Why Tablet Use Will Continue to Grow

The tablet computer is enjoying unprecedented popularity thanks to the iPad and its imitators, as well as a rich heritage of rugged tablets supplied to military, public safety, and commercial users for more than 20 years. The tablet form factor is expected to continue to show strong growth, not only in the consumer market, but also in mobile enterprises.

That's because mobile computing has evolved from a specialty to a requirement for productive, task-oriented, and customer-focused employees. As an increasing number of businesses deploy office applications to their mobile workforce, they realize that selecting the right computer to support the task is critical to the goal of putting the right person in the right place at the right time with the right information. This objective often requires mobile computing that incorporates advanced communications technology, effectively interfaces with an array of remotely accessible company systems in support of the mobile work, and withstands harsh environments and rough treatment.

Growth Factors

The anticipated increase in the deployment of tablets is based on several factors that are common to the tablet form factor in general. Other growth factors relate specifically to the rugged sector of the market where conditions determine the correct balance of portability and functionality.

The most obvious common characteristic that sets tablets apart is the lack of a physical keypad to operate applications and perform functions like data entry and retrieval. The widespread nature of smartphone technology means users are now accustomed to touch-screen technology and developers are skilled at writing applications to support this type of user interface.

From an operational perspective, a standing worker can easily use a tablet while holding it in one hand, whereas using a notebook computer requires that it be placed on a surface to use the keyboard. Tablets are compact and take up less space when mounted in a vehicle. And they offer a display size that works best for mobile employees. Handheld devices like smartphones provide a high degree of portability, but their displays are often too small for efficient field operations or for presenting complex information to the mobile worker.

The Case for Rugged Tablets

In addition to their resistance to water, dust, shock, and vibration, rugged tablets are designed for the type of work performed by mobile employees. Generally speaking, these employees are dispatched to the field to perform specific tasks, and will often run only one application at a time. Performing these assigned tasks is facilitated by an array of communications tools, including access to broadband internet, Wi-Fi service, Bluetooth connections for peripherals, and global positioning. These integrated systems are designed to function in rugged environments and adverse conditions.

However, equipping mobile employees to perform even complex tasks in the field does not mean that they must carry the same computing speed and power as a project manager back at the office.

Adding computer power has adverse impacts on battery life and the amount of heat that is generated and must be dissipated. Radios draw a significant amount of power, especially when transmitting, which increases battery heat. Thus, tablet designs make trades between weight and total available battery capacity, selection of battery chemistries, thermal design, and power management to optimize user performance. The growth in the use of rugged tablets depends on achieving the right balance of capabilities and performance characteristics for the type of work our customers perform and the kind of environment they operate in.

Finally, tablet growth will also be driven by business results. Businesses that embrace mobile computing report a gain in efficiency because they can reduce the amount of time or number of people needed to perform specific tasks. This lowers cost and often improves their customer satisfaction ratings. Increasingly, businesses are achieving a lower total cost of ownership for rugged tablets compared to consumer-grade products such as the iPad because of the significantly higher failure rates of non-rugged hardware.