Group Mobile, an Internet reseller of multiple brands of ruggedized computing products, has experienced a 35% year-over-year increase in shipments of rugged tablet PCs. Analysis of January-September (9 months) sales in 2011, weighed against January-September sales in 2010, revealed a 35.9% increase in unit volumes and a 33.3% increase in dollar volumes for the comparable time periods.
We knew our sales would be growing in the rugged tablet product segment, but we were surprised to see how quickly the transition is taking place, said Stephanie Kreitner, Director of Marketing for Group Mobile. It is obvious that the enormous boom in consumer-grade tablets, driven primarily by Apples iPad device, has bled over into the commercial, government, and enterprise marketplace.
Tablet Computers are segmented into three distinct categories. The categories are consumer-grade tablets, commercial-grade tablets, and industrial-grade tablets (ruggedized). Consumer tablets are made for people who want a highly portable device to view videos and movies, check their social media pages, surf the web, take photos, and send/receive emails. Commercial tablets are designed for the workplace and have built-in security, allow for device authentication, run mainstream business applications, and have connectivity ports to access the company network and hook-up other devices such as printers, keyboards, and other peripherals. Industrial tablets, or rugged tablets, are commercial devices that have been enhanced for outdoor, in-field, warehouse, or in-vehicle use.
Rugged tablets have such features as magnesium casings to protect against drops and bumps, sunlight-viewable displays that can be seen while outdoors, and shock-mounted hard drives and LCD screens that can withstand in-vehicle vibrations. Most rugged tablets are totally sealed to keep out dust, moisture, humidity, and ambient temperature extremes.
The astute IT decision-maker recognizes the differences in the various types of tablets on the market and chooses the one that best fits the intended computing environment and the end-user needs and usage patterns, but we have heard concerns from customers that elected to acquire commercial or even consumer devices for their mobile work force, said Richard Lawson, President of Group Mobile. These decisions were generally price-driven, but neglectful of total Return On Investment (ROI). The average life expectancy of a consumer tablet in a mobile or field work environment is probably around 90-180 days. Commercial tablets seem to perform better, but still are not designed for in-field use. Rugged tablets are specifically designed and built for use in a vehicle or in the field. Some of our customers deployed their rugged devices 4-6 years ago and they are still in active use.
Group Mobile offers all the leading brands of rugged tablet computers including those from Panasonic Toughbooks, General Dynamics Itronix, Xplore Technologies, Getac, Trimble, Motion Computing, DRS Technologies, and DT Research. To learn more about Group Mobiles semi-rugged tablet and fully rugged tablet offerings, visit http://www.groupmobile.com/dept.asp/dept_id=183/All+Tablets.html or call 1-866-RUGGED8 (1-866-784-4338).
About Group Mobile
Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, Group Mobile serves customers all over North America. Customers range from Fortune 500 companies and the U.S. Military, to local police/fire/ambulance, to small and mid-size businesses, to the frequent traveler that needs something more durable than a commercial, off-the-shelf computer. Group Mobile carries all the leading rugged computing brands such as Panasonic, GD-Itronix, Xplore Technologies, Getac Inc., Trimble, Motion Computing, DT Research, and more. In addition, Group Mobile offers vehicle docking and mounting equipment from Gamber Johnson, Ram Mounts, and Havis/Ledco. To learn more about rugged computers and how they differ from commercial, indoor computers, check out the Rugged Computer Guide or visit us online at http://www.groupmobile.com.
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