Scanners: Are you stuck in a rut?
As all integrators know, the more complexity we build into the customer experience, the less success and value we experience. Many times this will slow down or terminate the acquisition of a solution. Or worse, create cost overruns in our deployments.
There are many ways we incur complexity and cost:
The Cost of the Software
The Cost of Development
Writing a Scope of Work (SOW)
IT staff wanting to build their own solution
3rd Party consultants wanting to build their own solutions
3rd Party applications
Persistent Updates
BYOD
Training Issues
Communication Options (Carriers, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.)
Number of users to justify an ROI
Host Interfaces
Software Changes
Technology Shifts
New Product Introductions
But in today’s connected world there is a different way. The Internet of Things (IoT) promises a day when sensors from any device can collect data and share it with applications that leverage that data to streamline processes and create a multiplication of value. IoT has arrived in the scanning world with PANMOBIL’s Internet of Scanning (IoS) solutions. Now integrators and end users can deploy a barcode scanning solution that is pre-configured and transmits commonly requested data formats directly to our connected resources and environment. This eliminates costly integration steps.
The scanners can transfer data to any host, application, cloud server, smartphone or tablet anytime and anywhere. With the end user in mind, it is easy to configure devices to improve their work and their experience. This could include such things as LEDs, buttons, interface options or data exchange formats. And to ensure optimum performance, receive your software updates automatically.
So are we describing a traditional scanner or a computer? Yes, but it has a version independent LINUX operating system with a full protocol stack controlling its core functionality. A free SDK to create your own solutions. And it scans ridiculously simply, powerfully and accurately.
Evaluate your current scanning approach against the 4 C’s of the new IoS world:
Configure:: Is your solution easy to set up and configure without involving expensive IT resources?
Collect:: Can you collect data from any type of scanning (1D, 2D) and any form of RFID (LF, HF, UHF)?
Compute:: Do you have the processing power of a computer in the palm of your hand and in your system integration toolbox?
Communicate:: Can you automatically send data locally via a CSV file? Can you send it via the internet to an FTP server? Can you send data via http to a website? Or even as an attachment via an email? And do it all via Bluetooth or direct via a USB connection, or even Wi-Fi and GPRS?
The North American market has already begun to move quickly to adapt this new approach to a mature market. They are leveraging the low cost of deployment and ownership, the IoS capabilities that did not exist anywhere a few months ago, and the ability to purchase, finance and administer the entire transaction through ScanSource, the exclusive distributor for PANMOBIL USA.
If you are a leader in selling and deploying scanning solutions, we can help you move to the next level of value selling. Test us, like ScanSource engineers did. Contact us, if you want to assess whether an IoS solution is right for your business.
