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23-MAR-2004, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tripod Data Systems Supplies Recon Handhelds to Denver Fire Department
Purchase of rugged TDS Recons will increase paperless productivity and efficiency
Contacts:
Amy Urban
Tripod Data Systems
541-753-9322
amyu@tdsway.com
Julia Oliver
Sanda Communications
503-445-2400
jo@sandacom.com
Corvallis, Ore.—March 23, 2004—Tripod Data Systems (TDS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB), announced today the sale of 70 rugged TDS ReconTM handheld computers to the Denver Fire Department. The department will use the Recons to streamline its fire safety inspection process, leading to significant savings in time, effort and money. The announcement was made at FOSE 2004, the largest information technology exposition serving the government marketplace.
The Recon, which runs Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs, will help the department eliminate several time-consuming steps in the inspection process.
Currently inspectors must generate hard-copy inspection report forms, hand-write inspection data on the forms in the field, and then pass the forms to a data-entry worker, who enters the information into a central computer.
Using the Recon, the inspectors will be able to download their schedules, enter inspection data directly to the handheld in the field, and transfer it directly to the central computer at the end of the day. The new process will eliminate multiple steps, save paper and prevent costly data-entry errors.
"We plan to use the Recon for 5,000 inspections this year, and 20,000 inspections per year thereafter," said Mike Stutz, information technology manager for the Denver Fire Department. "We expect that will save us the equivalent of 4,000 data-entry hours each year-a significant savings in this era of tight budgets."
"The Recon is a versatile tool for use in rugged field work, and Windows Mobile increases that versatility by facilitating customized applications," said Bill Martin, TDS president. "The Denver Fire Department provides another example of Recon users capitalizing on its ruggedness and versatility in their own applications."
The Recon is designed for all-day operation in extreme outdoor and industrial environments. It meets MIL-STD-810F military standards for drops, vibration and temperature extremes. It also has an IP67 rating, meaning it's impervious to water and dust.
The Recon's rugged construction makes it ideal for land surveying, mapping, forestry, utilities, law enforcement, military and other outdoor applications. It weighs just 17 ounces, and its rounded edges provide a comfortable grip. Large, widely spaced buttons are easy to use, and its reflective color TFT display is bright and clear in sunlight.
The Recon comes with a 200- or 400-MHz Intel XScale processor, 64 MB of SDRAM and up to 128 MB of internal nonvolatile Flash storage. It also features two CompactFlash slots, plus a standard 9-pin serial port and a high-speed USB port for connecting to a PC. The standard PowerBoot ModuleTM features a 15-hour rechargeable NiMH battery.
Tripod Data Systems (TDS) designs and manufactures hardware and software for mobile computing applications. TDS handheld computers are designed for extreme outdoor and industrial environments in the land surveying, mapping, forestry, utility, public safety, military and other outdoor markets. The rugged TDS Ranger was the first handheld computer based on the Windows CE operating system to meet military specifications for drop, vibration, immersion and both high and low temperature operation.
TDS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Trimble. The company is headquartered in Corvallis, Ore., and was founded in 1987. For more information about TDS, visit www.tdsway.com/handhelds, e-mail handhelds@tdsway.com or call 541-752-9000.
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Tripod Data Systems, Recon, Ranger and PowerBoot Module are trademarks of Tripod Data Systems. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
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