Panasonic Expands Toughpad Family Of Rugged Business Tablets To Meet Growing Demand

Jan 09, 2013 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- Panasonic today extended its Toughpad range of rugged business tablets with the addition of two new devices. The thin, lightweight and yet fully rugged 10.1" Windows 8 Pro. and 7" Android tablets have been designed to meet the growing demand from businesses for purpose-built tablets that use the latest functionality to improve the productivity of their workforces.

Rugged and Slim Windows 8 Toughpad The Toughpad FZ-G1 is Panasonic's first fully rugged Windows 8 Pro. tablet which has been designed for mobile workers who spend much of their time working outside or from vehicles. Organisations that will benefit from this product include businesses with large engineering or maintenance workforces in the field, industries such as utilities, transportation and distribution as well as emergency services and insurance assessors.

The thin and lightweight device, weighing only 1.1kg, has been designed to take full advantage of the new functionality offered by the Windows 8 Pro. operating system and offers two-way touch input with its capacitive 10-finger multi-touch screen and digitizer pen for tasks such as recording signatures.

The first fully rugged device to use the latest IPS Panel technology, developed by Panasonic, the FZ-G1 provides new levels of viewing quality for tablet users working outside. Offering extra wide viewing angles, strengthened glass, high contrast ratio and 800cd/m2 high brightness paired with a Panasonic anti-reflection layer, the 10.1" over Full HD (1920x1200) Resolution screen is purpose built to perform in any light conditions.

"We believe the FZ-G1 sets the new benchmark in the market for outdoor screen visibility. This combined with the latest features of Windows 8 Pro. and Panasonic experience of making rugged devices with proven TCO, users will experience a new freedom of fully integrated workflows." said Jan Kaempfer, Marketing Director of Panasonic Computer Product Solutions. The Toughpad family is designed to meet the same incredible durability standards as Panasonic's Toughbook laptop product line.

The Toughpad FZ-G1 will have a MIL-STD-810G rating for 120cm drops as well as an IP65 ingress protection rating for resistance to dust and water. The device also will be rated for use in extreme temperatures.

With built-in battery saving technology such as its ambient light sensor, the Toughpad FZ-G1 can operate for 8.0 hours on its standard 6-cell battery and with an optional 9-cell battery can run for 16 hours. Batteries can also be switched in the field to ensure the device is operational as long as the user requires it and offering businesses better total cost of ownership than traditional tablets.* The FZ-G1 comes as standard with a high quality HD 720p front web camera and optional 3MP rear camera with double flash capability for clear document, asset or site photos whatever the light conditions. Windows and customisable application keys on the front of the device assist workers in jumping to key apps and tools by just pressing one button. Using its Flexible Configuration Ports, the device can be configured exactly for the needs of the business, offering USB 2.0, Micro SD, True Serial port, LAN Connector, GPS and integrated smartcard reader optional. USB 3.0, Bluetooth® 4.0, HDMI and Wireless LAN capabilities are standard.

To help field workers stay in touch with the office, the FZ-G1 has an optional dual external antenna connector to allow vehicle mounted devices to connect to a roof antenna boosting connection capabilities in remote areas.

The device is powered by 3rd generation Intel® Core(TM) i5-3437U vProTM 3MB cache, 1.9GHz, up to 2.9GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD as standard with a 256GB SSD option. Toughpad's first 7"Android tablet The Toughpad JT-B1 is Panasonic's first fully rugged 7" Android tablet ergonomically designed for one-handed use by mobile workers in industries such as utilities, public transport, logistics, asset management and police forces. This new device compliments the first Toughpad FZ-A1 10" Android tablet and combines the power of the Android 4.0 operating system with the pedigree of Panasonic's rugged mobile computing devices. As well as the ease of application development and the enhanced user experience offered by Android 4.0, the JT-B1 also delivers the additional durability, enterprise-level security, connectivity, display technology and battery life that businesses demand and that sets the Toughpad range apart from consumer tablets.

This lightweight (544g) tablet offers capacitive 4-finger multi-touch, 7" display with high visibility and low reflection and 500cd/m² High Brightness, WSGVA (1024x600) Resolution and ambient light sensor for optimum viewing and battery savings.

Ergonomically designed, the JT-B1 has a dimpled, concave surface to aid one-handed grip and a back-fitted hand strap for comfortable use and carrying. There are also 3 customisable one-click keys, allowing users to jump straight to the apps they need with a short or long click.

The device is also equipped with a 1.3MP front web camera and a market leading 13MP back camera with autofocus and LED light for detailed documentation and image capture. The JT-B1 may be small, but it has been built with all the Toughpad ruggedness that business users expect. The device has a MIL-STD-810G rating for 150cm drops as well as an IP65 ingress protection rating for resistance to dust and water. The device is also rated for use in extreme temperatures from -100C to +500C.

With its easily accessible and user-exchangeable battery, the JT-B1 has an operational time of 8 hours in the field and has first class connectivity including 3G, Bluetooth® 4.0, Wireless LAN and Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities.

The device also has a unique magic gadget facility, an open interface that allows 3rd party developers to design specialist accessories for the tablet such as barcode readers, payment devices or smartcard readers.

Powered by the latest Texas Instruments Ti® OMAP(TM) 4460 1.5GHz Dual Core ARM processor, the JT-B1 also comes with 1GB of RAM and 16GB Flash storage.

Toughpad Ecosystem of accessories To tailor devices to the specific needs of its users, Panasonic has an eco-system of accessories and peripherals designed to improve the mobility and productivity of Toughpad users. Today, these include: - Ergonomic handstraps holsters and bags for one-handed, all day use.

- Rugged power systems.

- Vehicle mounting solutions.

- Desktop cradles.

Panasonic also offers Toughpad customers a wide range of professional services including project management, imaging and kitting.

In the UK, the Toughpad FZ-G1 will be available from official distributors and Panasonic partners from February 2013, priced from GBP1,582 plus vat for the Standard model and GBP1,730 plus vat for the 3G version. The JT-B1 Standard model will be GBP591 plus vat and the 3G version GBP706 plus vat.

* Battery user replaceable. Unit has to be switched off.

** Must be configured at purchase of the main unit. Specifications given herein may be changed at any time without prior notice.

Press contact: Peter Beck peter@ambergroup.net Tel: +44 (0)1189 001133 About Panasonic System Communications Company Europe (PSCEU) PSCEU is the European branch of Panasonic Systems Communications Company, the global B2B division of Panasonic. PSCEU's goal is to improve the working lives of business professionals and help their organizations efficiency and performance. We help organizations capture, compute and communicate all sorts of information: image, voice, and textual data. Products include PBX telephone switches, document printers, professional cameras, projectors, large visual displays and rugged mobile PCs. With around 500 staff, engineering design expertise, global project management capability and a large European partner network, PSCEU offers unrivalled capability in its markets. The new PSCEU is made up of four business divisions: o Communication Solutions including professional scanners, multifunctional printers, telephony systems and HD video conferencing systems.

o Visual System Solutions including projectors, interactive whiteboards, presentation aids and displays. Panasonic is the European market leader in projectors with 28% revenue share.

o Professional Camera Solutions including professional audio visual, security and industrial medical vision (IMV) technology. Panasonic is one of the top two professional camera vendors in Europe.

o Computer Product Solutions including the Toughbook range of rugged notebooks, Toughpad business tablets and electronic point of sales (EPOS) systems. Panasonic Toughbook had 65.8% share of the European rugged and durable notebook market in 2011 (VDC, March 2012).

Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of 7.85 trillion yen (EUR71.4 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2012. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE:PC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/ Peter Beck Consultant The Amber Group Tel: +44 (0)1189001134 The Amber Group Email: peter@ambergroup.net Web: www.ambergroup.net ((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.

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