Company insight
A gas engineer may be used to using Windows applications, but with a large team, migrating to a an Android tablet can save money and time.
systems. Conversely, Android is specifically designed for mobile devices. “Windows has migrated to be more mobile-friendly, but I don’t think it is a fully mobile OS,” McBain remarks. “Windows SE never took off for tablets, but the latest version of Windows has reportedly made big steps forward.
the OS and create apps, whereas Windows is closed source with tighter security.
An informed choice of OS Zebra is the leader in Android-to- enterprise solutions and was once committed solely to that OS, but its acquisition in 2018 of Xplore Technologies
“Windows has [...] become more mobile-friendly.”
“Windows CE, which was designed for use within the four walls, went end of life and triggered warehouse movement to Android, but field ops didn’t need to do this,” he notes. “Field operators have Windows in their backend offices and want more than a phone which is why Windows still works for many. Professional grade Windows tablets offer speed, intelligence and security and are engineered for good wireless and longer battery life.”
In the future, the fact that Android is open source could be increasingly significant, as it allows anyone to dig into
secured its commitment to Windows. “We spent millions to make Android an enterprise solution,” McBain notes. “We have the utilities to allow customers to tailor Android to their specific needs. Android has more configurability and there are things we can do with it that we cannot do with Windows, which does not allow us to hack parts of its functionality. “The acquisition of Xplore Technologies commits Zebra to Windows and gives us a wider family of tablets,” he adds. “It gives us the Windows element where we had been focused on Android before.” Now, the balance of Zebra tablet sales is 50/50
Defence & Security Systems International /
www.defence-and-security.com
between Android and Windows, but there is a transition under way between the two operating systems in some industry sectors. “In healthcare, there is a high rate of Windows adoption, but Android is becoming a much bigger piece of that market because new applications can be written for it more easily,” McBain observes. “In the utilities market, the regulated element of the industry means that Windows is still the preferred OS. Everything depends on the specifics of each industry.”
Enterprise-grade Android is now
ready, complete with enhanced security features. Android tablets have now been developed to be rugged so tough enough for field usage. There is no longer a simple choice between big tough Windows, or cheap, small Android devices. Nevertheless, with Zebra’s comprehensive approach to analysing customers’ needs and its advanced design capability, the right choice is now much easier to make. ●
www.zebra.com 37
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