Stay Connected With Embedded Wireless Solutions

Many field workers have to perform in whatever conditions nature provides — from the hottest days of the year to the most frigid, snowy, and icy conditions. Other workers performing jobs in plants or warehouses may find themselves traveling from site to site in planes, trains, or automobiles. Some field workers conduct daily responsibilities remotely and may never even walk into the office. With today's wireless mobile computing technology, everything from work order processing, parts ordering, and time cards to researching schematics, diagrams, and directions can often be conducted off-site. To manage these responsibilities in a range of different environments, field workers often use durable, reliable mobile computers with embedded wireless solutions.

Most standard notebooks today come equipped with a Wi-Fi or 802.11 wireless antenna built in. Wireless connections are generally available in public places, in offices, or at warehouses, but not always necessarily where they may be needed. Connecting via the wide area wireless networks, also known as mobile broadband, offered by major cellular carriers — including Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Alltel, and AT&T — has evolved as a next-generation option for anytime, anywhere connectivity.

There are options to connect to these wireless networks. In addition to the embedded wireless antenna that comes standard in most computers today, you can use an external PCMCIA (personal computer memory card international association) broadband wireless card. Both are good options for connectivity, but embedded modems offer many benefits. Embedded modems are engineered for maximum uptime. For example, they are typically isolated from radiated noise and heat, which can offer improved connections to wireless networks. Embedded modems are not prone to failure from drops and shocks and use little battery power.