Photos: The Motorola mobile for 'self-conscious' fieldworkers
Enterprise mobility without the "ugly"?
Motorola has added a new handset to its enterprise portfolio, aimed at mobile information workers in vertical industries such as retail and healthcare.
The ES400 global Enterprise Digital Assistant, pictured above, is the smallest and lightest enterprise device in Motorola's portfolio to date, according to the company.
Despite its relatively dainty appearance - well, for a ruggedised smartphone - the ES400 has been built to withstand robust use including multiple drops and bumps, and use in rainy or dusty environments.
Image credit: Motorola
The ES400 has a three-inch touchscreen display, wi-fi, GPS, accelerometer and camera. There's also a built-in 1D and 2D barcode scanner, and biometric fingerprint scanning for device security.
Motorola said the device has been designed for mobile information workers who might otherwise be lusting after "shiny" consumer smartphones such as the Apple iPhone - and are therefore likely to be uncomfortable using some of the utilitarian handsets in its enterprise portfolio such as the ES400's predecessor, the MC35, or older enterprise handsets such as the MC75.
Image credit: Motorola
As well as having a physical Qwerty keyboard on the front, the ES400 has a resistive touchscreen and incorporates a stylus which can be used for recording signatures, as shown above.
Image credit: Motorola
The device is based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.5 - it currently runs 6.5.3 - but will transition to Windows Embedded Handheld, an upcoming embedded OS based on Windows Mobile 6.5 technologies that is targeted specifically at the enterprise handheld market.
Image credit: Motorola
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the upcoming Windows Embedded Handheld in a pre-recorded video message screened during a Motorola briefing today.
Ballmer said Windows Embedded Handheld is due to arrive in the next six months, with a Windows 7-based version coming in the second half of 2011.
Photo credit: Natasha Lomas/silicon.com
Motorola has skinned the OS with a customisable enterprise UI which includes a camera application, barcode scanner (with a dedicated key shown above, to the left of the OK key), call management screen and device management tabs.
Photo credit: Natasha Lomas/silicon.com
The camera, barcode and fingerprint scanners can be found on the back of the device (shown top, centre).
Photo credit: Natasha Lomas/silicon.com
Here's the ES400 shown side on. The physical keys on the side can be customised to give users quick access to features such as push-to-talk.
Photo credit: Natasha Lomas/silicon.com
Here's a view of the device's homescreen.
Photo credit: Natasha Lomas/silicon.com
Menus can be customised by dragging and dropping icons. Frequently used apps can then be placed on the dock at the bottom of the screen for quick access, such as the SAP app shown above.
Photo credit: Natasha Lomas/silicon.com