It's a hard old life as a mobile device in the field...

The one thing you can count on with using mobile devices for work is that they won't get used by people sitting in clean offices. Well not all the time. Once in the field you have to consider protecting the device, protecting the staff (especially in hazardous or explosive environments) and how the devices will deal with weather, temperature etc. So let's look at a few products that may help.

Preamble

When automating a paper process using mobile technology you have to understand the way the process works in order to effectively translate it into a mobile version; there will be different data flows, some steps become redundant and new steps may appear.

The same consideration has to be given to how the mobilised process will be used in the field. Will staff access it on smartphones or tablet? Will it have to operate in normal weather conditions (sun, rain, frost) or exceptional conditions (Arctic, flammable, explosive). Do you need to protect the device against ingress of water, dust, or just from mechanical shock (dropped, hit etc).

Beyond the device you have to consider how staff will interact with the mobilised process. Will they be clutching the device all day? If not, then where is the device stored; a pocket or on a lanyard?

The following sections provide links to some providers of cases, covers, holders, or devices that you may want to review before making your decision.

Any links to external sites may change beyond our control! These products are not necessarily our recommendations - if they are we will point them out!

Cellphones and tablets can be used on your site - but you do need to know how they will be used.

The Construction Site

The first questions about devices from Construction workers are around (1) dropping the device (2) what happens when it rains.

You can of course get a fully rugged device, from suppliers such as Global Communications, or take a look at the new Galaxy Active (which is often taken as the basis of Ex-Rated devices).

The User Guide for the Galaxy Active does say it is waterproof, but also says not to use it in the rain. This gives mixed messages, but I guess they are looking at accidental immersion vs. deliberate use in a wet environment.

I would say that the Galaxy Active as it comes off the shelf is semi-rugged compared to other specific devices marketed as rugged.

Cases

If you don't have a rugged device then a case will generally sort this out for you. You have several players in the case market, with Otterbox arguably the market leader. Other cost-effective players are Supcase and ARMOR-X.

If you follow this blog you will have read the review of the Otterbox products - I have yet to get my hands on the competing brands (samples anyone? Please?).

These cases generally meet the shock and drop criteria for protecting the device, but finding a case that is also waterproof is more tricky. ARMOR-X do a range of rugged and waterproof cases.

Depending on how the device is used the rugged case may not be entirely necessary, but weather proofing may be.

Waterproof bags

Waterproof carry bags, which also allow camera use yet still enable screen use (tap, swipe etc) are quite common. Take a look at the offerings from DriPro, DiCAPac, Proporta. These can come with lanyard attachment or a carry handle as part of the bag - which is an interesting consideration: if your device is on a lanyard or held securely do you need to have a rugged case at all? After all, it is less likely to be dropped...

If your device is going to used continually, then you need to think about how staff will hold the device. If you have a rugged device, or a standard tablet in a case then you still need to consider OOS issues with holding a (reasonably) heavy device for hours on end. We reviewed the Hand-e-holder  recently and this is great with a hard case to bond to.

With a holder like the Hand-e-holder you do not need to grip the tablet all the time

So the requirement for a grip, lanyard attachment etc. may preclude the use of some cases or rugged devices - however a standard tablet in a waterproof bag may be sufficient.

I will be reviewing a couple of these in the near future.

Once you have considered how your device is going to be used you can then come up with a shopping list.

Construction summary

Your Galaxy Active may still need a screen protector and a lanyard or holder. You could get a very cheap off-the-shelf device and a cheap case with a water proof bag, and end up with a field device that is considerably cheaper and easier to upgrade than a purpose built rugged tablet. This is very much a balance between device usage, risk and cost.

Hazardous environments

If you are inspecting and assessing in a potentially flammable atmosphere, or around explosive materials then you would be very interested in the Ex-Rating of your tablet or case.

The cost of a device engineered and qualified for use in a hazardous environment is much higher than your average rugged device.

Have a look around Global Communications, and also ecom mobile safety and Xciel to get an idea about what they can offer and the range in prices.

You may also note that some of the devices on offer are based on the Samsung Galaxy Active and S4 Active as these models are already dust and waterproof - as they are sealed they are easier to qualify for Ex-Rating.

From a quick scan of various vendors, what tends to be offered is a device prepared and qualified as intrinsically safe. This is understandable as if they were selling a case that was intrinsically safe, this would only be true if correctly fitted.

Post-amble

The market offerings for cases and rugged devices changes all the time as specifications and new technology comes out all the time. this may also be a factor in what you choose to get for use in the field - as replacing a rugged device every couple of years may be a lot more expensive than replacing an off-the-shelf consumer product in a rugged case.

There is generally not one size fits all when it comes to provisioning hardware for field work - a mistake seen with some organisations who buy a set of hardware without doing any 'road-testing'.

Often having a range of protective cases, and waterproof bags for the devices will mean that you can tool up and get going with a device that suits your way of working, holding the device and protecting yourself in a very cost-effective manner if you look critically at how staff will actually need to work in the field.