Colin Summers, regional manager for Intermec Middle East, explains why the handheld market is at the cusp of a new wave of deployment in the region.
What's your experience in the Middle East and what industries do you serve?
Intermec has been providing handheld computers for more than 20 years in this part of the world. We manufacture what we would call ‘rugged’ or ‘field’ handheld terminals and mobile computers and our typical user could be a Courier, Warehouse Packer, Postal Delivery Person, Field Service Engineer, Van Sales Driver, Merchandiser, Market Research Executive, Fast Food Delivery Guy, Technician, Medical Professional, Firefighter, Policeman, Restaurant Waitress or Utility Meter Reader.
What everyone above has in common is that they are using the handheld computers to perform multiple business critical operations in an enterprise organisation.
Can you give me an outline of the products you produce?
We have a wide range of handheld computers for different applications and different users and even for different environments.
The CN3 series of handheld computers, which are rugged field devices, which are used by thousands of outdoor field sales and service professionals. This includes the CN3 and CN3E products. A new smaller form factor device, the CN50, was launched early June, also aimed at outdoor mobile workers. For the Warehouse, Retail and Distribution Centres our flagship products are the CK31 and CK3 products, which have a different form factor for the different types of worker and working environment. We also have non-incendive and non-combustable devices, including the CK32, which is utilised in markets such as the Petrochemical industry.
Our products are manufactured to strict certifications such as relating to conditions such as temperature (e.g. from -20 degrees centigrade up to >60 centigrade), drop tests onto concrete and high humidity tests (particularly important for the Middle East region). This underlines the fundamental issue that the device must survive the rigours of the environment and the often not-so-gentle use by non-office workers!
How are your products differentiated from others in the market?
Intermec has been manufacturing handheld computers longer than any company and we’ve a track record of innovation. For example, we were the first manufacturer to offer four radios in a single handheld computer, with the CN3 offering Bluetooth, GPRS, Wi-Fi and GPS, way ahead of any other company. We also built the first mobile computer offering RFID-read capabilities.
The devices are highly integrated with many key components and we offer the widest range of configurable options: long range scanners/imagers, Qwerty and Numeric keypads, RFID capabilities.
In addition we also supply a mobile enterprise solution, hence peripherals such as printers (e.g. mobile or label printers) are normally required along with the handheld terminal; the fact that Intermec is the only manufacturer who can supply both the computers and printers, and other peripherals devices, is another key success factor.
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