Honeywell has reached agreement with Microsoft to allow its Dolphin 7800 rugged handheld computer to run on the Android and Chrome OS platforms. The Dolphin 7800 for Android provides data capture and navigation capabilities, making it ideal for delivery drivers or sales representatives, Honeywell said.
“Our core business strategy is to offer solutions to meet the needs of the software development community,” said John Waldron, president of Honeywell Scanning & Mobility. “To provide our customers with the best range of tools for success, we signed a license agreement with Microsoft that will allow Honeywell to offer the Android-based Dolphin 7800 to our network of partners around the world.”
To support the software community, Honeywell launched a Developer Program for Android OS compatible devices, giving independent software vendors (ISVs) and end-users a say in the development of Honeywell products that will use the Android OS. Program participants had the opportunity to develop and test Android-specific applications on Honeywell's newest mobile device, prior to launch.
“We see demand for enterprise level, integrated GPS software solutions, like our CoPilot Live Professional, based on the Android platform. The Dolphin 7800 puts Honeywell in a strong position to capitalize on Android deployments within the enterprise,” said Dan Popkin, vice president of business development of enterprise solutions at ALK Technologies.
The Dolphin 7800 includes Honeywell’s MasterMind 3.0 device management software, allowing businesses to remotely secure a lost device. The software can also enroll and configure devices, track company assets and enforce strong password protection.
“Many of our customers want to enjoy using their work devices as much as their personal mobile phones and tablets,” said Taylor Smith, director of product management, Honeywell Scanning & Mobility. “With the Android-based Dolphin 7800 we are able to offer that same user experience with the enterprise security that our customers expect from Honeywell.”
Honeywell will continue to offer and support the Dolphin 7800 with the Microsoft Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5 OS, and provide two options for end-users to support either Microsoft or Android deployments.
