Toughen up! Five rugged handheld solutions for your business

Mention business handhelds and chances are cutting edge smartphones like the BlackBerry Bold, HTC Touch Pro2 or Nokia E71 will come to mind. These high-powered, high specifcation products lead the way in the enterprise sector, offering an unrivalled combination of power and functionality.

Yet there is another class of business device that can be equally if not more effective. The rugged handheld. Often overlooked, and distinctly unglamorous in comparison to mainstream devices they can be the perfect solution in vertical markets.

The rugged device is built around all the traditional strengths of the PDA: ease of data collection and retrieval, integration into existing computer systems, pocketability. But as their name suggests they also provide an added layer of toughness that enables them to survive in environments not necessarily suited to the delicate sensibilities of modern mobile technology.

This is not to say that they are only of use in industrial sites, but any business where a Pocket PC’s main position would be in the field rather than, well, in the pocket. A small business that needs to check stock levels in a warehouse, a courier firm, a surveyor. Anywhere a computer might be used, a handheld can substitute. Anywhere a handheld might be stressed by wear and tear a ruggedised might be the ideal alternative.

There are a few reasons why rugged PDAs are so often ignored.

Apart from aesthetics and price – although they are technically multifunction devices the design and bulk does mean the function never stretches as far as anything consumer-oriented; while the price is necessarily higher than non-rugged models – the spec is key.

Rugged handhelds are never quite cutting edge in terms of specification, and often languish a generation or more behind the latest devices. This is not a criticism and should not be seen as a limitation. Reliability is the number one issue for the ruggedised PDA. Just as the process of ruggedising requires a unit to conform to strict tests, so reliability in software needs the same level of robust testing.

A new operating system is an attraction for a consumer. In an industrial setting the attraction is the knowledge that the operating system is not going to crash. As a consequence it can take a while for the latest features to be brought through. When they finally are it is done with the knowledge that they actually work.

Read on for our guide to the best rugged mobile solutions.

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