Purchase of Rugged TDS Recons will Increase Paperless Productivity
and Efficiency
WASHINGTON, March 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tripod Data Systems (TDS),
a wholly owned subsidiary of Trimble (Nasdaq: TRMB), announced today the sale
of 70 rugged TDS Recon(TM) handheld computers to the Denver Fire Department.
The department will use the Recons to streamline its fire safety inspection
process, leading to significant savings in time, effort and money.
The announcement was made at FOSE 2004, the largest information technology
exposition serving the government marketplace.
The Recon, which runs Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs, will
help the department eliminate several time-consuming steps in the inspection
process.
Currently inspectors must generate hard-copy inspection report forms,
hand-write inspection data on the forms in the field, and then pass the forms
to a data-entry worker, who enters the information into a central computer.
Using the Recon, the inspectors will be able to download their schedules,
enter inspection data directly to the handheld in the field, and transfer it
directly to the central computer at the end of the day. The new process will
eliminate multiple steps, save paper and prevent costly data-entry errors.
"We plan to use the Recon for 5,000 inspections this year, and
20,000 inspections per year thereafter," said Mike Stutz, information
technology manager for the Denver Fire Department. "We expect that will save
us the equivalent of 4,000 data-entry hours each year -- a significant savings
in this era of tight budgets."
"The Recon is a versatile tool for use in rugged field work, and Windows
Mobile increases that versatility by facilitating customized applications,"
said Bill Martin, TDS president. "The Denver Fire Department provides another
example of Recon users capitalizing on its ruggedness and versatility in their
own applications."
About the Recon
The Recon is designed for all-day operation in extreme outdoor and
industrial environments. It meets MIL-STD-810F military standards for drops,
vibration and temperature extremes. It also has an IP67 rating, meaning it's
impervious to water and dust.
The Recon's rugged construction makes it ideal for land surveying,
mapping, forestry, utilities, law enforcement, military and other outdoor
applications. It weighs just 17 ounces, and its rounded edges provide a
comfortable grip. Large, widely spaced buttons are easy to use, and its
reflective color TFT display is bright and clear in sunlight.
The Recon comes with a 200- or 400-MHz Intel XScale processor, 64 MB of
SDRAM and up to 128 MB of internal nonvolatile Flash storage. It also features
two CompactFlash slots, plus a standard 9-pin serial port and a high-speed USB
port for connecting to a PC. The standard PowerBoot Module(TM) features a
15-hour rechargeable NiMH battery.
About Tripod Data Systems
Tripod Data Systems (TDS) designs and manufactures hardware and software
for mobile computing applications. TDS handheld computers are designed for
extreme outdoor and industrial environments in the land surveying, mapping,
forestry, utility, public safety, military and other outdoor markets. The
rugged TDS Ranger(TM) was the first handheld computer based on the Windows CE
operating system to meet military specifications for drop, vibration,
immersion and both high and low temperature operation.
TDS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Trimble. The company is headquartered
in Corvallis, Ore., and was founded in 1987. For more information about TDS,
visit http://www.tdsway.com/handhelds, e-mail handhelds@tdsway.com or call
541-752-9000.
NOTE: Tripod Data Systems, Recon, Ranger and PowerBoot Module are
trademarks of Tripod Data Systems. All other trademarks are property of their
respective owners.
SOURCE Tripod Data Systems
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Related links:
http://www.tdsway.com/handhelds
. (TRMB)
CONTACT:
Amy Urban of Tripod Data Systems,
+1-541-753-9322, or amyu@tdsway.com; or Julia Oliver of Sanda
Communications, +1-503-445-2400, or jo@sandacom.com, for Tripod
Data Systems
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