Spirit Data Capture Limited, the independent mobile computing and data capture consultancy, has carried out a customer survey on the use of rugged data capture technology. The results underline the significant growth that is happening in the introduction and development of mobile computing and communication solutions for key business applications. The main driver is to improve productivity and efficiency and to reduce operational costs.
The survey indicates that organisations are planning to increase their mobile users by 25%-30% over the next three years. The main benefits are perceived to be greater flexibility, higher productivity and increased accuracy. Although warehousing is the most popular mobile application, an increasing number of companies are also deploying mobile solutions for field and remote workers.
The most common form of mobile technology is still the smart phone. However, in terms of key applications, the rugged mobile device is now significantly improving its market share as people realise the high operational costs of running smart phones in rugged environments.
Wireless solutions are now by far the most widespread, with internal wireless or Wi-Fi still being the preferred option for office and industrial use. However, external wireless or 3G solutions have increased in popularity significantly over the last three years, due to improved data transfer speeds and the enhancements they bring to the overall experience of the mobile user.
The main problems facing field-based solutions lie in maintaining a consistent connection with the central system. The number of organisations adopting device management has therefore continued to grow. However. a large number of solutions still operate without any form of visibility of their remote users.
Ebbie Khadem, Spirit’s Managing Director, comments: “This survey has reinforced the vital role that rugged mobile solutions now play within any enterprise. They provide a highly cost-effective, secure and stable solution for both office-based and field-based applications. Ultimately, they can help to transform the productivity and profitability of an organisation.”
Spirit Data Capture
Helen Jones
Tel: 01928 718800
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