Predicts improved mobile working from Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 rugged tablets
BRACKNELL, UK. 3rd June 2014
Northern Ireland Water is equipping its 500 field engineers with Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 tablets to improve mobile working and enhance productivity. The devices will be integrated into the company’s fleet of 500 vehicles, made up of some 19 different models.
The new Toughpad tablets will replace the mobile workforce’s existing Panasonic CF-19 Toughbook rugged laptops, which have been in use since 2007. The new rugged tablets were chosen after a rigorous selection process. A shortlist of devices were tested and evaluated by Northern Ireland Water staff at open days, before pilot testing and final evaluation.
“Screen size and daylight visibility, IP rating and the ruggedised nature of the device were all important considerations, along with usability and 3G communications capability,” said Brendan McMenamin, IT Service Manager for Northern Ireland Water. “Our field engineers are often working in remote areas of the countryside and connectivity is essential for effective working. The Panasonic FZ-G1 Toughpad scored highest at the open days, pilot sessions and communications test, where we measured 3G connectivity at 16 different locations across Northern Ireland.”
The Panasonic Toughpads with Windows 8.1 Pro operating systems will be equipped with mobile work management, route optimisation and GIS map applications as well as specialist leak detection and pressure and flow measurement applications for use in the field.
The Toughpad FZ-G1 is Panasonic’s first fully rugged Windows 8 Pro tablet which has been designed for mobile workers who spend much of their time working outside or from vehicles. The thin and lightweight device, weighing only 1.1kg, has been designed to take full advantage of the new functionality offered by the Windows 8 Pro operating system and offers two-way touch input with its capacitive 10.1″ multi-touch screen and digitiser pen for tasks such as recording signatures.
The first fully rugged device to use the latest IPSα Panel technology, developed by Panasonic, the FZ-G1 provides new levels of viewing quality for tablet users working outside. Offering extra wide viewing angles, strengthened glass, high contrast ratio and 800cd/m2 high brightness paired with a Panasonic anti-reflection layer, the 10.1″ Full HD (1920×1200) resolution screen is purpose built to perform in any light conditions.
“The Toughpad FZ-G1 sets a new benchmark for outdoor screen visibility and usability with the latest features of Windows 8 Pro,” said Paul Davidson, Corporate Sales Manager for Utility, Telco & Oil at Panasonic Computer Product Solutions. “With these devices, Northern Ireland Water’s mobile workers will experience the new freedom of fully integrated workflows.”
About Panasonic System Communications Company Europe (PSCEU)
PSCEU is the European branch of Panasonic Systems Communications Company, the global B2B division of Panasonic. PSCEU’s goal is to improve the working lives of business professionals and help their organisations’ efficiency and performance. We help organisations capture, compute and communicate all sorts of information: image, voice, and textual data. Products include PBX telephone switches, document printers, professional cameras, projectors, large visual displays, rugged mobile PCs and fire alarms solutions. With around 400 staff, engineering design expertise, global project management capability and a large European partner network, PSCEU offers unrivalled capability in its markets.
PSCEU is made up of four product categories:
- Communication Solutions, including professional scanners, multifunctional printers, telephony systems and SIP terminal devices.
- Visual System Solutions, including projectors and professional displays. Panasonic offers the widest range of Visual products, and leads the European projector market with 28 % revenue share. (Futuresource B2B market tracking, Q1/2014)
- Professional Camera Solutions, including Broadcast & ProAV products, security, fire alarm systems and industrial medical vision (IMV) technology. Panasonic is one of the top two professional camera vendors in Europe.
- Computer Product Solutions helps mobile workers improve productivity with its range of Toughbook rugged notebooks, Toughpad business tablets and electronic point of sales (EPOS) systems. As European market leaders, Panasonic Toughbook had a 66.4% revenue share of the rugged and durable notebook market and Panasonic Toughpad held a 50.4% revenue share of the rugged business tablet market in 2013 (VDC Research, March 2014).
About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and engineering of electronic technologies and solutions for customers in residential, non-residential, mobility and personal applications. Since its founding in 1918, the company has expanded globally and now operates over 500 consolidated companies worldwide, recording consolidated net sales of 7.70 trillion yen (71.5 billion Euros) for the year ending March 31, 2014. Committed to pursuing new value through innovation across divisional lines, the company strives to create a better life and a better world for its customers. For more information about Panasonic, please visit the company’s website at panasonic.net
Press contact:
Lesley Booth
The Amber Group
Lesley@ambergroup.net
0118 900 1136
Source: RealWire
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