August 2007

Kontron sells US rugged mobile business to Azonix
Not long after acquiring Dolch, a well established maker of rugged computers, German-based Kontron announced that it is selling the MRD Division of Kontron America to Azonix Corporation, a subsidiary of Crane Corporation. Azonix is a solution provider of rugged computers and displays primarily for the Oil and Gas Exploration, US Military, and Automation Markets. Kontron Germany, however, appears to continue to offer the rugged NotePAC Duo, Semi, Ultra, Light, and ReVolution, with the Semi just introduced this month. -- Posted Thursday, August 30, 2007

Lockheed spoken-language technology helps warfighters and first responder
Lockheed Martin announced the Wearable Intelligent Reporting Environment (WIRE), a spoken-language-understanding system for military mobile and dismounted operations and potentially for first responders. WIRE uses reliable, on-demand, spoken-language-understanding technology that lets warfighters speak their observations while keeping their hands free and eyes up. WIRE is not a recording device, but an intelligent system that actually listens, understands the context of language, and intuitively knows how to parse the observation into a variety of reports, such as the Size Activity Location Unit Time and Equipment (SALUTE) report. [Read WIRE overviw and view an awesome FLASH demo movie of WIRE in action] -- Posted Thursday, August 30, 2007

Extech portable printers used in Patterson Dental's mobile field service solution
Case study: How Patterson Dental utilized Extech Data Systems� printers and GD-Itronix rugged computers to cross over from a completely paper-based field service operation to an electronic one. -- Posted Monday, August 20, 2007

Added: Augmentix XTG630 rugged notebook
Augmentix introduced the XTG630, a rugged 8-pound notebook with a 13.9 x 9.9 footprint geared towards military, telecommunications and industrial markets that require rugged mobile computing. It is 2.3 inches thick, has a 14.1-inch 1280 x 800 wide-format display that uses the same superb DirectVue display enhancement as the Dell ATG. The attractively designed machine offers IP54 sealing, can handle numerous 3-foot drops, has excellent connectivity and expandability, a very flexible media bay, and its Dell underpinnings guarantee reliability and economy. [See description and specs of the Augmentix XTG630] -- Posted Monday, August 20, 2007

Ultra-rugged Trimble/TDS Nomad packs a punch
Tripod Data Systems, a Trimble company, was among the very first to bring to market a new machine built around the 806MHz version of the new XScale PXA320 processor. Having bought the XScale processor business from Intel in 2006, new owner Marvel offers a speedy, powerful, yet also very energy-efficient solution to forward-thinking clients. The Windows Mobile 6-based Trimble/TDS Nomad is an ultra-rugged high-performance handheld with a full gigabyte of Flash, a full 480 x 640 VGA display, and exemplary configurability with customizable endcaps. It operates in an enormously wide temperature range and can even survive underwater. [see description and specs of the Trimble/TDS Nomad] -- Posted Thursday, August 16, 2007

Intermec RFID secures Pan American Games
Intermec provided RFID technology to this year's Pan American Games, a multi-sport event held every four years between competitors from all nations in the Americas. The technology was purchased by the Brazilian government to provide maximum security and optimal access control for event attendees and venue workers, as well as the 5,662 athletes that competed at the Rio de Janeiro-based event. The RFID solution selected by the Brazilian government includes Intermec IF5 RFID fixed readers, IP4 portable RFID readers, 751 mobile computers and RFID tags, as well as Cisco AP 1231 access points. -- Posted Saturday, August 11, 2007

VDC reports growing rugged/mobile opportunity in Health Care market
VDC reports that the development of interoperable data exchange in the form of the Electronic Health Record was discussed at the 2nd Annual World Congress Leadership Summit on The Road to Interoperability in Boston, MA. Mobile device vendors recognize the health care sector as a market opportunity, but have not generally understood the market's needs. Mobile solutions have suffered from high device failure, small screens, and low battery life, causing frustration. According to VDC, IT Healthcare evaluators look for mobile platforms that seamlessly integrate into the workflow and withstand the health care environment. They must at least have semi-durable ruggedness, ergonomic design, and intuitive features and software. Vendors like Panasonic, Motion, and Motorola/Symbol are researching health care�s needs and developing mobile specific solutions (see the Motion C5). The mobile solution market for health care is still small with only the most progressive organizations adopting, but VDC estimates the American market is growing 17.3% annually over the next four years. -- Posted Saturday, August 11, 2007

Ampro introduces "Santa Rosa" rugged systems
Ampro Computers, Inc., a supplier of standards-based computer systems, single board computers and computer-on-modules supported Intel's "Santa Rosa" embedded launch with a pair of high-performance Core 2 Duo embedded PC modules. Ampro's rugged COM 840 product offers dual core processors with the Intel 965 chipset in the Type 2 pinout of the official PICMG COM.0 COM Express form factor up to Core 2 Duo L7500 CPU at 1.6 GHz, along with 4 MB of on-chip L2 cache, powerful 800 MHz FSB and two SODIMM sockets for up to 4 GB of RAM. The COM 840 provides the enormous bandwidth of the PCI Express x16 interface to the baseboard. Both products are fully RoHS compliant. -- Posted Friday, August 10, 2007

Wyse and Novell collaborate on Linux Thin Clients
Wyse Technology announced it is working with Novell to bring the next generation of Linux-based thin clients to market. Wyse claims that customers can realize lower operating costs, increased data security and dramatically improved manageability. Some Wyse customers are already using SUSE Linux Enterprise on Wyse thin clients in limited installations. [see full release] -- Posted Monday, August 6, 2007