Rugged Smartphones in the Enterprise: An Overview

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Rugged Smartphones in the Enterprise: An Overview

Over the past few months we’ve been discussing the value rugged smartphone devices bring to the enterprise.

Today we wanted to provide a short recap of the topics we’ve covered:

Understanding Ruggedness

There are many different types of “rugged” smartphones which are suited to a variety of environments and circumstances. The ruggedness of these devices is measured by two main standards, environmental sealant, which protects against water, dirt and dust, and military drop protection, which measures shock resistance and other ruggedness features. In our first post we explore each of these ruggedness ratings in detail.

The Effect of Ruggedness on Mobile Device Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

One of the main advantages to using rugged mobile devices in the enterprise is the effect on TCO. VDC and other researchers have established that environmental sealant and military drop protection ratings can drastically lower the TCO of mobile hardware. Another aspect to consider is that rugged smartphones are far less expensive then rugged mobile computers, making them and effective replacement for outdated mobile hardware.  The second post in our ruggedness series dives into these topics head on, including a detailed explanation of the TCO savings potential rugged smartphones present.

Choosing a Rugged Smartphone Device

There are many options to consider when deciding upon a rugged smartphone device. First you must decide whether you’d like to purchase a rugged device or a rugged case. Rugged smartphones tend to be designed with the enterprise in mind, while rugged cases provide the means to protect consumer smartphone devices. Both strategies have distinct advantages and disadvantages, which we cover in detail in this recent post. Once you’ve figured out which levels of ruggedness of you require, and decided upon a case or device strategy, you’re ready to pick your device. We recommend checking our 2013 enterprise rugged smartphone purchasing guide for detailed reviews of a variety of devices.

This blog series may be over, but the discussion has just begun. We’ll be blogging about rugged smartphones and their role in the enterprise for years to come. Stay tuned!