September 2002

"Streaming video" will become available on Intermec mobile computers following a deal in which New York-based Wireless Edge Networks becomes a premier solutions partner to the company.

On the face of it, this development by an industrial and commercial computer mobile supplier is unexpected, since video applications have so far generally been seen in an entertainment context. However, Intermec says it sees opportunities for the technology in such applications as inventory and fleet management, as well as in security and defence. It cites the example of a security guard accessing closed-circuit television pictures on a handheld terminal while out of the office on patrol.

Initial applications are likely to support recent hardware such as Intermec's GPRS-enabled 700 Series Pocket PC model, which has now gained essential approval from the Federal Communications Commission and its Canadian equivalent.