Tablet Accessories – A rugged, mobile-computing blog

Rugged Accessories for Your Rugged Device

There are plenty of accessories to choose from, but here are a few of our accessories that will help make your daily job tasks easier and ensure that your rugged device keeps up with all your needs.

You’ve selected the rugged device that will work best for you: a tablet or laptop that’s tough enough to handle everything you do across the course of your daily job responsibilities. Now, you need the accessories that will go along with it: the additional tools that will make it possible for you to handle your daily job tasks as easily on the road as you do in the safety and comfort of a traditional office. There are plenty of accessories to choose from, but here are a few of our accessories that will help make your daily job tasks easier and ensure that your rugged device keeps up with all your needs.

Rugged Keyboard

Versatility is a necessity in rugged industries. With detachable keyboards you can transform your tablet to a laptop in just seconds. When you’re finished with your project you can simply detach the keyboard and return to your tablet; making rugged keyboards an accessory essential for the rugged industry.

Here are our some of our rugged keyboard available now:
Getac F110 Detachable Keyboard
iKey Rugged Bluetooth Keyboard for Xplore Tablets
DT Research Detachable Keyboard

Shoulder-Strap

Tired of holding your rugged tablet or rugged computer? A shoulder strap allows you to have the ease of having your rugged device accessible when you’re in a hands-on environment.

Here are our some of our shoulder straps available now:
Getac F110 & V110 Shoulder Strap
Xplore Adjustable Shoulder Strap
DT Research Tablet Shoulder Strap

Hot Swappable Batteries

When you’re on the go, you want your device to keep going no matter where you are, and that includes those times when you don’t have access to docking stations and chargers. Hot swappable batteries can make a huge difference in your device’s functionality when you’re out on the road, making it easier than ever for you to use your device when you need it most.

Here are our some of our hot swappable batteries available now:
Getac F110 Spare Hot-Swappable Battery
Xplore External Second Battery for Bobcat & XSLATE D10
DT Research Battery Pack

Once you’ve selected your rugged device, make sure that you have the accessories that will work best with it to make your work day run smoother. Contact us today to discuss the accessories your job requires in order to make the most of your rugged laptop or tablet, to learn how these devices can help increase your productivity, or to be sure that you’re choosing the accessories that are best for your devices.

Mobile Computing Solutions for Automotive Manufacturing and a Review on Getac’s New A140 Rugged Tablet!

The multifunctional hard handle on the Getac A140 serves as a kickstand or handle for simple carrying in the field.

Production and assembly process: How to take the guesswork out of knowing where your product is!

• Comprehensive Inventory Control: Losing track of your product during the production and assembly process always costs money. Group Mobile sophisticated barcoding technology shows you where your product is at all times. And by simply scanning the product into your system, you can greatly reduce errors. With asset staging and tracking, from the day the equipment is deployed and placed into service, to the day you retire the equipment from operations, Group Mobile iCare™ will keep track of your mobile equipment.

• Fewer Network “Dead Spots”: Maintaining connectivity and monitoring can be your IT department’s worst nightmare, since large production and assembly staging areas often include a maze of semi-compatible devices. Group Mobile can even help you find “dead spots” you never knew existed.

• Just in Time (JIT) Capability: A single minute of lost connectivity could cost your company thousands of dollars in lost productivity, as assembly lines come to a halt. A Group Mobile designed, installed and maintained wireless network helps to secure a constant connection with internal and external suppliers. With Group Mobile technology,
your automotive inventory is always “just in time,” and your customers have what they need, when they need it.

• Access to Critical Data in Real Time: Missing or inaccessible information can cost millions in lost productivity when it slows or stops the assembly process. From raw materials to finished goods, Group Mobile data-gathering and real-time reporting solutions provide instant access to critical data – giving you the information you need to make crucial, time-sensitive decisions.

From automotive manufacturing to final distribution, if you’ve been searching for streamlined solutions for your production and plant assembly operations, call Group Mobile today. Through our consultative approach, you can have peace of mind, knowing your product is safe and your deliveries are on-time.

Getac A140 Fully Rugged Tablet

The new Getac A140 fully rugged tablet has an optional multifunctional hard handle which serves as a kickstand or handle for simple carrying in the field — a host of mounting and carrying options make this tablet a perfect choice to maximize mobile productivity!

The Getac A140 is Getac’s largest and most powerful fully rugged tablet! This A140 rugged tablet operates the Windows 10 operating system and is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor. It can be optionally configured with the Intel Core i7, i5 vPro, or i7 vPro processors. It comes standard with 4GB of memory (expandable to 32GB) and an Opal 2.0 128GB solid state drive, with upgrades to 256GB or 512GB solid state drives available.

The Getac A140 has a vibrant 14” HD display that is sunlight readable and features LumiBond™ touchscreen technology for great viewability in any lighting condition. The Getac A140 tablet features various touch modes, allowing for operation in the rain, with gloves on, and utilizing a hard-tip stylus.

Three USB ports, dual RJ45 LAN jacks, HDMI and an optional serial or VGA give the Getac A140 a rich choice of I/O ports. The Getac A140 has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, and optional dedicated GPS and 4G LTE multi-carrier mobile broadband to keep users connected. Workers can use the optional slim-profile vehicle dock to avoid crowding cab space in your vehicle with tri-pass through ports for connection to high-gain GPS, WWAN and WLAN roof mounted antennas. Additionally, the Getac A140 can be configured to include an RFID reader, a 1D/2D imager barcode reader, and a fingerprint scanner.

When it comes to Getac mobile computers in public safety, field service and utilities, Group Mobile knows exactly what you need. Group Mobile specializes in providing a perfectly customized mobile solution for every customer.

Need a rugged laptop or tablet fast? Group Mobile offers the Getac F110, S410 and V110 with a QuickShip option, which means, get your tablet or laptop in 48 hours!

What to Shop for When Selecting a New Mobile Technology Solution

When you invest in technology to improve your business, you must be confident the investment will pay off in the end.

The public safety sector is on the forefront of real-time data use. The value of real-time data is almost immeasurable as having access to true, real-time data can save lives. Given this, the

The ideal best practice for every organization is to pilot a technology before procurement, but this is not always feasible and many budgets don’t allow for trial and error testing.

Talk to other agencies

How do you know what to shop for when selecting a new mobile technology solution? Group Mobile suggests choosing a mobile device that has the right feature set for your needs or will be able to fulfill all of your agency’s operational requirements in a single device. There is no reason to procure a device that falls short of your agency’s needs. Also, finding a solutions integrator who fully understands all elements of your organization from pre-deployment, deployment and post-deployment professional services.

When it comes to mobile technology deployments, Group Mobile knows the road. Many mid-size cities, towns and counties have similar workflows and, therefore, similar mobile device requirements.

Before buying, do your research and talk with other agencies that mirror yours. Set up a call with them or meet with them in person to understand the lessons they’ve learned in their mobile journey. You’ll find that agencies are always willing to help another agency and give you an honest assessment.

What to look for

This portfolio list of options will help you focus your requirements and conduct a full analysis of your own current technology portfolio to make early decisions regarding:

Operating system preference: The applications you choose will drive your OS decision. Most public safety agencies choose to run Windows for compatibility and security. Though there are new applications arriving on the Android platform today that may benefit some organizations. Fortunately, fully rugged Android tablets are now available.
Mobile data and mobile device security: This may include VPN access, multi-factor authentication, fingerprint readers, Common Access Card (CAC) readers, TPM, Kensington physical locks and other internal and external measures.
Data entry tools: Do you need the flexibility of keyboard and touch for data entry? Do you need a digitizer pen (which is much more accurate than a stylus)?
Size and weight: Do you prefer a larger 10-12” screen for easy, full-page viewing of documents and apps? Or can you make do with a 5” screen? Can your techs juggle a 5+ pound notebook and patient care in the field? Or do they need a more lightweight 2-4-pound solution?
Wired and wireless connectivity: How many I/O ports do you need? Which I/O ports do you need? Will your teams have access to Wi-Fi hotspots all the time, or do they need multiple wireless network and ancillary device connectivity options such as 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IP, Gobi 3000
Rugged requirements: Which MIl-STD-810G and Ingress Protection (IP) rating levels are enough – and how much is too much? It depends on how often your mobile device will be exposed to water, dust, humidity, or corrosive elements, for example, and how prevalent shock or vibration will be in the vehicle. Will the device be used in potentially explosive environments? Make sure it’s also ATEX or C1D2/C1Z2 compliant for Hazardous Locations.

Impediments to true public safety mobility – inappropriate form-factors, fragile devices, heavy notebooks, weak data radios, limited mobile workflow software – are a thing of the past. The decision to go mobile today is just that – a decision to go mobile. Real-time information, streamlined reporting and constant communication make your service to the community faster, better and safer.

Make smart, near-term buys to lay a foundation for a full mobility solution with long-term return on investment. That may be just a handful of rugged tablets to power a new dispatch system. But it gives you time to fine tune your solution, define next best steps, and measure ROI.

One of the most challenging elements of implementing or upgrading a technology solution is achieving the return on investment. When you invest in technology to improve your business, you must be confident the investment will pay off in the end. It is critical you reach the maximum benefits in the time frame desired for your new technology solution. Group Mobile will identify the benefits available to your company based on a return on investment mobility model, and deliver technology solutions and services to ensure a successful outcome.

Group Mobile’s team of industry experts can assist you in selecting, designing and implementing a multi-network environment for mission-critical fleets, request a free personalized quote.

Popular Accessories for Rugged Tablets, Laptops and Handheld Computers!

Choose additional tools that will make it possible for you to handle your daily job tasks as easily on the road or in the field as you do in the safety and comfort of a traditional office.

With so many rugged accessories to choose from today, how do you evaluate the must-have accessories you need for optimum productivity? So, you’ve selected the rugged device that will work best for you: a tablet, handheld or laptop that’s tough enough to handle everything you do across the course of your daily job responsibilities. Or, maybe your IT department has chosen the rugged computer for you and your department and you’re not exactly sure how to make it work as a valuable tool for you. The next step is selecting the mobile accessories to accompany your rugged computing device: the additional tools that will make it possible for you to handle your daily job tasks as easily on the road or in the field as you do in the safety and comfort of a traditional office.

So, first evaluate your job requirements and begin to ask yourself the following questions: Do I need to use my rugged tablet or laptop in a company or personal vehicle? Do I need the ability to print or scan documents while on the road or in the field? Will I be charging my rugged computer in my vehicle? Do I need the ability to dock my tablet or laptop inside my office for use at my desk? Do I need connectivity over commercial, municipal or public safety wireless networks using either a built-in or plug-in data card or mobile router? Do I need a shoulder strap to easily carry my tablet or laptop in the field? Will I be using my rugged laptop or tablet on a forklift therefore requiring a forklift computer mount? Will I be operating my rugged device for long hours which will require a spare battery for my device? Do I need a bar code scanner to read labels from just a few inches to 40-feet away? Do I need a rugged keyboard to easily attach and remove from the unit and often fold for easy transport? These are only a few of the vital questions to consider when evaluating your work environment and what must-have rugged computing accessories you need for optimum productivity.

There are plenty of accessories to choose from, but these five must-have rugged computing accessories will help make your daily tasks easier and ensure your rugged device keeps up with all of your needs to increase productivity and efficiency at work, now who doesn’t want that?

Rugged Printers and Scanners

How many times have you been out on a job site, only to discover that you needed to share information with someone in paper form? From printing out critical instructions for a patient in need of detailed care to printing an invoice or receipt on the go, you can’t always rely on digital formats. Public safety and field service workers heavily rely on the availability of rugged mobile vehicle printers. Mobile rugged printers are easy to operate and maintain in the field, offering full-page printing with high resolution text, graphics and images. Another added benefit to mobile rugged printers is how easily adaptable they are to almost any vehicle in your fleet. Rugged printers are just as tough as your rugged tablet or laptop and can be easily attached to your device for precise, professional and simple mobile printing.

Many people working in realty, home healthcare, insurance appraisal, police, legal, and construction to name a few will highly benefit from a rugged vehicle scanner. Do you really need a rugged scanner? It depends on what your job entails! If you regularly handle a great deal of paperwork while you’re on the road or find yourself needing to get clients’ signatures in the system quickly, a rugged scanner can help provide the speed you and your clients need to keep your day running smoothly.

Rugged Keyboards

Rugged keyboards are ergonomic and can be an invaluable tool for workers in the field. Many rugged keyboards are completely sealed form the elements and designed with LED backlit keys for use in dark environments or inside vehicles at night. Rugged keyboards are used by police, medical professionals including travel nurses, oil and gas, mining and energy, EMS and fire and fleet management. Rugged keyboards designed specifically for your business will provide real return on investment and exceptional value.

Vehicle Mounts

Some people are perfectly content to store their rugged devices in a bag or case, pulling it out whenever they need it. In other cases, however, you may find yourself wanting to install your rugged device within your vehicle. Vehicle mounts are the perfect mobile solution: they hold your device where you need it, making sure that it’s always at hand. Vehicle mounting solutions offer a flexible form factor that delivers strength and durability to protect your technology investment. Worried about drilling in your vehicle? Consider the No-Drill vehicle mounting solution — installation is simple with the use of your existing passenger side seat leg bolts. Several adjustment points throughout the mount enable you to position your laptop in the most ergonomic and comfortable position possible.

Power Accessories

You don’t always have the luxury of heading back to the office to plug in your device as the battery starts to run low. When that flashing power indicator shows up, you want to have options! Some rugged devices offer hot swappable batteries allowing you to swap out the battery while your device is still running. In other cases, a vehicle charger will be enough. Wherever your day takes you, make sure you have plenty of battery power to keep pushing through your work day.

Gateways and Modems

Do you need internet connectivity no matter where you are? If being able to bring in data is a critical part of your daily job, you need to be sure that you’ll get wireless access no matter where your day takes you. Gateways and modems will provide the wireless signal your device needs to ensure that you have access no matter how far from the office, or how far off the beaten path you might be on a given day. Carry the internet with you wherever you go and enjoy the assurance that data is just the press of a button away. Many companies rely on mobile workers that need access to the same tools available at the office. These tools need to be accessible anytime, anywhere – even for workers in vehicles, on the move and at remote work sites. Organizations can more efficiently manage operations by knowing the location and status of their mobile assets.

Once you’ve selected your rugged device, make sure that you have the accessories that will accompany it to make your work day run smoother and more productive. Our team of mobile solution experts can evaluate your business and streamline a solution to increase productivity and efficiency of your workers — a common goal we all have in mind.

Contact a Group Mobile sales professional to get started.

5 Reasons You Need Rugged Technology as a Travel Nurse

As a travel nurse working in healthcare, you have unique responsibilities and make unique demands of your mobile technology equipment. From your tablet or laptop computer to your phone or mobile printer, you need a rugged device to keep up with your strenuous environment. If you’re a travel nurse, there are several reasons why rugged technology is critical for everyday on-the-job responsibilities. Using a rugged healthcare tablet is the best way to ensure your needs are met every day that you use your device.

Your mobile laptop or tablet needs to be easy to clean. As a travel nurse, you can end up in a variety of locations. You don’t know whether the homes you’re in are clean or what you’ll be exposed to while you’re there, or what will end up on your equipment. With rugged technology, you can be rest assured it will be easy to clean your rugged device with alcohol or other tough cleaning chemicals. Not only are rugged healthcare devices made from antimicrobial technology which will prevent bacteria and viruses from reproducing across their surfaces, they’re easy to wipe down and clean. This means no matter what kind of mess you encounter, you can simply clean your tablet and keep moving without any worry or concern of damaging the device especially after months or years of cleaning.
Ergonomics are critical. As a travel nurse, you find yourself in a variety of uncomfortable positions. You need to be able to kneel down on the floor, support your patient, and often juggle other items in one hand while holding your tablet in the other. You need a balanced device with a handle or accessory specifically designed with ergonomics in mind, making it easier for you to use your device no matter what you’re doing with your patient. Many rugged tablets have easy to support hand straps and shoulder straps for ease of use.
You need a device with drop protection. If you have a choice between a patient who is tipping dangerously toward the floor and your tablet, the choice is clear: you’re going to drop your tablet to catch your patient. Unfortunately, that can make for unfortunate accidents, as can kids, pets, and other individuals in the house while you’re caring for your patient. Drop protection will help protect your tablet from those types of accidents and ensure that you won’t have to replace your equipment if dropped.
Vibration protection will keep your tablet running longer. Drop protection is great, and it’s a vital part of your needs. Vibration protection, however, is equally critical. As a travel nurse, you spend a large percentage of your day in your vehicle. This can spell mechanical disaster for your tablet over time as connections vibrate loose in the car. With a rugged tablet, on the other hand, those vibrations won’t bother your machine at all, it will hold up much better to your everyday travel requirements. Rugged tablets have many options for vehicle mounts which make the entry of information simple and easy while in and out of a vehicle.
You need increased connectivity you can count on. You need access to your medical database and important patient information constantly, and you can’t count on a WiFi connection in your patients’ homes to provide it. With increased connectivity on your rugged healthcare tablet, on the other hand, you can have peace of mind that no matter what patient you’re working with, you’ll be able to easily access vital information about them. That means you won’t find yourself struggling to find the right information for your patient’s care at a critical moment.

Whether you’re a traveling nurse looking to upgrade your own mobile computer or a provider who is hoping to purchase rugged equipment for the entire staff of traveling nurses in your practice, it’s important to choose the right equipment for their daily needs to increase efficiency and effectiveness of patient care. If you’re ready to save money and make it easier to use healthcare tablets in the field, contact one of Group Mobile’s trusted technology advisers today. We’ll work with you to find the perfect device or devices to match your exact user requirements at a price you can afford.

Increase Healthcare Efficiency and Productivity with the DT Research Medical Tablet & Cart Solution!

A medical cart computing solution is designed from top to bottom to be an invaluable asset and all-in-one solution to patient side care.

For quite a while, the healthcare industry was slow to adopt tablets as a mobile computing solution, primarily due to issues including security, privacy of patient information and data (regulations such as HIPAA), and integration with backend systems. The medical industry has now adopted the use of tablets for patient monitoring, financials, inventory updates, notifications, communication as well as to manage task lists. Stanford medical Center Hospital in Palo Alto, California and partners across the nation, The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) medical center, Kaiser Permanente, the largest healthcare provider in US, The Washington hospital group among many others now provides tablets to its full staff including doctors, paramedics, pharmacists and administrative personnel. Rugged tablets are being used daily to schedule patient checkups in both outpatient and inpatient wards, issue and approve prescriptions, record and transmit patient data in various formats and use instant live audio and video conferencing and chat features to expedite patient care. The use of tablets in healthcare facilities will no doubt increase patient engagement, help reduce costs, improve workflows and deliver better patient care. Rugged medical solutions are making a huge splash in the healthcare industry today, offering a better return on investment, plus a more sanitary solution built from antimicrobial materials.

DT Research is well known in the rugged tablet market for designing purpose-built computing solutions for numerous industries including military, law enforcement, education, healthcare, retail and logistics, utilities and telecommunications, construction, manufacturing and enterprise — their rapid time-to-market solutions leverage two decades of computer design and manufacturing experience. DT Research offers various rugged computing solutions for many industries including a mobile tablet cart solution. You may be familiar with a workstation on wheels, which may or may not have computing ability, or a cart on wheels, which is often no more than a standard laptop mounted on a wheeled cart. A medical cart computing solution is designed from top to bottom to be an invaluable asset and all-in-one solution to patient side care.

Medical cart computers are built to be space saving, allowing the most compact configuration – This saves time, as the medical tablet is always available – it tucks into any available corner and can be readily pulled patient side for data input, data retrieval, or image viewing. The DT Research DT313-MD is a durable rugged medical tablet made from easily sanitized, anti-microbial materials. This rugged tablet is an effective tool to monitor, record, and retrieve patient information.

Contact one of Group Mobile’s computing solutions experts to assist in the design of a custom medical tablet solution.

5 Must-Have Rugged Computing Accessories You Need For Optimum Productivity!

Evaluate your job requirements to determine which rugged mobile accessories can streamline your productivity making you a better, more efficient employee.