Honeywell’s new platform helps logistics providers increase worker productivity, capture critical data

Honeywell has announced a new hardware and software platform for the next generation of its mobile computers, which are used globally by distribution centres, transportation and logistics providers, hospitals, and retailers to increase worker productivity and capture critical data. The Mobility Edge Platform comprises common hardware architecture and a suite of tools on which Honeywell and its partners will build future mobility solutions, which include rugged handheld computers, wearable devices, voice-directed technology, tablets and vehicle-mounted computers.

The platform is designed for Google’s Android operating system, which is increasingly becoming the standard for industrial mobile devices. It offers a long product lifecycle by supporting current and future Android versions – more than any competitive offering on the market. Additionally, the common platform provides consistency across Honeywell’s next-generation devices and makes it easier for customers to upgrade current models, manage device refreshes and quickly deploy software applications.

Honeywell also announced the Dolphin CT60 handheld computer, the first new mobile device to run on the Mobility Edge Platform. The rugged device is designed for transportation, logistics and retail workers and offers an extended battery life, high-performance scanning and other productivity features.

“After talking to many of our strategic customers and partners, we rethought the approach to solving the constraints they face today on mobile deployments,” said Peter Howes, president of Honeywell’s Productivity Products business. “Our customers require something more comprehensive and scalable, and that is what we are introducing with the Mobility Edge Platform.

“Because we built the Mobility Edge Platform with an Android-first mindset, businesses will have the confidence that our devices will support future versions of the operating system without making new hardware investments,” said Howes. “Leveraging a single, unified platform will make adding new devices and testing and deploying business-critical mobile hardware and software easier and faster.”

The Mobility Edge Platform features:

• Support for four generations of Android – Nougat through Q;
• A common architecture approach to allow customers to develop, test and certify an application just once for deploying to devices;
• Productivity-optimising tools to increase data capture speed and improve the way workers communicate securely;
• A battery runtime maximiser to allow customers to extend daily usage of the device by adjusting performance characteristics according to their specific needs;
• Integrated functions for scanning and voice communications;
• A rapid provisioning suite for faster, easier deployment of new devices and reduced deployment costs;
• Enterprise lifecycle tools to optimise device uptime and help IT teams overcome obstacles with integration and inflexible technologies.