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CASE STUDY: Avi IT
When aviation technology specialist Avi IT needed hundreds of reliable tablets for an in-flight entertainment system, it knew Tegatech wouldn't leave it up in the air.
Sophisticated in-flight entertainment systems have become a valuable asset as airlines look for a competitive edge in a tough market. Designed to let passengers enjoy new release movies and games on a secure handheld device, Avi IT's Bluebox system has been deployed by airlines across Europe including Air Astana, Jet2.com, airBaltic, Air EL AL, bmi and Iceland Express. Such airlines have taken to providing the tablets to business class passengers as an enhanced offering, as well as renting them to economy passengers as a revenue generator.
Working in conjunction with content provider Phantom Media, UK-based Avi IT developed the Bluebox platform running on Tegatech's Viliv X70 Windows tablets, says Avi IT chief executive David Brown.
"Thanks to encryption and other security measures we've taken on our platform, we can offer first-run content from the studios - basically movies that are still playing in the cinemas," Brown says.
"Our approach to the Bluebox architecture has always been on the Windows platform - it allows us to offer more powerful devices than just a media player. We also get superior video quality."
"The Viliv X70's rugged construction is obviously a benefit. The tablets are used by several passengers every day, so they're going to face some rough and tumble. We've deployed more than 600 of these devices across the world, so we obviously need to know we can rely on them."
Along with the tablets, Avi IT supplies the infrastructure for loading content and charging the batteries. While flight attendents currently hand out the tablets to passengers, Avi IT is working closely with aircraft manufacturers to integrate these systems tightly into the planes and fit the tablets into seats.
"We have developed a housing for mounting the tablets on seats during flight and we're working towards the certification required to install them permanently in seats," Brown says. "The objective is to target the retro-fit market, saving airlines a lot of money while putting a Bluebox in every seat."
Having deployed hundreds of tablets across the world, Brown says that Tegatech's expertise in the tablet field has helped Avi IT make the right decisions and stay on top of the technology.
"Tegatech has very good market awareness at the factory level, so it knows what is around the corner. That is Tegatech's specialty and we have been able to tap into that expertise, which has helped us get the right products out in the market," Brown says.
"Tegatech delivers when it says it will deliver. Support has been excellent even though we're half way across the world in Europe and our customers are crisscrossing the globe. We know we can rely on Tegatech".
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CASE STUDY: Andrew Fedorowicz
Time is money when you're an architect, which is why Andrew Fedorowicz values his Tega v2 Windows 7 tablet.
Fedorowicz specialises in period restorations, painstakingly restoring old homes to their former glory. He also embarks on major projects such as the Craigieburn Sporting Club's $4.2 million renovation. Whether he's recreating the past or building the future, Fedorowicz relies on modern technology such as Tegatech's Tega v2 tablet to get the job done.
"I've always been a real stickler for time efficiency. In my line of work, creating the design and documentation quickly is vital - if you take too long you're losing money," Fedorowicz says.
"I first bought the Tega v2 tablet to help with the initial measure-ups of buildings. The Tega v2 runs on Windows 7, so I can use the Sitemaster software package. Using a Bluetooth-enabled laser measure, I can quickly measure up a building, transfer the data to the tablet wirelessly and have Sitemaster automatically generate drawings which I can import into ArchiCAD. I'd say using the tablet saves me about four hours on an average house - so half a day's work. As you can imagine, the Tega v2 paid for itself quite quickly".
The Tega v2's slick design makes it far more practical for using onsite than a traditional notebook PC. The Tega v2 is only 25mm thick and weighs in at a mere 1kg, so it's easy to carry about. It also sports a crisp 10.1-inch, 1024x600 pixel display - utilitising Windows 7's multi-touch capabilities - making it easy for Fedorowicz to access documentation and even show designs to others.
"When I visit a site to do an inspection, the builders don't always have the plans at hand. If they do, more often than not they're unreadable," Fedorowicz says. "If I've got the tablet on my arm, then I've got all my designs at my fingertips. I've also got copies of the contracts and other paperwork. If there's a problem we can resolve it on the spot, which once again saves me time. The Tega v2's touchscreen is perfect for zooming in to get a good look at complicated architectural plans."
"I used to carry around an A3 lever arch file with all my drawings, which of course needed to be reprinted whenever a change was made. Carrying the tablet means I've got all the latest documentation at my fingertips."
While the Tega v2 is an impressive device, it's Tegatech's exemplary customer service which helpsmake the tablet such an invaluable asset to Fedorowicz's business.
"The team at Tegatech are great. You're always going to encounter little problems with new technology, such as compatibility issues, and that's when Tegatech's customer service really shines. It is all about personalised service and that's where Tegatech really delivers. Like I said, I'm big on efficiency and Tegatech helps me get the most out of my tablet."
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CASE STUDY: Ziche
Ziche's Marialuisa Antonioli travels the world selling marble by the tonne, with a Tegatech tablet tucked under her arm to display her wares.
Italian-based Ziche is a worldwide leader in the quarrying, production and sale of Italian marble. Its customers vary from villas in Italy and hotels in Dubai to shopping malls in Singapore and casinos in Las Vegas. Based in northern Italy, sales manager Marialuisa Antonioli travels the globe to meet with Ziche's largest customers. She can't exactly carry slabs of marble in her bag like carpet samples, so she uses Tegatech's Tega v2 tablet to give her customers a hands-on feel for the marble they're buying.
"One piece of marble is very different from another, so naturally people want to see exactly what kind of marble they're buying. I've found Tegatech's Tega v2 tablet to be the perfect tool for the job", Ms Antonioli says.
Ziche captures high resolution images of its marble as part of the production process, with the images sent wirelessly to the Tega v2 tablets. The tablets sport a crisp 10.1-inch, 1024x600 pixel display - utilitising Windows 7's multi-touch capabilities to let Ziche's customers get up close and personal with the exquisite marble slabs they're purchasing.
"We've found the experience offered by Tegatech's Tega v2 tablets is the next best thing to seeing the marble in person and these tablets are much more practical than notebook PCs," Ms Antonioli says.
"Back when we were relying on notebooks, I often wouldn't bother to pull out my notebook when I was talking to a customer. It was big, heavy and cumbersome, plus I had to open it up and wait for it to start. Using a notebook is quite awkward when you're trying to make a good impression on a customer and look professional."
In search of a better solution, Ziche turned to Tegatech and the Tega v2 tablet.
"The Tega v2 tablet is fast and easy to use, plus it doesn't get in the way. Customers like the fact they can touch the screen to manipulate the photos and get a really good look at the marble. I can hand them the tablet and they're happy to interact with it. They are often surprised because this kind of technology is unusual in our sector, and I feel it gives us a competitive advantage. Whereas the notebook always seemed like it was holding me back, the tablet assists me in my job without getting in the way," Ms Antonioli says.
"I must say that Tegatech was a great help when it came to finding the right tablet for our needs. Dealing with such a professional company helps us look professional in front of our own customers."
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CASE STUDY: Basfoods
As someone who spends her working day walking through restaurants and supermarket isles, Sevda Karaca was happy to ditch a cumbersome notebook for a Tegatech Tega v2 tablet.
Karaca is sales manager for Basfoods Australia, a Melbourne-based wholesaler of Turkish and Mediterranean food. She spends her days on her feet visiting customers, checking stock levels and processing orders on the spot. Juggling a notebook computer just isn't practical while you're on the move, so she turned to Tegatech for a more portable computing solution. She found the perfect solution in the Windows 7-powered Tega v2 tablet.
"I need the power of a proper computer to access our ordering system, but using a notebook while you're on the move just isn't practical. It's awkward to get the lid open and you can't balance it on one hand or use it while you're standing or moving. I knew there had to be something better," Karaca says.
Basfoods approached Tegatech for a solution to Karaca's problems. After evaluating her needs, Tegatech supplied her with a Tega v2 tablet. The Tega v2 sports a large 10.2-inch TFT LCD touchscreen, with a built-in HSDPA modem designed to stay online while you're out and about. It's only 25mm thick and weighs in at a mere 1kg, making it easy for Karaca to process orders on the run. It also runs Windows 7, so she can run the same software that she'd run on a Windows notebook.
"If the job is going to be done properly then you need the proper tools, and that's why we turned to Tegatech. They've got the experience with tablets that ensured we got the best tool for the job," Karaca says.
"The Tega v2's size and design is certainly convenient, plus it has a touchscreen so it's easy to use rather than messing around with a keyboard. It's just like carrying around a clipboard, but it's a proper computer that lets me search through back orders and do everything else I could do if I was sitting at a desk."
"Using a tablet is not just about convenience, using a tablet also saves me time - which means orders get processed faster and I get more done during the day. I can process orders on the spot and put them straight into the system, rather than waiting until I get back to the office or messing around with fax machines. It saves everyone else's time as well, because there's no double-handling of orders."
Karaca is impressed not only with the Tega v2 tablet, but also with the level of customer service provided by Tegatech.
"Tegatech were great to deal with because they actually sat down with us and discussed my needs," she says.
"Then they showed me the Tega v2 and let me try it out to make sure it was the right tablet for me. It's great to deal with an organisation like Tegatech that's not just interested in shipping gadgets but actually making sure it's the right tool for the job."
Download Basfoods Case Study PDF
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CASE STUDY: "The Word Press Guy" - Tony
Tony "The WordPress Guy" Cosentino spends his days building websites - yet he's not chained to his desk, thanks to Tegatech's TEGA v1 Tablet.
In search of a mobile work companion, Cosentino saw the appeal of tablet computing but wasn't prepared to make sacrifices in terms of features and functionality. A self-confessed Mac fanboy, Cosentino was naturally interested in Apple's iPad but was won over by the power and flexibility of Tegatech's Windows 7-powered TEGA v1 Tablet.
"I was drawn to Tegatech's TEGA v1 because I liked the iPad but I couldn't get by with the stripped-down operating system," Cosentino says.
"Meanwhile the TEGA v1 - a Windows 7 touchscreen tablet - offers me the portability and convenience of the iPad but with the bonus of a full-blown operating system. Whether I'm sitting in a cafe or riding on the bus, the TEGA v1 lets me do everything I need to do - so I've got the advantages of a tablet without having to forgo using a real computer."
The TEGA v1 tablet sports a large 10.2-inch TFT LCD touchscreen, with a built-in HSDPA modem designed to stay online while you're out and about. It's only 25mm thick and weighs in at a mere 1kg, making it easy to slip the TEGA v1 in your bag when walking out the door.
"The device just had so much going for it - with the ports, screen resolution and portability it really is everything the iPad isn't. It features a virtual onscreen keyboard, but one thing I love about the TEGA v1 is the option to use the stylus to write directly on the screen. It picked up my handwriting very accurately and in no time I was happily writing away," Cosentino says.
"These days I use the TEGA Tablet to update my own WordPress websites and my clients' WordPress websites, plus I can easily write posts and run my business while out and about."
"Another thing that's really impressed me about the TEGA v1 is not just the device but the level of service offered by the team at Tegatech. When you're embracing new technologies such as tablets, you are reliant on good support to help you get the most out of your investment. I've found Tegatech's support outstanding - they understand the tablet space and never shy away from any support questions. I know I'm in good hands with Tegatech.
Download The WordPress Guy Case Study PDF
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CASE STUDY: NSW Australian of the Year 2010 - Jon Dee
As a businessman and environmental campaigner, Jon Dee sees a bright future for tablets in reducing our reliance on paper.
Planet Ark Co-Founder and NSW Australian of the Year 2010, Dee is also one of the campaigners behind National Tree Day which has seen 2 million volunteers plant 15 million native trees and shrubs. He’s also a keen technology lover and has been using tablet computers for almost a decade.
Armed with a sleek TEGA v2 tablet supplied by Tegatech, Dee finds that working with electronic documents saves both time and trees. The TEGA v2 is Tegatech’s own 10-inch tablet running Windows 7. Weighing in at a mere 870gm, it features a multi-touch display, USB and memory card ports, front camera and Adobe Flash capability.
“I have a policy - when I go into meetings and people offer me wads of paper I refuse it and ask; can I have it as a PDF please?”, Dee says.
“That way I can view it on the TEGA and use my fingers to interact with it like with paper, but still retain the advantage of electronically searching the document. The TEGA v2 is a tablet but it’s still a fully-fledged computer running Windows. If you have to look up a certain key phrase in a report, you can find it in seconds on a tablet. So there are some advantages in terms of not just environmental benefits but also time efficiency.”
Dee is also an iPad early adopter and, while it has its strengths, he feels the iPad too restrictive to play a key role in a work environment.
“I’m a big fan of the iPad. I use it for reading Wired magazine, plus it’s great for watching movies or looking at photos. The rise of the iPad has certainly caused people to think about using tablet computers in a work environment, but perhaps not with a restricted platform like the iPad’s iOS. That’s where something like the Windows 7-powered TEGA v2 is very interesting, because it gives you the ability to utilise a tablet interface yet still access all your normal programs and the corporate backend,” Dee says.
The TEGA v2 is an excellent option for organisations which are reluctant to implement iPads because of compatibility concerns with existing IT infrastructure, Dee says.
“Using your fingers to Interact with a screen is very intuitive. I’ve strongly believed for a long time that this is where computers are heading. In terms of the size and shape the v2 is very similar to the iPad, it’s certainly a long way from the clunky tablets of old,” he says.
“I’ll admit that Windows still has some tweaking to do to make Windows 7 as user-friendly as the iPad in terms of interface. Of course that’s where Tegatech’s expertise comes in. Tegatech’s knowledge of the tablet space makes it the perfect partner for tightly integrating a tablet rollout with your existing systems.”
Download Jon Dee Case Study PDF
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CASE STUDY: Belvoir IT
The rough and tumble of a hot, dusty sale yard - surrounded by thousands of sheep and millions of flies - requires a special breed of rugged tablet PC. Belvoir IT managing director Len Hill puts Tegatech's Getac tablet PCs in the hands of sales agents in sheep sale yards around Bathurst. The devices have to survive in the blazing sun, biting dust and pouring rain, not to mention getting dropped in the mud and worse. Sales agents use tablets PCs to record the details of sheep auctions and produce delivery schedules. Thanks to the tablet's wireless connectivity and a long battery life, the sales agents aren't bogged down with paperwork and manage to shift sheep through the sale yards faster.
"Sale yards have a long and established history, but these new tablets have a couple of key advantages over the traditional paper method," Hill says. "The wind doesn't blow the tablet around like it does a book of sales sheets. Rain doesn't affect them anywhere near as bad either."
"The main thing is that when they've got 60,000 sheep in the yard, those sheep have to be delivered fairly quickly. Because the tablet is right up to date, then the delivery schedules can be produced immediately rather than waiting until the guys go back to their offices. It also reduces the chances of a mistake on the delivery sheet, because it's not hand-written."
"In the past it was all done manually on paper. You'd write the sale up in a book, take it back to the office, print out a selling sheet, take that back to the yard, write in the price and the buyer, take that back to the office, key it in and produce the delivery schedules. Now the sales agents can do the whole job while standing out by the sheep pens, without having to walk up to a kilometre back to the office if they're coming from the top corner of the sale yard."
Hill uses the Getac E100 Mil-spec Rugged Tablet PC, which features an 8.4-inch Sunlight Viewable Touch Screen along with a shock-mounted hard drive. It runs Windows XP Professional (with Linux options available) on an Ultra-Low Voltage Intel processor to ensure long battery life. It weighs in at a mere 1.47 kg with the main and secondary battery packs. While tablet PCs are helping Belvoir IT revolutionise sales yards, Hill says it's Tegatech's support that's the magic ingredient.
"Tegatech has sent us several test models to try in the field - models that are right for the job. They listen to our requirements and help us find the right tool for the job," he says.
"We might not be their biggest customer but Tegatech always takes the time to make sure we're looked after and they're meeting our needs. We've had several tablet companies approach us, but they've all missed the mark in terms of customer service compared to Tegatech."
Download Belvoir IT Case Study PDF
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CASE STUDY: Turner Warburton Solutions
If you're working half a mile underground in the harshest of conditions, you can trust Tegatech's rugged Tablet PCs to keep on ticking. Turner Warburton Solutions develops specialised document management systems for the mining industry, allowing engineers to carry an office full of documents under their arm. TWS co-founder Trevor Warburton was born and bred in mining town of Broken Hill, so he appreciates the tough conditions that Tablet PCs endure when working at minesites on the surface or underground.
"We first developed an asset management system based on rugged PDAs, designed for mining companies to track fire extinguishers, first aid kits and chemicals used down in the mines, then evolved it into the 'SavYou Solution' for managing Explosive inventory movements and usage." says Warburton.
"The second client we sold the SavYor Explosive tracking system to also expressed an interest in converting all their documents to an electronic form and making them portable - because it consumes a lot of time to come up from the mine to pick up your paperwork. A small-screened PDA isn't really designed for such a task, so we started talking to Tegatech about the best Tablet PCs for taking down the mines."
As well as handling the rough and tumble of life underground, Warburton required Tablet PCs designed to handle wide temperature fluctuations as well as the highly corrosive atmosphere of a damp mine. He worked closely with Tegatech, trialling several Tablet PC options, before deciding that the Xplore Tablet best suited TWS' requirements.
"Ruggedness was naturally the highest priority, but performance was also important," he says. "No matter how tough a tablet was, if it wasn't capable of displaying documents in a reasonable amount of time then it was useless. Miners can't afford to stand around all day waiting for their computer to catch up."
"We couldn't go smaller than the 10-inch screen size, because any smaller and you have to spend too much time scrolling the document around to see everything. Jump to 12-inch display and the units were becoming too big to be portable and convenient. The other key issue was good battery life, because obviously these tablets are going to be away from charge points for hours at a time."
The Xplore Tablet is built around a bright 10.4-inch, 1024x768 display - running Windows XP Tablet Edition with a 1.2 GHz Intel U2500 Dual Core processor under the bonnet. The tablets weigh in at 2.35 kg and offer a 4 to 5 hour battery life, generally enough to make it through a full shift on one charge. They're designed with shock, vibration and dust tolerance in mind, as well the ability to survive moisture and temperature extremes.
"The great thing about working with Tegatech is the company wasn't just trying to flog us a few tablets, they worked closely with us to ensure we found the right tool for the job. Tegatech's extensive knowledge of the Tablet PC field ensures we get the best solution available, and that benefit flows on to our customers," Warburton says.
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"Tegatech provides the best range of products in what is a niche category. Not a lot of suppliers sell devices that meet our specifications, and certainly not at the prices that Tegatech is able to offer. The most important factor would have to be the amazing level of customer service. After discussions regarding our requirements, Tegatech supplied us with several different test units to trial, until we arrived at the Xplore Tablet - which gave us the best results in terms of ruggedness, performance and price." "If I'm going to send a Tablet PC down a mine I need to have confidence that it's up to the job. I place that same confidence in Tegatech to provide us with the best Tablet PC solutions." | 
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CASE STUDY: Australian Wool Exchange
Spending hours on their feet at national wool auctions, auditors at the Australian Wool Exchange have found the perfect companion in Tegatech's Ultra Mobile PCs.
The Australian Wool Exchange is responsible for monitoring the quality of Australian wool, one of the country's most important exports. The AWE's team of auditors work at the country's three main wool auction centres in Freemantle, Melbourne and Sydney. Armed with a Viliv X70 Ultra Mobile PCs from Tegatech, the auditors work on the auction floor to inspect a sample of wool from each lot offered for sale.
While some wool characteristics can be measure in the lab, the auditors are required to quickly and accurately assess the wool's "non-measured characteristics" such as uniformity and how well the wool has been prepared. Portable yet powerful Ultra Mobile PCs are a valuable tool on the auction floor when compiling reports, says AWE wool services manager David Cother.
"Thanks to the Ultra Mobile PCs supplied by Tegatech, our auditors have the auction catalogue at their fingertips and can quickly get wool reports to interested bidders. It's a process that was previously done on paper, but the UMPCs have revolutionised the way our auditors work," Cother says.
"We've previously trialled PDAs, but the issue with PDAs is the lack of screen real estate. There's a lot of information on wool sale lot, about 50 data fields. It's just not possible to represent all of that on a PDA screen, so we needed something with a bigger screen size and adequate battery life which was still light enough for our auditors to carry for three or four hours at a stretch. Weight was the issue with the larger tablets, they were just too heavy to carry all the time, but the Ultra Mobile PCs are perfect for the job."
The Viliv X70 Ultra Mobile PCs feature a 7 inch touchscreen display but weights in at a mere 660gm. They runn Windows 7 while under the bonnet lies a 1.33 GHz Intel processor with 1GB of RAM, 32GB of solid state storage, Bluetooth and WiFi plus optional GPS and mobile broadband.
"Working with a full-blown Windows system certainly makes the cost of development a lot cheaper, our previous experience with PDAs saw us always trying to squeeze things in and work around the limitations of the device. It was about compromises, whether it be screen size or programming," Cother says.
"Running Windows 7 out of the box on the UMPCs means we can just run whatever we need without those hassles. Windows 7 seems to have some good power management options and be very stable. We're also pleased with the size of the onscreen keyboard. The move to Windows 7 has been really positive, we haven't made the move to Windows 7 on th desktop yet so these UMPCs are our first taste of what it can do."
The Australian Wool Exchange is not the only group impressed with power and flexibility offered by Tegatech's Ultra Mobile PCs. After seeing the machines in action on the auction floor, at least 10 companies have approached Cother's team showing an interesting the technology.
"I think that says something for the solution Tegatech has helped us put together - it's obviously addressing some fairly fundamental needs in our industry. Those who are still using PDA are quite impressed when they see our Ultra Mobile PCs and the software we're running on them," Cother says.
"There's a lot of untapped potential here, as we're still working to establish good wireless connectivity on the auction floor. Our auditors are certainly looking forward to being online all the time, giving them access to email and real time messaging. Now we've found the right tool for the job in the UMPCs, and the right partner in Tegatech, we can see a lot of benefits for the future."
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CASE STUDY: Herron Todd White
Time is money when you're dealing with the banks, which is why nationwide valuation firm Herron Todd White has embraced a fleet of Ultra Mobile PCs from Tegatech.
Herron Todd White is Australia's largest independent property advisor and the major banks rely on its valuations when arranging mortgages. The pressure to provide fast and accurate valuations directly from the field saw Herron Todd White turn to Tegatech when rolling out more than 100 Samsung Q1UP Ultra Mobile PCs.
"We work in a very technology-driven industry. The quicker we can get the valuation done, the quicker the banks can approve a mortgage and therefore gain or retain a customer," says Herron Todd White Wnterprise Architect Darren Oliver. "We've got 300 valuers spread across the country and time really is money in our industry, which is why Ultra Mobile PCs are perfect for us."
Herron Todd White's valuers originally used Pocket PC devices, but the move to Windows Mobile 5 saw the valuation software slow to a crawl. Rather than rewrite the application for Windows Mobile, the company went in search of a true Windows-based solution that didn't require reinventing the wheel.
"Our valuers didn't want to carry around bulky 12 or 14-inch Tablet PCs when inspecting properties, they just wanted something small that would happily run our Windows applications," Oliver says.
"Our office environment is built around Lotus Notes, so the move to a Windows-based Ultra Mobile PC like the Samsung Q1UP means we can run the same applications on our desktop machines and the UMPCs. We got it all up and running very easily. In fact, the UMPCs are powerful enough that, back in the office, our valuers can run a Citrix session whilst plugged into a desktop keyboard, monitor and mouse. They really appreciate the flexibility of using the same device in the office and out on the road."
The Samsung Q1UP is a tiny all-in-one tablet-style computer, weighing a mere 860gm yet running a full version of Windows in the form of XP Tablet Edition 2005. Unlike a notebook UMPCs lack a traditional keyboard, instead the Samsung Q1UP features a split QWERTY keyboard alongside the screen. The Samsung Q1UP's generous 7-inch display allows Herron Todd White's valuers to view a lot more information at once, speeding up the valuation process by reducing the need to scroll and flick through pages. The in-built camera makes it simple to capture photographs, while wireless internet access allows valuers to enter data straight into bank websites when necessary. Printing documents from the Samsung UMPCs is also much simpler than from Pocket PC devices.
Tegatech played a key role in helping Herron Todd White find the right tool for the job. A pool of loan devices was made available to Oliver and his team, allowing them to trial a range of Ultra Mobile PCs and rate them according to their needs. Tegatech's breadth of both product range and experience gave Herron Todd White the backing required to drive a successful nationwide UMPC rollout.
"Both Tegatech and its Ultra Mobile PCs have certainly met our expectations," Oliver says, "plus the devices offer the company a lot more freedom to do things in the future. We spend our days valuing other people's assets, but these UMPCs and Tegatech's support are certainly a valuable asset to our organisation."
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CASE STUDY: International Game Technology
John van Waard is a sales executive for one of the world's largest providers of gaming systems, but he doesn't gamble when it comes technology so he uses Tegatech's Touch Tablet PCs.
International Game Technology (IGT) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of poker machines, but it's also responsible for the IT systems to support table-based casinos games such as poker and blackjack. While it's easy for slot machines to keep track of every dollar that comes in and out, a fast-moving blackjack table presents a range of challenges, says IGT Australia sales executive John van Waard.
The last thing blackjack players want to see is the dealer struggling with a computer mouse and keyboard - it's also the last thing the casino wants. As such, IGT Australia has deployed more than 400 Tegatech Touch Tablet PCs in casinos around the country including Star City and Conrad Jupiters Gold Coast.
"Traditionally, table game managers have had to rely on periodically counting the money in the drop box, or the chips that are left in the trays. We wanted to improve on this and calculate details such as the average bet for a patron at a table and how many hands are dealt per hour," van Waard says.
"We needed an unobtrusive table management system that lets dealers quickly log details such as when a player buys chips, or takes chips away from the table. Of course casinos need their tables to be in play as much as possible, so we needed to minimise interruptions. The Touch Tablet PCs we're using from Tegatech are all-in-one devices, so they're perfect for our needs. The touchscreen is right where the dealer is standing, so important information can be quickly and accurately captured without interrupting game play."
IGT Australia began using Tegetech's Sahara i412T Touch Tablet PCs, but has since switched to the newer Sahara NetSlate a230T. The NetSlate a230T is a fully-featured PC - with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor and up to 2GB of RAM running Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows XP Embedded or openSUSE Linux 11. It features a 12.1-inch resistive touchscreen and can be easily mounted on matching VESA-compatible Port Replicators while still connected to mains power and peripherals such as a magnetic swipe card readers for swiping member cards. The NetSlate a230T puts the power of a computer at the fingertips of each casino dealer, in an environment where space is at a premium and a clunky desktop PC would not be welcome.
Installing Tegatech's Touch Tablet PCs alongside gaming tables not only allows IGT Australia to offer casinos precise table data, it also allows the casinos to expand their customer loyalty programs. Tracking a player's average bet and how long they spend at the table lets the casino calculate reward points for their loyalty programs - a valuable tool in such a highly competitive industry.
"Tegatech's Touch Tablet PCs give IGT Australia a competitive edge in the market, a benefit which flows on to the casinos and even the players at the tables," van Waard says. "We don't like to gamble when it comes to technology, but we know we've backed a winner with Tegatech and its touchscreen expertise."
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