INFOPAD Mobile Tablet PC


Posted October 2006

Mobile solutions and the welding supply industry, a difficult challenge indeed. Some devices have been too delicate for the rugged environment of the welding distributor, while others have been durable but not functional past simple data capture. INFONETICS has developed a mobile solution that allows you to connect to your system from anywhere!

ON THE TRUCK

Leave the clipboard and pen back at the office, as INFOPad will do everything the driver needs to do in the field. It’s like having your favorite PC on the truck. In addition, the INFOPad is equipped with a wireless scanner for scanning inventory and/or serial number bar-codes, a GPS receiver and a copy of Microsoft Streets for mapping driver routes. A truck mount is available with a backlit keyboard for use in the cab of the truck.

USE WITH SALES FORCE

With INFOPad the sales force now has access to their INFONETICS system at a customer location, at a trade show, in their car (while in park, of course), or back at the office. No more calling back to the office to check stock, customer special pricing, or whether an order has shipped or not. All the information is now at the fingertips of the sales force with INFOPad

.USE IN THE OFFICE

Not only is INFOPad a great mobile device, it is an extremely versatile machine that can be used for everyday life in the office. INFOPad can seamlessly be added to your wired or wireless network in the office and serve many purposes. At the sales counter, it can be your point-of-sale device and capture handwriting/signatures. In the showroom, you can use INFOPad and the wireless scanner to take a physical count of inventory, or scan and add those hard to move items (e.g. welding machines) to a customer order. In the warehouse or on the dock INFOPad can be used for receiving, inventory, or any number of solutions where a temporary/mobile computer might be better than a permanently affixed machine.

ELECTRONIC HANDWRITING/SIGNATURE CAPTURE

Are you ready for a paperless system? Imagine your driver heading out without paperwork, pulling up their delivery tickets on the INFOPad, making the changes necessary to a ticket at the point of delivery, having the customer sign the INFOPad tablet PC, and then delivering a copy of that invoice via fax or e-mail to that customer’s receiving/payables agent. No more deciphering handwritten changes made by drivers in a hurry, no more stacks of data entry at the end of the day or end of the month, and no more filling up filing cabinets with thousands of signed shippers. Now your customers’ handwriting/signature is stored on your system as an image of the ticket they signed and can be faxed or e-mailed to the customer if/when they need a copy. It could not be easier!

The revolutionary “Dual Touch” screen toggles between use with a specialized stylus/digitizer, AND a touchscreen capable of being operated without the stylus simply by tapping on the screen with finger, pointer or stylus reducing the dependency on always using the tablet stylus. When paired with INFONETICS’ INFONET-LXT “touch-enhanced” terminal emulator, the INFOPad quickly becomes the easiest “windows-like” user interface available in the mobile computing arena.

MOBILITY VIA EvDO

With the introduction of EvDO (Evolution Data Only), the ability to take INFONETICS with you anywhere you go is now a possibility. EvDO is a wireless data connection provided by phone companies that is 10 times as fast as a regular modem and provides the user with a live connection to their system with INFONETICS’ remote Internet terminal access (RITA).

RUGGEDIZED, RUGGEDIZED, RUGGEDIZED

You can’t say it enough. RUGGEDIZED is simply a necessity when speaking of mobile computers used daily in delivery vehicles. The INFOPad is specially designed to withstand drops, spills and inclement weather.

INTRINSICALLY SAFE

Built as a sealed unit with an intrinsically safe battery, the INFOPad can be used in explosive environments commonly encountered by route drivers; Acetylene plants, propane plants and other fuel gas areas.

SMALLER IS BETTER

The 8″screen with a special “outdoor viewable”screen featuring 800×600 resolution is just big enough to do the job, but small enough to be truly portable. The integrated light sensor automatically adjusts the brightness of the LCD backlight to improve outdoor visibility.

Weighing in at less than 4lbs, the INFOPad is lightweight, easy to handle and comes with a convenient hand-strap that also doubles as a wrist strap to free both hands.

GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) RECEIVER

An integrated GPS receiver pinpoints the INFOPad’s location whenever it is in range of the open sky. INFONETICS unique integration between its Customer Management System and Microsoft Outlook & Microsoft Streets & Trips means the INFOPAD is able to quickly map and locate all customers within the main INFONETICS server’s database. Knowing where you are and where you’re going couldn’t be easier for your delivery drivers and salesmen. Integration to your centralized server based GPS tracking software allows you to know where every INFOPad is instantly.

WIRELESS BARCODE SCANNER

Using “Bluetooth” wireless connectivity, the high-resolution bar-code scanner can be used to scan UPC bar-code labels of products, or serial number labels of industrial gas cylinders reducing typing and increasing accuracy of all data entry.

LONG BATTERY LIFE

The smart 3200 mAH (40.0W) Lithium-Ion main battery pack is capable of 2.5 hours of uninterrupted operation, and can be augmented by a secondary battery attached to the back for an additional 2.5 hours of life. Both batteries are recharged whenever the INFOPad is attached to the truck or desk mounts. And of course, an AC adapter is standard for recharging wherever needed.

TRUCK MOUNT & KEYBOARD

When mounted in the truck, the INFOPad is charged and ready to go with a compact full-function back-lit keyboard and additional USB ports for connecting printers. The integral EvDO cell modem’s enhanced antenna boosts signal strength for better connectivity in fringe areas. And, the backlit keyboard makes typing easy even when parked in early morning or evening darkness.

Optional Desk Mount is available for use in the office, or at the sales counter, with conventional full-sized keyboard & mouse.