Symbol Technologies Introduces Rugged Enterprise Digital Assistant

New MC70 EDA unit combines cellular voice/data, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to increase connectivity options for mobile workers

New MC70 EDA unit combines cellular voice/data, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to increase connectivity options for mobile workers

Holtsville, NY — January 18, 2006 — Symbol Technologies has debuted what it is calling the first rugged enterprise digital assistant (EDA), combining cellular voice/data communications, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth to enable real-time access to people, information and critical business applications.

The new flagship MC70 rugged handheld mobile computer joins the MC50 as the second device in Symbol's line of EDAs. Targeted to the growing mobile enterprise market, the MC70 EDA combines a rugged mobile computer and imager or laser data capture technologies with wide-area connectivity for voice and data into one centrally managed rugged device to capture, move and manage information at the point of business activity.

Symbol said that the new rugged MC70 EDA, priced at $2,195 to $2,845, depending on configuration, is designed to withstand the rigors of everyday use in a variety of environments, including frequent four-foot drops to concrete and exposure to water and dust. The unit is intended for use both indoors and outdoors and across a variety of industries including field service, field sales, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, government and retail.

The MC70 allows users to perform applications such as asset management, parcel delivery, direct store delivery, medication administration, fleet management and mobile point-of-sale, according to the solution provider.

Johan Ronaes, chief technology officer and chief information officer for Norway Post, said that his organization's decision to deploy the MC70 EDA throughout its organization was based, at least in part, on Symbol's ability to provide complete enterprise mobility solutions to help with fleet management and parcel and cargo handling applications.

"With its rugged design and multi-mode communication capabilities, the MC70 EDA will help to maximize productivity among our 20,000 employees," Ronaes said.

The MC70 EDA supports high-speed EDGE networks based on the GSM standard for wireless and is capable of delivering global coverage with voice and fast wireless data speeds, Symbol said. The unit can also connect to an organization's wireless LAN (WLAN) via 802.11a/b/g for converged voice and data communications.

With wireless PAN functionality via Bluetooth, customers can connect cordlessly to a variety of accessories, which can help further increase employee productivity, according to Symbol.

The MC70 EDA mobile computer is based on the Intel XScale processor and the Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system to provide improved memory management, security and push e-mail capabilities.


Additional Articles of Interest

— RFID technology has the potential to change the way supply chains are managed, but in order to be effective businesses need to take a holistic look at the deployment. Read more in the SDCExec.com article "Time for RFID: Applying RFID in the Supply Chain."

— For a contrary view of the future of the RFID market, see the article "The O'RFID Factor: A 'No Spin' Look at Where Radio Frequency Identification Is Headed," in the October/November 2004 issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive.

— For more information on trends relating to radio frequency identification (RFID), follow this link for an extensive listing of SDCExec.com articles, featuring the latest research findings on the RFID, including adoption, return on investment and barriers to implementation.


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