ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘xplore’ CATEGORY

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.

 

---

 

Be social and share this news.

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.

 

---

 

Be social and share this news

Xplore Technologies’ Sandy McCaskie asks whether the rising “consumer made rugged” approach can work for field service companies?

In an industry so exposed to mobile technology it was inevitable that consumerisation would have a huge impact on field service. Mobile phones, tablet PCs and intuitive, point solution apps have all been part of the FSM landscape for years.

And it is now clear that the consumer manufacturers have their sights set on the industry.

It is easy to understand why there has been such profound interest in this 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%.

Other analysts forecast the Global Field Service Management market to grow at a CAGR of 4 percent over the period 2012-2016.

 

Much of this growth has been driven and will continue to come from small and medium-sized enterprises and though high implementation costs could pose a challenge to the growth of this market, the clear commercial drivers are presently winning.

Top of this list of drivers is that an ever-more competitive landscape means service businesses are struggling to differentiate themselves to a customer base with expectations at an all-time high.

As the number of customer touch-points increases for every brand, services in the field are rapidly becoming the new frontline in the battle for competitive market share, playing a major role in customer satisfaction, brand reputation and customer retention and profitability.

Adding to this, logistical challenges, unpredictable fuel prices, incoming legislative requirements and environmental concerns make today a challenging time to run a service operation.

 

These service organisations will need to invest in a number of initiatives to tackle these elements. At the risk of sounding predictable, it is the technology at the heart of those customer interactions in the field that will be vital and needs most intense scrutiny.

In recent research, 88% of field service directors say say that increasing workforce productivity and utilisation is an important strategic objective but less than 20% had implemented fully automated scheduling, dispatch and mobility systems to deliver real-time visibility and control of field service

The research suggests that the need to integrate a diverse mix of often incompatible legacy systems is preventing many organisations from realising the full potential of technology to increase workforce efficiency, a crucial factor in achieving service excellence.

 

This is one half of the story - the other comes from the development of the rugged tablet market.

The rugged tablet market, has shown consistent quarterly growth upwards of 20% for the past two years, is showing signs of slowing. VDC anticipates that the rugged tablet market will top $500 million in 2014 and that the increased adoption of Android will present a growing opportunity as more enterprises move to adopt the OS for line-ofbusiness applications.

This is in comparison to the rugged handheld market, which represents the single-largest mobile computing category at nearly $600 million.

This battle between form factor is keenly fought in field service: recent VDC research showed that 89% of “field mobility” businesses deploy smartphones, 67% deploy tablets, 24% use a rugged handheld and 28% use a rugged tablet.

This dominance of consumer tablets over rugged tablets pervades all vertical markets, but so does the closeness of the figures of those deploying rugged handheld and tablets.

 

At the present time, in many cases the decision to deploy a rugged tablet is at the immediate expense of rugged handhelds, rather than a consumer tablet.

This can be best understood because rugged tablets offer a better “point of convergence” for all of the demands on the technology in the field, especially when compared to handhelds or even ruggedised smartphones.

However, there are some strong conflicting factors at play for the rugged tablet market at the present time - top of which is the need to develop more consumer-inspired designs versus maintaining legacy capabilities when dealing with verticals that are typically averse to change.

And of course, one of the problems with making a tablet that is built to last, is that refresh cycles are going to be further apart.

However, the fact remains that the enterprise tablet market, especially a rugged market that comes with added incentives of billable service, peripherals for workflow and strong customer loyalty is going to spark the interest of the major manufacturers.

Samsung has recently made strong attempts to secure rugged business.

Field service, alongside construction, is going to be a great proving ground to see if this “consumer made rugged” approach can work.

This is not just a simple case of ruggedised casing on existing consumer models.

Peripherals, be they data collection units, docks, carry bags etc are important considerations.

Small design nuances like a handle, stylus input and screen viewability will cause a lot of early changes for these consumer-based units. But much will come from the simple question of if these consumer-focused manufacturers understand the vertical markets in which they will operate.

Consumer taste changes fast. IT investment cycles do not. There is a reason for imposing standards such as software security or methods of data collection. The worry is that using consumer based units is – frankly - begging to have holes ripped into the fragile fabric of mobile data security.

 

A lot of the expertise (and therefore control) is in the hands of the channel and some manufacturers may not like that. And let us not forget that the rugged market is already dominated by a consumer name.

For those of us already engaged in developing ruggedised tablets for professional markets such as field service, we must view the the entrance of the large consumer manufacturers as a call to arms.

The response will be one of innovation, keen alignment to the demands of the industry, And perhaps one or two moments of disruption too.

 

---

 

be social and share this feature

Xplore Technologies a manufacturer of the most powerful, longest-lasting, ultra and fully-rugged tablets, recently announced Xplore xCapture Pro camera software for its Bobcat and XC6 Windows-based tablet PCs. The new camera software provides end users with photo editing, geo tagging and enhanced barcode scanning functionality. The addition of xCapture Pro as an integrated tool for the Bobcat and XC6 reduces the need for additional devices in the field and offers functionality to enhance the productivity of mobile workforces.

“We continue to listen to our customers and deliver the features and capabilities they’re looking for. Customers in vertical markets such as utilities, field service and insurance can take advantage of these enhanced features to improve productivity in the field,” said Mark Holleran, president and COO at Xplore Technologies. “Our new xCapture Pro camera software is another example of the innovative engineering and design that Xplore is bringing to its robust line of ultra and fully-rugged tablet PCs.”

Xplore xCapture Pro is an ideal enterprise solution for field service calls, asset management, inventory management or occasional scanning of barcodes. The software is also beneficial for users who may need to know the time and location for when and where a photo was taken, such as a field service technician or insurance adjustor who wants to document an event or condition. They can also use the software to simply edit a photo or make notes on the image.

Features and Benefits

· Photo Editing: Software provides users the ability to crop, flip, rotate or annotate images. Field workers who have experience taking photos with their cell phones and editing with the tools that are available in popular consumer apps, such as Instagram, can quickly apply those same skills to the xCapture Pro software, minimizing the need for training, increasing the quality of images and allowing for innovative uses in the field.

· Geotagging: Users can now take a single picture of an incident or site with all relevant information included, eliminating extra documentation. xCapture Pro utilizes the tablet’s GPS location data to embed coordinates with a time/date stamp on the lower left corner of a photo and display the image taken location on a map which can be instantly shared by email or upload.

· Barcode Scanning: Functionality traditionally only available as a peripheral or additional device costing hundreds of dollars. The new feature enables usage of the Bobcat or XC6 cameras as a barcode scanner for light scanning needs.

Xplore Technologies a manufacturer of powerful, longest-lasting, ultra and fully-rugged tablets, recently announced it has secured a $2 million (US) order for its XC6 DMSR ultra-rugged Windows tablets from a company providing infrastructure services to utility and telecommunication companies. This newest order expands on a relationship with the company that began in 2008, when Xplore technology was initially deployed.

“Our customer has a mobile workforce of more than 1,300 employees and having a ruggedized tablet solution to meet their needs in rugged field conditions is critical to their responsiveness and productivity,” said Philip S. Sassower, chairman and CEO of Xplore.

“Their team has been using Xplore tablets for many years and upgrading their mobile initiatives with the latest Xplore model, the XC6 DMSR ultra-rugged tablet, was based on the decision to continue to outfit their field technicians with cost-effective sunlight readable and weatherproof technology.”

 

The XC6 DMSR is the most rugged Windows® tablet on the market and is ideal for industrial and outdoor environments.

Powered by a 4th generation Intel® Core™ i5 processor, the high-performance rugged tablet features a direct sunlight readable display, as well as an innovative resistive, multi-touch interface to make running your toughest applications easier than ever--no matter how extreme the environment.

“We have a very positive and long standing relationship with this customer, and we are very excited they have decided to expand and upgrade their mobile technology infrastructure utilizing Xplore rugged tablets,” said Mark Holleran, president and COO.

“We are confident our XC6 DMSR will meet all their mobility needs with the industry’s leading processing power, ruggedization and security features they require for their expanding field workforce.”

Be social and share this news

Xplore Technologies Corp manufacturer of some of the world's most powerful, longest-lasting and rugged tablets on the market, has announced that both the Windows-based Bobcat and Android-based RangerX models have achieved full ATEX certification.

The certification means that both models are safe to use in explosive atmospheres in the workplace.

This announcement means businesses with potentially explosive atmospheres can now deploy world-leading, fully rugged tablet PCs running either the Windows or Android operating system.

The ATEX Equipment Directive is designed to specify requirements for safe electrical and mechanical equipment and protective systems in potentially explosive atmospheres.  Xplore Technologies has met all essential health and safety requirements and undergone full conformity procedures for the BobCat and RangerX models.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 122 workers were killed in workplace explosions in 2012, and a further 5,000 injured.  In the UK, fire and explosions at work account for approximately 2 percent of major injuries reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

 

An explosive atmosphere can be caused by flammable gases, mists or vapours and combustible dusts. That means garages, flour mills, food production units, even timber processing units can all be at risk.

 

“It is often easy to assume explosive environments are the exclusive concern of the military and energy businesses but there are actually a lot more high risk work places than we might think at first,” said Sandy McCaskie, director, Xplore Technologies. “An explosive atmosphere can be caused by flammable gases, mists or vapours and combustible dusts.  That means garages, flour mills, food production units, even timber processing units can all be at risk.

 

“It is precisely these sorts of businesses that can benefit most from enterprise mobility and the ATEX certification means that they can have full confidence that their electrical equipment is not going to be a weak link in the protective chain,” said McCaskie.  “Xplore is not only extending that protection to their fully rugged tablet PCs that can deliver huge productivity benefits, but also offering real choice by securing the certification for both our RangerX and BobCat models. This is confidence without compromise.”

 

be social share this news

 

Xplore Technologies Corp manufacturer of ultra and fully-rugged tablets, announced earlier this month that they have received an additional order for approximately 1,500 RangerX Pro fully-rugged Android tablets that will be used by a major U.S. telecommunications provider’s field technicians in its construction division.

“We believe that the RangerX Pro fully-rugged Android tablet is the best Android solution in the market today. It is the perfect solution for our customers’ technicians in the field” said Mark Holleran, president and chief operating officer for Xplore Technologies. “This order is a follow on order from an existing telecommunication’s customer and we are pleased to see this key relationship expanding.”

The telecommunications provider selected the fully-rugged RangerX Pro because it increases mobility for its field technicians with battery life of up to 10 hours to maximize time in the field, boosting productivity.

“This order reaffirms Xplore’s decision to expand its product line of ultra-rugged tablets to include fully-rugged products,” said Philip S. Sassower, chairman and chief executive officer for Xplore Technologies. “The RangerX Pro was chosen for its fully-rugged IP65 rating, and at 2.2 pounds field service workers have a versatile device built with Xplore’s proven rugged performance.”

The thin and light RangerX Pro, purchased by the telecommunications company, has optional integrated HDMI-In and Gigabit Ethernet ports enabling the technicians to replace multiple devices previously required to perform daily tasks.