By Doug Allen

The recently revamped Enterprise Mobility Solutions (EMS) division of Motorola has just released a major addition to its mobile computing line with the new ES400 Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA).  A mobile tool for field workers in the form of a ruggedized, compact device, the ES400 is specifically targeted at mobile enterprise managers and workers who want to securely access business-critical voice, data or business apps on the move. Motorola is targeting the SMB market, as well as key verticals such as field service, field sales, retail, health care, utilities, manufacturing and transportation/distribution, using the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 platform to collect, store and send data as well as access back-end systems and applications.

The ES400 is notable for its broad feature set, but even more eye-catching is its go-to-market strategy, which pairs Motorola with both Sprint for high-capacity connectivity, and Microsoft, which has been stepping up its own mobile platform OS development; its Mobile 6.5 OS is standards-based, allowing IT staff or customers to develop, port and run third-party apps while maintaining enterprise-class security requirements, including a built-in biometric fingerprint reader.

Of course, the ES400s app-centric functionality demands a Tier 1 national wireless provider that can support 3G and 4G capacity. Motorola is shifting its business strategy somewhat for the ES400, which is now the first of the companys mobile computers to take on a carrier brand, in this case, Sprint. In addition to bearing the carriers logo, Sprint will also stock and sell the unit directly to enterprises through its Sprint Direct and Business Solutions Partners channels to expand the potential customer base. The ES400 EDA will be available later this year to customers through the Motorola EMS sales team, Sprint and members of the PartnerEmpower channel program, for a list price of $750.

This device was built with the business user in mind; with its compact size and advanced applications leveraging the Sprint 3G network, Motorolas ES400 is a breakthrough enterprise-class device that can meet the needs of business users who are constantly seeking way to boost individual and team productivity, said Danny Bowman, president of the Integrated Solutions Group at Sprint.

Physically, the unit incorporates a large, bright, three-inch video graphics array screen at 750 NITs, with an integrated keyboard, as well as a stylus and touch-screen input.

The target ES400 customer is a task manager who must coordinate a variety of management responsibilities both in the office and out. To deliver the kind of fast access to data and applications these workers require, the ES400 includes a custom and customizable interface that provides one-touch access to applications, a single-touch barcode scanner, a camera application, simplified call management screen with dial-pad, and easily accessed device-management tabs to adjust settings. More importantly, the device supports a wide range of wireless protocols, including (user-selectable) 3.5G WAN, GSM HSPA and CDMA EVDO RevA.  802.11 a/b/g WLAN for data is also supported, and a push-to-talk over VoIP feature is planned for next year.

Motorola recognizes that mobile teams are the lifeblood of an organization, and empowering these teams with unmatched features and functionality to eliminate road blocks in the field is critical to an organization, said Gene Delaney, president of Motorola Enterprise Mobility Solutions. The new ES400 EDA combines the best features of mobility, communications and task functionality without compromising performance or design offering mobile workforces the ability to take action and capture information with a single click-in front of the customer where it counts most.