By KRISTA GIFFORD
Published: September 28, 2007
PICTURE YOURSELF as a car dealer at an automobile auction. A vehicle comes up on the block and bidding begins. You're tempted to buy, but how much should you be willing to spend in order to resell the car at a profit? There’s no time to flip through reference books, or wait for an inefficient device to process the data. In situations like this, a deal can be lost in a matter of seconds.
Now shipping in North America and Europe, the new SoMo 650 handheld computer is being actively deployed at auto auctions, hospital wards, and other mobile business environments where quick, easy access to information is vital for efficient operations. Equipped with a robust 624 MHz processor, the SoMo 650 can respond to information requests on demand. This makes it ideal for running mission-critical applications in the automotive, healthcare, retail and hospitality industries where where fast response time is essential. The SoMo 650 is also flexible enough to be customized specifically for your working conditions, making it suitable for virtually any mobile business requirements.
To date, Socket Mobile has delivered more than 2,500 units of the SoMo 650 handheld computer since first shipping it in July, and more orders are coming in daily.
Packed with high-end features, the SoMo 650 has generated positive press in a variety of publications, including positive reviews in Rugged PC Review and Small Business Computing and articles in Mobile Radio Technology, CRN, and Vertical Systems Reseller. Microsoft has also highlighted the SoMo 650 in both its Windows Mobile website and the latest issue of its Windows Mobile e-newsletter, published earlier this week.
Socket Mobile has long been known as a supplier of peripherals to the mobile computing market space, and now, with the SoMo 650, we’re establishing ourselves as a full systems company.
Thus, as we advance with our handheld computing product line, we will also continue to expand and improve our broad range of peripheral products, in order to provide complete, best-in-class mobile hardware solutions. We recently added the CompactFlash Scan Card 5X, a 2D (two dimensional) image-based scanner, to the Series 5 family of plug-in bar code scanners, and we plan to add 2D scanning versions to our Cordless Hand Scanner Series 7 and Cordless Ring Scanner Series 9 product lines in the near future. Socket Mobile engineers are busy working to upgrade our proprietary software, including our SocketScan™ data collection software and Wi-Fi® offerings. Designs for new peripheral products are in the pipeline, and we’re also gearing up to add Windows Vista support to our products.
In July, Socket Mobile implemented the Vertical Industry Partner (VIP) program, which supports our channel partners and better enables them to fully capitalize on the business mobility market opportunity. The program is designed to focus on vertical market penetration, align partners with the right resources to match their business needs, and provide increased incentives, tools and support. A tiered approach enables members to increase their revenue potential over time.
With the addition of the SoMo 650 to our product line, Socket Mobile wanted to provide a higher level of support for our customers and partners. With this is mind, we launched our new SocketCare™ enhanced service program, which features fast product replacement and repair as well as multiple coverage and support options.
For example, if you purchased a number of SoMo 650 devices, and one of them began to malfunction, under the SocketCare Premium plan, you would have same-day technical support response and access to both an exclusive toll-free phone line and web-based support where you could interact directly with a qualified member of our support team. If it was determined that the unit was faulty, there would be a fast two-business-day turnaround for your unit to be repaired or replaced.
The SocketCare Service Program currently covers the SoMo 650 handheld computer, the Cordless Hand Scanner Series 7 and the Cordless Ring Scanner Series 9, and can be purchased from an authorized SocketCare reseller on our website.
Both the VIP and SocketCare Programs are designed specifically to enable our channel partners to tap the business mobility market opportunity by servicing the gap that exists between consumer PDAs and ruggedized industrial-grade mobile devices.
At Socket Mobile, we’re fully committed to our channel, and we recognize that the vertical industry expertise of our partners is key to meeting the business mobility needs of our customers. The SoMo 650 heralds a new direction for the company as we become systems focused, and we want to make sure that our partners are prepared to reap the full benefits from this market opportunity. Strengthening our channel and service programs, formalizing the structure and introducing new benefits and incentives, is an essential part of our strategy.