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Industry Leaders
The major players in the rugged computing industry
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)
The rugged computing industry is very different from the consumer market computer industry. Most of the hardware, software, peripherals, and services come from companies whose names are generally all but unknown to anyone outside the industry. The big names in rugged computing traditionally have not been Dell, Hewlett Packard or IBM. Those giants of the consumer and business computing market generally aren't in the rugged computing game to a meaningful extent. That's been changing in recent years to some extent as some large companies have entered the market via acquisitions. For example, Itronix became part of General Dynamics, Motorola took over Symbol Technologies and Psion, Honeywell Metrologic and Intermec, and Dell offers rugged versions their commercial notebooks.
The primary reason why the consumer computing giants do not also dominate the rugged and vertical computing markets is because those markets are so different. Consumer markets are all about volume, low price, and the latest features. Rugged and vertical markets are about meeting very special needs and requirements at generally much lower sales volumes. In addition, whereas consumer markets are almost exclusively hardware sales, rugged and vertical markets are often about turnkey solutions that may include custom software application development, service agreements, and systems integration. As a result, the sales cycle can be long, and equipment service and maintenance assumes a much more important role.
The following companies are leaders in the rugged and industrial computing field:
Ruggedized handheld terminals and PDAs
- Aceeca (ruggedized Palm handheld)
- Argon Corp. (military wearables)
- Advantech
- AML (Barcode-centric handhelds & kiosks)
- Amrel (sold to MilDef 2016)
- Bluebird (Pidion brand handhelds, tablets), Korea
- Casio (industrial PDAs)
- CipherLab (rugged handhelds and scanners)
- Darveen (rugged handhelds)
- Datalogic (rugged terminals)
- Denso ADC (rugged handhelds and scanners)
- DLoG (Rugged terminals)
- Fujitsu (small slates)
- GCI (rugged terminals)
- Glacier Computer (resells PSC)
- Hand Held Products (Rugged terminals)
- Handheld Group (Rugged terminals)
- JLT Mobile Computers (industrial slate; now part of Roper)
- Intermec Technologies (ruggedized handhelds and PDAs, now part of Honeywell)
- Juniper Systems (rugged Pocket PCs)
- LXE (rugged terminals and handhelds, now part of Honeywell)
- M3 Mobile (handhelds), Korea
- MilDef (handhelds, tablets, laptops), Sweden
- Motorola (includes Symbol)
- NEC America (industrial handheld)
- Panasonic (rugged PDA)
- Psion Teklogix (rugged terminals and PDAs, now Zebra)
- RuggedT (China)
- TouchStar (rugged terminals and PDAs)
- QSI (Beijer) (rugged HMI terminals)
- Quantum3D (rugged real time systems)
- Sammi Information Systems (rugged PDAs)
- SmarTerminal Computers, Inc. (rugged PDAs, US subsidiary of Sammi)
- Socket Communications (rugged PDAs)
- Symbol Technologies (rugged terminals and PDAs)
- Talla-Tech (rugged notebooks and PDAs, now part of Elbit Systems)
- TouchStar (rugged terminals and PDAs)
- Trimble MCS (specialized PDAs)
- Tripod (rugged terminals, now part of Trimble)
- Two Technologies (rugged terminals)
- Unitech (industrial terminals and PDAs)
- Winmate Inc. (industrial handhelds)
Rugged tablets
- Acer (convertibles)
- Advantech
- Amrel (sold to MilDef 2016)
- Argon Corp. (military tablets and displays)
- Asonix (mostly military and hazardous apps)
- Black Diamond (rugged UMPCs)
- Bluebird (Pidion brand handhelds, tablets), Korea
- Data Ltd (rugged slates and UMPCs)
- DT Research (rugged slates)
- Estone Technology (tablets, OEM/ODM)
- Fujitsu (convertibles and slates)
- GammaTech (tablets, 2-in-1s)
- Gateway (convertibles)
- GETAC (slates)
- Glacier Computer (rugged tablets)
- Handheld Group (convertibles and slates)
- Hewlett Packard (convertibles)
- LG Electronics (slates)
- Lenovo (convertibles)
- Logic Instrument (convertibles and slates)
- MilDef (handhelds, tablets, laptops), Sweden
- MobileDemand (slates)
- Motion Computing (now part of Xplore) (slates)
- Panasonic (convertibles)
- Sammi Information Systems (slates)
- SmarTerminal Computers, Inc. (slates, US subsidiary of Sammi)
- RUGGEDBOOK (slates, UMPCs)
- RuggON (tablets)
- TabletKiosk (slates)
- Toshiba (convertibles)
- ViewSonic (convertibles and slates)
- Winmate Inc. (tablets)
- Xplore Technlogies (rugged slates)
Rugged Notebooks and Vehicle Mounts
Mounting hardware
Rugged systems components and boards
Touch/digitizer/etc OEMS
- Apex Material Technology Corp. (resistive, procap -- Taiwan)
- Atmel (touch controllers -- CA, USA)
- Cambrios Technologies (touch screen coatings -- CA, USA)
- Cando Technologies (touch panels, color filters -- Taiwan)
- ELO (various touch - CA, USA)
- FlatFrog (multi-touch systems - Sweden)
- HannsTouch Solution (procap - Taiwan)
- Morgan Touch Technology (sensors, pens, touch - China)
- N-trig (active, procap, multi - Israel)
- Northpoint Technologies (resistive, capacitive -- TX, USA)
- Ocular (procap -- TX, USA)
- Shenzen Laibao Hi-Technology (touch panels -- China)
- Touch International (resistive, cap, procap -- TX, USA)
- TPK (multi-touch, panels -- Taiwan)
- UICO (procap - IL, USA)
- UniPixel (optical films - TX, USA)
- Wacom (active, other -- WA, USA)
- WinTek (touch panels -- Taiwan)
- Wuhu Token Sciences (glass, touch sensors -- China)
Rugged Computing Hardware Distributors and Consultants
- ACME Portable (US, Germany, Taiwan)
- Bob Johnson's Computer Stuff, Inc. (DE, USA)
- Broadax Systems
- BuyTough (GA, USA)
- Cardinal Mobile (TX, USA)
- Cyberchron Rugged Systems
- DataSource Mobility (TN, USA)
- Electronic Data Solutions (ID, USA)
- Go-Rugged (UK)
- GroupMobile
- IBI Systems
- Industrial Computing
- Logic Supply (VT, USA)
- Maxatec (Europe)
- MaxVision
- Miles Data Technologies (WI)
- Mid-Atlantic Computer Services (MD, USA)
- MobEx (UK)
- OC Rugged
- Paradise Computers (USA)
- Paradigm System Solutions (MN, USA)
- PCS Mobile (CO, USA)
- RAMCO Rugged Portables (CA)
- Rugged & Mobility Prospects (GR)
- RugGear (rugged handhelds and tablets, UK)
- Rugged and Mobile (UK)
- Rugged And Mobile (UK)
- Rugged Mobile (UK)
- Rugged Notebooks
- RuggedT (China)
- Solzon
- Steatite Rugged Systems (UK)
- Tablet Technologies Ltd (UK)
- Technology Advancement Group
- Toughbook Depot (CA, USA)
- TOUGHOnline.com (NE, USA)
- TransCOR (MA, USA)
- Varlink (UK)
OEMs/ODMs
- BlackView (China, tablets, OEM/ODM)
- Bluebird (Korea, Pidion brand handhelds, tablets)
- Emdoor (China, tablets, OEM/ODM)
- Estone Technology (USA, tablets, OEM/ODM)
- M3 Mobile (Korea, handhelds)
- UniStrong (China, Geospatial, OEM/ODM)
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