From Design To Durability: Tips For Mobile Device Selection

By Brian Albright, Field Technologies magazine

Enterprise mobility is a complex maze to navigate — here’s some advice for picking the best device to get the job done.

The sheer variety of mobile devices has grown so large, and the features available have multiplied so rapidly, that choosing hardware for a given enterprise deployment can be a daunting task. However, outlining how the device will be used and what criteria are most important can quickly narrow the options.

Field Technologies talked to some of today’s mobility vendors to get their takes on what key criteria end users should use when selecting a device. Ruggedization was a common theme. Does the device need to be rugged and, if so, how rugged? Some use cases require IP65 or IP67 protection from dust or liquids, while even more extreme environments may require the devices to meet military specifications. Others may only require an external case or no ruggedization at all.