As you maybe aware the days of being supplied PDA devices ‘free’ from your telecoms provider are probably over as the domestic handset market pushes forward with devices like iPhone and Android. The issue developers of Oncall software applications, have with these devices lies in the technology, capacitive, that they use for their touch screens. Capacitive screens are great for fingers, much better than resistive in most cases, but useless for styli. As a result you can’t get a customer signature capture using one of these devices which sort of defeats the object of our exercise.

You will still find there is a market for the PDA devices but you will probably have to go through a specialist company like “Barcode Warehouse”

Motorola have now just released a handset which is ideal for this field!

Motorola / Symbol Technologies ES400

As Motorola’s smallest EDA, the ES400 is packed with voice and data capabilities as well as the computing power to run even the most demanding enterprise applications

The ES400 enterprise digital assistant can fit into a pocket and has the ability to connect workers and give them the tools and applications needed for maximum efficiency and true mobility.

The ES400 has a unique UI that allows workers to customize the interface so they can get to the applications and data they need quickly and easily.

Key to the effectiveness of any EDA is connectivity, and the ES400 features user-swappable GSM HSPA or CDMA EVDO Rev A WAN, 802.11 a/b/g, WLAN functionality and best-in-class GPS implementation – enabling a signal lock in challenging areas.

The ES400 also has a high resolution 3.2 MP autofocus digital camera, enabling capture of photos, videos and 1D and 2D barcodes as well as a biometric fingerprint reader that keeps sensitive data out of the hands of anyone but the authorized employee.

The ES400 features three year availability – unlike short consumer-class device lifecycles – a single model can be deployed for years instead of months, lowering TCO.

With a powerful 600 MHz ARM11 processor and an extra large memory footprint (256MB RAM/1GB flash), the ES400 also offers a user accessible microSD card slot supporting up to 32GB of additional storage, enabling the device to support virtually any enterprise application.

There is also a choice of keypads: QWERTY, AZERTY, QWERTZ. The three inch PenTile® touchscreen is very bright, making it readable indoors or outdoors, and the MAX Sensor technology offers automatic screen rotation.

Motorola’s Service from the Start with Comprehensive Coverage plan combined with the option to remotely manage a pool of devices on any network from anywhere in the world ensures maximum uptime and seamless enterprise mobility.