Motorola Inc. this week unveiled a small, lightweight enterprise digital assistant for mobile workers inside and outside a manufacturer’s facilities.
The MC55, with a 3.5-inch display and full keyboard, combines the functionality of a cell phone, two-way radio, bar-code scanner, digital camera, and mobile computer, according to a statement from Motorola. The device is said to improve productivity, customer response times, and customer service levels by bringing voice, data, and applications to the “point of business activity,” the company said.
With support for the GSM/GPRS/EDGE standard for wireless wide-area networks and integrated GPS, the mid-range EDA supports real-time location-based applications. The device is offered in two models and multiple configurations to meet diverse worker needs. The MC5590 EDA offers wireless 802.11a/b/g LAN (also known as WLAN) and Bluetooth connectivity for workers mostly inside the four walls. The MC5574 EDA has wireless WAN, wireless LAN, and Bluetooth to support workers in the field. Both models are VoIP-enabled, offering Push-to-Talk capabilities and the ability to integrate with installed IP PBXs.
The MC55 is based on the Marvell XScale PXA270 520 MHz processor and uses the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system to provide interoperability with existing enterprise infrastructure, a flexible development platform, and mobile messaging, Motorola said.
When used with Motorola’s recently introduced Total Enterprise Access Mobility (TEAM) Express handheld device, the MC55 enables customers to improve operational efficiencies by providing virtually instant communications. TEAM Express provides Push-To-Talk capability between the MC55 and other enterprise mobility devices, including Motorola’s CA50 VoIP-enabled wireless bar code scanner, the 3G MC75 EDA, TEAM VoWLAN smartphones, and Motorola two-way radios.