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OpalTec and StayLinked Collaborate to Facilitate Smooth 5G Network Transition
StayLinked and OpalTec Partnership Ensures Supply Chain Industry’s Seamless Transition to 5G by Eliminating Connectivity Issues As 5G adoption grows, StayLinked’s enterprise-grade terminal emulation (TE) software, SmartTE , in partnership with OpalTec, is ensuring that supply chain organizations and warehouse operations can fully maximize the technology advancements 5G delivers. As mobile devices move from one network to another, SmartTE enables these organizations to seamlessly overcome potential 5G and private-5G network connectivity issues. “Even under today’s WLAN conditions, connection issues and dropped sessions, occur at an alarming rate. This results in a warehouse worker’s workflow being disrupted and often, completely lost,” explained Justin Griffith, StayLinked’s chief technology officer. “With the introduction of 5G and private-5G networks, connectivity issues are likely to increase leading to a further reduction in worker productivity and operational efficiency in warehouses. This not only wastes expensive IT resources as they try to resolve connection issues, but also worsens the worker experience.” StayLinked and OpalTec Partnership Uniquely Addresses 5G Connectivity Issues in Warehouses. Unlike other terminal emulation software, StayLinked’s SmartTE uses a resident server to securely connect workers to the warehouse management system (WMS). This ensures session persistence and seamless connectivity, enhancing operational efficiency. “With sessions residing on the StayLinked server and not on the worker’s mobile device, connectivity to the WMS remains uninterrupted even if connectivity issues arise, preventing dropped sessions,” continued Griffith. “A simple reconnect takes the worker back to exactly where they were in the workflow, with no data loss and no need to involve anyone from IT.” 5G connectivity issues are likely to be particularly prevalent for warehouse operations spread out over several buildings or where goods are stored outside, such as ports, timber yards, and railway yards. “Having wasted a lot of time and effort trying to solve our connectivity issues with traditional TE software the issues remained unsolved,” said Rob McGregor, service desk IT manager for one of the UK’s major port groups, PD Ports . “StayLinked’s SmartTE worked immediately and all of our connectivity problems went away!” The rise of 5G and private-5G networks could significantly increase connectivity issues, posing a huge challenge for supply chain organizations and warehouse operators. If these challenges are not addressed, they could prevent companies from benefiting from the giant leap forward in wireless communications that 5G offers. Few words from our business development manager James Mellor about SmartTE “SmartTE’s session persistence eliminates data loss and lost productivity by its elegant handling of mobile device roaming and connectivity between different networks,” said James Mellor, business development manager for StayLinked partner, OpalTec International Ltd. “It is a challenge which some supply chain organizations and warehouse operators do not understand can be easily solved by StayLinked and its enterprise-grade SmartTE software, which will enable them to take full advantage of 5G.”
End of support for Windows CE & Windows Mobile Operating Systems...
Is this Doomsday or a New Dawn for the Warehouse? You may have read that Microsoft is in the end of life phase on its Windows Operating Systems for mobile devices: Windows CE & Windows Mobile. Some versions, such as Windows CE 6.0 and Windows Mobile 6.5, are already end of support and others like Windows CE 7.0 will go end of support in the next 12 months. Most rugged mobile devices used in Warehousing and Manufacturing applications use Windows Operating Systems, so will be affected. This isn’t a doomsday scenario, but there will be security implications if you continue to use unsupported Windows Operating Systems based devices beyond the support date, so now is the time to be planning to move to new technology. New technology can ease operational challenges, so by embracing Android devices in the warehouse you can transform your business operations. Familiarity – Android delivers the user-friendly interface that your users expect from their smart devices, which improves productivity and reduces training time. Productivity – Faster devices, better WiFi performance, better displays, better battery performance, capture all 1D and 2D barcodes; these features all enable your workforce to increase their productivity. Capability – Connect to your WMS or ERP system using Terminal Emulation or Web clients without additional development. Modernize your applications to make them touchscreen friendly and intuitive. Add off the shelf Apps or develop new Apps to digitize other business processes. Add voice, messaging and email communications. Innovation – Enhance your existing warehouse processes by optimising them at the point of execution. New technologies such as voice control, head mounted displays, RFID and real time locationing allow you to change workflows to meet the needs of the on demand economy. OpalTec can help you implement a strategy to migrate to new technology, including selecting the right devices, migrating your applications to Android, testing and piloting, planning the upgrade, putting the right levels of support in place for the new devices, and once this is all complete, we can buy back your existing Windows devices. Whilst your planning your upgrade, OpalTec can continue to support your legacy Windows devices. Remove the fear of End of Support, and embrace the New Dawn of Android with Zebra and OpalTec. Contact us today to discuss an Android migration strategy tailored to your business needs. Zebra MC9300 The ultimate ultra-rugged Zebra MC9300 — the next evolution of the world’s best-selling and most trusted Android enterprise mobile computer. When your business deserves the best, the MC9300 delivers, providing the ultimate Android platform, the ultimate in application support, the ultimate ultra-rugged design and the ultimate accessory system. And since you can run your existing TE apps right out of the box, migrating to Android couldn’t be easier. Contact us today to find out more about the Zebra MC9300 series terminal Zebra Wearable Solutions Zebra’s robust wearable solutions are purpose-built for the enterprise. From Android wearable mobile computers to ring scanners that deliver unrivalled scan performance, these solutions give your front-line workforce the performance edge they need. By combining the hands-free mobility of our wearable technology with one-of-a-kind features like tap to pair capabilities, Zebra’s wearable solutions enable the operational flexibility needed to replace complexity with productivity. Contact us today to find out more about Zebra Wearable Solutions