Assessing The Broad Business Case For Rugged Computing
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"The combination of rugged features in more consumer-grade mobile
devices is at the very core of product differentiation and the growing need
to cater for field force enablement. Fully ruggedized products in traditional
vertical markets such as oil and gas, mining, and the military will continue
to be strong...[but] there will be growth for these products in not so
traditional markets." — Stuart Carlaw, Analyst, ABI Research
The die, it seems, has been cast, and ruggedness is no longer just for
environmentally extreme industrial and military users anymore. It is moving into
the mainstream of the global 2000 and beyond. As a result, a broad spectrum of
mission-critical mobile users is emerging with different levels of rugged
requirements.
Projections like these and others have caused a flurry of activity as non-rugged
consumer and commercial-grade PC manufacturers rush in to tap this high-
growth market opportunity. In so doing, claims are being made that can be
confusing to executives seeking to field a mobile work force with cost-effective
and highly reliable computing resources.
What they are learning, as they deploy new more rugged mobile computing
equipment, is that one size does not fit all, even within an organization. It is
therefore important to have an understanding of the key elements that determine
the level of ruggedness that is needed by users, and that is available from the
vendor community.
…Overview of Rugged Computing
Rugged computing has traditionally sought to bring the promise of information
technology to harsh environments, including:
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Outdoors in the elements, with extreme temperatures, humidity, and
precipitation;
•
In the presence of large quantities of airborne liquids or particulates such
as in industrial, construction, or desert environments; and/or
•
In vehicles (including aircraft, on- and off-road land vehicles, and marine
installations), which are characterized by high vibration, mechanical
shocks, and violent altitude and attitude changes.
The recent surge of interest in rugged mobile platforms has prompted new
entrants into the field who claim a wide array of capabilities as “certifiably”
rugged. In truth, manufacturer’s claims of ruggedness are subjective and not
uniformly understood. Currently, there is neither a single industry standard, nor
an independent testing authority, for rugged computing products.
