Panasonic’s Windows 8 Toughpad a hit with Fulton Hogan

One of New Zealand’s top companies has chosen Windows 8-powered Panasonic Toughpads to boost productivity and convenience in the workplace. In a comprehensive implementation, the Toughpad FZ-G1 devices are being introduced by Fulton Hogan for roading crew members, replacing several previously used devices and substantially easing the load on the company’s IT management overhead.

From initial deployments in New Zealand, the company is looking to expand its use of the Windows 8Toughpads to its operations in Australia and beyond, says Graeme Mackin, NZ IT Service Delivery Manager at Fulton Hogan. “The emergence of a tough tablet aligned perfectly with our requirements. We’ve used mobile devices in the field for three years and have always struggled to find a good device running a standard Microsoft operating system,” he relates.

Fulton Hogan knows what happens when non-ruggedised or even semi-rugged devices are used in its demanding workplaces. “Vibration from in-truck devices would wreck the hard drives, the screens would break regularly and the USB ports would break when you connected a peripheral, typically requiring a complete replacement as ports are hardwired to motherboards,” says Mackin.

Most devices would deliver lifespans of just three months – and when things break in the field, it causes frustration, holds up work and costs money.

The Windows 8 Pro, Intel Core i5-based Toughpad FZ-G1 provides an ideal solution. “These devices weigh just over a kilogram, yet are essentially a complete desktop PC in a tablet format. More than that, they deliver the advantages of certified tough design to eliminate the issues we’ve experienced with other devices in demanding environments,” says Mackin.

It is predominantly crew members on Fulton Hogan’s road and water teams who are getting the Toughpads. “There are specific applications used for roads and water, but one considerable advantage is that thanks to their Core i5 processors, RAM and solid state hard drives, the Toughpads are far more flexible than anything we’ve used before, capable of handling all typical applications including those used for email and document management.”

As a result, he says many staff members who once had an office based laptop, a field tablet and a hand held GPS, are now issued with the Toughpad FZ-G1 alone. “Reducing the number of devices in the field means a reduction in the cost of management – and because the Toughpads are Windows-based, they are managed in a standard, corporate way.”

The real test of the success of any new device, however, is often to be found in user acceptance. Mackin reports that staff are very impressed. “That is to a large extent because these things are very, very good and the previous devices just weren’t up to the task,” he says. “With a Toughpad, our guys have a tool that is fit for purpose.”

From anticipating a considerable challenge in deploying Windows 8, Mackin says it just hasn’t materialized. “The training and support requirement is near to nothing. We’ve had zero functional questions on how to do familiar tasks,” he explains.

He puts it down to Windows 8’s design for mobile devices. “In terms of the quality of the user interface with touchscreen implementations on Windows XP or Windows 7, there is just no comparison. Windows 8 on Toughpad is smooth, responsive and intuitive, with key elements like the on-screen keyboard and general responsiveness delivering a very satisfying user experience.”

Mackin says he expects a total of around 200 Toughpads to be deployed; proven in the field in New Zealand, they are to be introduced in Fulton Hogan’s Australian operations, too.

While Toughpads are more costly than standard tablets, Mackin says the value they deliver is obvious. “Toughpads are far less likely to break. The local dealer, Comworth, takes great pride in the capability of the devices and more than that, provides local support so if something goes wrong, it gets sorted fast. The reliability of these products means less down time, happier end users and the ability to keep working where other devices would let you down.”

Toughpad. Built Kiwi tough.