In our Oct. 28th post I provided additional information about the Panasonic Solutions enterprise-grade Android tablet and the microsite they launched in Sept.  In early Nov. Panasonic held a launch event for the Panasonic Toughpad A1.

Panasonic’s Toughpad A1 is targeted as a solution that provides the popular form factor of a tablet with the ruggedness required by many enterprise applications.  The Toughpad A1 provides field workers with access to the tools they need and withstands drops and abuse.  Check out the video below to see what the Panasonic Toughpad A1 can do for field maintenance workers.

Let’s Get Mobile!  Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. for additional information about the Panasonic Toughpad A1.

Zebra Technologies recently announced the launch of the GO Zebra11 Trade-In Program.  It’s time to trade-up!  You can receive up to $500 cash back when you purchase an eligible new Zebra printer and trade in any thermal bar code or card printer from Zebra or a competitor.  The refreshed program includes additional eligible printers and makes it easy for you to cash in on the latest printing technology.

DecisionPoint understands the importance of having up-to-date technology and reliable printing solutions for your applications.  This program is only available to customers who purchase printers through Zebra’s PartnersFirst® Members, so let our team of experts help you trade-up to the newest printing technology that will enable you to:

• Lower printing costs
• Minimize downtime
• Increase service levels

And get up to $500 cash back!

Purchase must be completed between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011, so act now.

Let’s Get Mobile!  Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. for additional information about the GO Zebra11 Trade-In Program.

There are a variety of retail applications that can be improved with 2D bar codes and digital imaging solutions.  Retailers who have the ability to capture the information from the PDF417 bar code on the back of a customer’s driver’s license can streamline a variety of processes and improve customer service.  Here are a few sample applications:

Fraudulent Returns Prevention-by scanning the PDF417 on the back of a driver’s license, employees can instantly track the returns made by a customer.  If a customer is making an excessive number of returns, they can keep an eye on these patterns and begin refusing or limiting the number of returns per year.

Loyalty Program Applications-many retailers now offer customers loyalty cards for in-store discounts, but customers filling out applications for these cards manually can cause an increase in checkout time.  By scanning the PDF417 on a driver’s license, the customer information will automatically populate the application and database.  Eliminate paper applications, reduce errors and save your customers valuable time.

Age Verification-businesses face big penalties if they sell age restricted items to a minor.  Employees equipped with a digital image scanner can quickly validate a customer’s age by scanning the PDF417 on their driver’s license.  Additional precautions can also be built into the POS system so that certain transactions can’t be completed without first scanning an ID.

Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. for additional information about digital imaging solutions designed for retailers.

In our June 22nd post we discussed how fleet management solutions help businesses control fuel costs, but that isn’t the only benefit.  As promised, today I’d like to follow-up with information about the features and additional benefits of partnering with DecisionPoint Systems and Descartes for your Fleet Management Solution.

With DecisionPoint and Descartes you get an all-in-one solution, including the correct hardware, carrier and software designed specifically for your fleet management needs.  Descartes offers a variety of software solutions for fleet management that enable:

• Strategic route planning for on-demand dispatching and tracking of routes
• Real-time dispatch changes
• Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) for operational visibility
• Driver performance comparison to industry standards
• And more

Empower your front line workers, increase efficiency and improve productivity with a complete fleet management solution from DecisionPoint to receive maximum value from your software investment.

Let’s Get Mobile!  Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. for additional information about mobile solutions designed to increase the efficiency and productivity of your mobile workforce.

We’ve provided a lot of information in past posts about the features and benefits of micro kiosks, but did you know that adding the right printer to a kiosk can further enhance your customers’ experience?  Providing your customers with a micro kiosk that enables on demand self-service features is only the beginning, with a kiosk printer your customers can:

• Print coupons
• Print online order information for pickup
• Print value-added information such as “how-to” guides and recipes

DecisionPoint Systems can provide you with the right hardware and the right software to create an affordable all-in-one kiosk solution to better satisfy your customers.

Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about all-in-one kiosk solutions for self-service applications.

Motorola has just announced the release of the newest addition to their line of #1 Business Two-Way Radios, the CLP Series.  With a sleek new design and simple one-button push-to-talk, the CLP promises to increase productivity and keep your team connected.  The CLP Series was designed specifically for retail, hospitality and restaurant environments.  Features include:

• Small, lightweight, durable design
• Strong audio for noisy environments
• Multiple wear options
• Long battery life

Motorola will be officially releasing the CLP Series for sale in mid-March.  For more information about the CLP Series you can Download the Spec Sheet.

Let’s Get Mobile!  Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. for more information about Two-Way Radios and other mobile devices designed to increase productivity.

Your choice of mobile hardware is critical to the success of your field mobility program. 

Our September 10 post focused on the total cost of ownership (TCO) of mobile devices and compared ruggedized handheld computers (also known as an Enterprise Digital Assistants) to consumer phones.  The following day, our September 11 post described ruggedized testing.

Beyond TCO and durability considerations, a ruggedized handheld computer has the following advantages over a consumer phone:

• Operation under adverse weather conditions including temperature extremes, rain and screen readability in bright daylight.
• Large, high-resolution color touchscreen displays.  Some devices such as the Motorola MC75 feature a full VGA (640 x 480) display. 
• Integrated bar code scanner.
• Highly configurable including Wi-Fi and/or WWAN radio options and variety of keyboard layouts.
• Extended battery life to support a full shift of use.
• Compatibility with largest number of field mobility applications including Field Services, Proof-of-Delivery, DSD Route Sales, Sales Force Automation, Push-to-Talk, GPS tracking and more.
• Availability to buy the same device, the same OS as well as service and support over a multi-year period.
• Wider range of accessories including portable receipt printers. Magnetic Stripe Readers and Mobile Payment Module, vehicle car charger / mounting options, holster and pistol-grip options and more.

Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about the advantages of a ruggedized handheld computer (Enterprise Digital Assistant) and which one is right for you. 

Past posts have featured specifications and videos of the Motorola MC55 and MC75.  More recently, our September 11 post described ruggedness testing.  In today’s video, you won’t see a boring demonstration of standardized drop tests.  Instead you’ll see Motorola’s MC9000 subjected to extreme abuse and continue to function flawlessly!   Now that’s rugged!  

Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about the Motorola line of rugged Enterprise Digital Assistants (EDA).

Last week, DecisionPoint announced the launch of its MobileCare™ support services program, a customized suite of service offerings designed to maximize the value of our customers’ mobile systems.  MobileCare™ offerings include:

• Technical Support: troubleshooting assistance for mobile computing, printing and wireless networking issues.
• Software Support: extend life of your valuable software investment by ensuring your software applications continue to function properly.
• Remote Device Management: remotely troubleshoot problems, provide software and security updates, remotely disable lost or stolen devices and more.
• Express Depot: spare pool of pre-configured mobile devices
• Manufacturer Maintenance: support agreements  from manufacturers offered through DecisionPoint

Click each offering title to go to the offering page on the DecisionPoint website. You can also read the press release here.

Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about MobileCare™.

In our September 16 post, we shared the news that Motorola just released the MC9500, an industrial-class addition to the best-selling Motorola MC9000 series.

Now we have just learned the carrier certification dates:

• AT&T: September 21
• Sprint: September 21
• Verizon: September 23

Once a chipset is certified by the FCC and the PTCRB (PCS Type Certification Review Board), T-Mobile does not require further certification to run on their network.

Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about the state-of-the art Motorola MC9500 Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA) .