DT Research Adds Barcode Scanners, Card Readers, Cameras To Tablet PCs

DT Research, a maker of appliances for vertical markets, on Monday rolled out three new hardware options for its mobile tablet PCs, including an integrated barcode scanner, card reader, and camera.

The WebDT 310 and WebDT 360 are part of DT Research's WebDT Mobile Tablet product line, and starting this week they can be ordered with a combination of any of the three hardware options: a barcode scanner, a magnetic stripe reader, and a 2-megapixel camera. The goal is to help businesses in vertical markets improve customer service and data accuracy, according to the company.

The mobile tablets are suitable for different vertical markets, including retail, hospitality, health care, manufacturing, and insurance.

With the built-in hardware, data can be captured automatically and saved into the appropriate application on the mobile tablet, which helps reduce errors that are typically associated with the manual data-entry process. The barcode scanner, for example, can capture data from retail merchandise, patient records, and shipping labels, and it can process up to 500 scans per second. The card reader can capture personal or financial data from any card with a magnetic stripe, such as a driver's license, credit card, or loyalty card.

DT Research claims that unlike add-on hardaware, its mobile tablets with integrated options eliminates the need to test hardware for compatibility and reduces the chance of the hardware getting lost.

"Today businesses need the ability to quickly collect accurate information from customers, guests, patients, products, and employees while at any location. Until now, users have had to use separate mobile devices or attach additional hardware to tablets. These methods are inconvenient, costly, and do not offer automatic synchronization with software applications on the tablet," said Daw Tsai, president of DT Research, in a statement.

The mobile tablets are also built to withstand commercial use, such as bumps or drops. The WebDT 360 comes with an 8.4-inch touch screen, while the WebDT 310 has a 10.4-inch screen. Both devices can be customized with a preferred operating system: Microsoft Windows XP Embedded, Windows CE, and Windows Tablet PC. Other useful features include flash-based storage and swappable batteries.

Additionally, DT Research is offering device management software to help businesses remotely administer their WebDT mobile tablets.

The mobile tablets are available for purchase from DT Research and through resellers. The WebDT 360 starts at $1,499 and the WebDT starts at $1,699.