InformationWeek
Defining The Business Value Of Technology
June 23, 1999
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Vendors are meeting demands for specialized handheld devices
By Karen D. Schwartz
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he use of handheld computers is rapidly expanding within industries where worker mobility is a key issue. Industries such as utilities, transportation, and health care are finding that handheld devices are fast, efficient tools for accessing and collecting work-related data.They're also finding that the best devices for workers are usually those that have been specialized to a particular industry's needs. Vendors are responding with devices that are more ergonomic, functional, and adaptable than what's been offered in the past.
Vendors are also developing applications for Windows CE 2.11 and Palm OS--now the preferred platforms for handheld devices--that include industry-specific templates for rapid input of data that can be uploaded to company servers over a wireless network.
The demand for specialized devices and software will drive growth in the handheld computer market, analysts say. That's a big shift from the recent past, when demand was lukewarm for vertical-industry devices that were based on proprietary technologies and sold for several thousand dollars per unit. "Today, there are relatively low-cost and robust platforms to build on. Vertical solutions vendors are taking advantage of that and are finding their markets growing fairly quickly," says Scott Miller, a Dataquest analyst. Dataquest estimates that 5.7 million handheld computers will ship this year, up 47% from last year, and 67% were based on either Palm OS or Windows CE. In 2003, Dataquest predicts, those platforms will make up 92% of a 21-million-unit market. "This is going to be a big year for vertical handheld sales and vertical applications," says Miller, "and the momentum will continue to build."
Right Devices
Some of the new devices are ideal for companies and organizations that rely on field-service workers to collect data outside the office, such as utility, construction, and agriculture companies. Collecting data on-site with handheld computers can save time, cut costs, and improve productivity. Because field service spans a broad range of industries, it's perhaps the fastest-growing area for vertical-market handheld computers. "Anything where data is being collected is very hot today," says Ken Dulaney, VP for mobile computing at Gartner Analytic Services.
By fall, new portable offerings for field services will become available, most of which will be built with reinforced parts to withstand dropping and other hazards. Such devices are commonly encased in durable materials resistant to penetration from water and dust. Though slightly heavier than traditional handheld computers, these systems weigh no more than a few pounds and are smaller than a standard notebook.
Cargill Inc., a Minneapolis provider of agricultural and industrial products and services, plans to test Fujitsu's PenCentra 130, a tablet computer scheduled to ship in September for about $1,200. The PenCentra is targeted at field services and is the first CE 2.11 device to come with two color displays: one for indoor use and one for outdoor use that's easier to read in sunlight. The PenCentra is built to withstand a 4-foot drop and includes rubber handles for easy toting.
Agronomists--workers who collect data about agricultural fields--will use the PenCentra to record information about plant growth and health for farmers who contract services from Cargill. They will use a stylus or keyboard to input data in software templates, such as Geo Informational Services Inc.'s FieldWorker Pro, says Cargill precision agricultural manager Don Lamker.
Lamker says he hopes that's an improvement over the current method where agronomists take handwritten notes that are later compiled into typed reports for farmers. "At the end of the year, we try to summarize everything we have noted on sheets of paper about plant growth stages and our recommendations and solutions," Lamker says. "It has become extremely difficult."
continued...page 2, 3
Illustration by John Bleck
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