Adapting to change

Since 1992, Socket Mobile has built an extensive suite of portable computing, data collection and remote networking hardware. These offerings have helped healthcare, hospitality, retail, and other industries worldwide meet the demands of a growing mobile workforce while eliminating manual processes and maximising efficiency in mission-critical business applications.

"It's been a tumultuous ride over the past 20 years," remarked Mike Gifford, co-founder and executive vice president at Socket Mobile, "and as the market had its ups and downs, so did we." Gifford believes the key to the company's longevity has been its ability to accommodate and adapt to these changes. "As a result, we are more focused on our current products than we've ever been," he continued. "I'm proud to say that we've stayed true to our vision from inception. We look forward to another decade of meeting the needs of mobile workers as the market continues to expand and evolve."

Small and powerful

The latest product to meet those needs is the SoMo 655. The small yet powerful device expands upon Socket Mobile's award-winning SoMo 650 line of handheld devices and affirms the company's dedication to the handheld device space by addressing the increasing demands of mobile professionals. Vince Coli, senior handheld computer product manager, at Socket Mobile, said: "Socket Mobile is committed to meeting our customers' needs, and the SoMo 655 incorporates many new features, including improved charging and durability, 4 GB memory and enterprise-level 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi wireless technology, specifically requested by our customers."

Proven reliability

Coli continued: "With more than 50,000 devices already shipped to healthcare institutions, restaurants and other end users, the SoMo 650 has proven reliability in business deployments. The new SoMo 655 not only provides enhanced features, but also helps enterprises maximise ROI with a long expected life of three to five years and professional service and support options."
 
Part of the reason for Socket's ongoing success is the relationship built with Microsoft over the past few years. David Wurster, senior product manager for Windows Embedded, at Microsoft commented: "With Microsoft's trusted platforms leveraged on devices from manufacturers like Socket Mobile, enterprises can benefit from a diverse array of solutions to support specialised devices across the retail and healthcare industries." With the recent withdrawal from the market of the HP iPAQ range, Socket Mobile is confident that it is now well-placed with the SoMo 655 to provide a reliable, robust and cost-effective alternative mobile solution to its core markets: healthcare, retail and hospitality.

Constant evolution

The release of the SoMo 655 comes at an exciting time for Socket Mobile, particularly as this year it celebrates its 20th anniversary. "We couldn't have picked a more dynamic market segment or a more exciting time to be a part of it," said Gifford.  "In just 20 years, the constant evolution of operating systems, processors, memory, storage, screens, GPS, cameras, the Internet and, most important, end-user technology adoption, have transformed what used to be simple notebooks that lacked network connectivity into the slick, fully integrated smartphones, tablets and handheld computers of today." With the SoMo 655 at the heart of a solid family of products, Socket Mobile reports that it is looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.