service management market will - over the next three to five years - be intensely active with many enterprise mobility technologies moving into the industry.  Separating those technologies that truly are field service specific - and not just named as such - will be vital.