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2010 Census kicks off with Windows Mobile
2009-07-06 Article Rating:  / 0
The first stage of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way, thanks to approximately 140,000 workers who've gone into the field wielding HTC-manufactured Windows Mobile devices (left). The operation was highlighted last week by Sprint, which announced its selection as the Census' exclusive wireless data...
provider. (Click here for a larger view of the "HTC Census") The Census is a count of everyone living in the United States, required by the U.S. Constitution to be performed every ten years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 Census will be the country's first to employ handheld computers -- specifically, devices manufactured by HTC for systems integrator Harris Corporation. For past Censuses, data was collected manually by thousands of field workers through paper address lists, printed maps and complex work assignments. As Sprint noted in its release, the process was time-consuming, expensive and often hampered by delays. To reduce operational costs and increase both efficiency and accuracy, therefore, the U.S. Census Bureau decided to use an automated system to directly capture data for the address canvassing portion of the 2010 Census. The address canvassing effort, which started in April, involves approximately 140,000 workers, who will visit most U.S. neighborhoods in order to determine which addresses are residential. This stage of the Census is designed to help ensure that everyone living in the U.S. eventually receives a 2010 Census questionnaire -- completion of which is required by law, the Bureau notes.  The "HTC Census," shown in use by a Census worker (Click to enlarge) The effort now relies on an Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA) database created by Harris, along with the GPS capabilities of Windows Mobile handhelds built for the company by HTC. Instead of relying on paper address lists and printed maps, each worker is toting a device which -- assuming the specifications for the "HTC Census" uncovered two years ago in the FCC database by PhoneArena.com are still accurate -- includes a fingerprint sensor, a SiRF starIII GPS receiver, a CDMA/EV-DO modem compatible with the Sprint network, a 416MHz Marvell processor, a 3.5-inch touchscreen display, and an SD expansion slot. It's claimed the HTC Census devices don't include telephony, but do include a phone jack for connecting them to a landline if need be. Harris claims the FDCA system, which apparently transmits updated information on addresses and street features in "near real time," will ultimately save taxpayers more than $1 billion. Multiple and overlapping security features include fingerprint authentication, password authentication, role-based access, automatic data encryption during storage and transmission, firewalls, and virus protection, the company adds. Billing itself as offering "America's most dependable 3G network," Sprint said it will not only provide connectivity for the HTC Census devices, but also contribute the following other services:
Randy Siegel, Microsoft Federal Telecommunications and Mobility Strategist, said, "The choice of Windows Mobile for the enumerators was a unanimous decision by the Census Bureau and each of the three different solution integrator teams competing for this business. Windows Mobile is the perfect complement to the back-end Microsoft server and desktop infrastructure that were also a large part of this initiative." Features and specifications listed for the HTC Census by PhoneArena.com include the following:
More information on the "HTC Census" reportedly gleaned from the FCC database may be found on the PhoneArena.com website, here. More information on the 2010 Census in the U.S. may be found on the Census Bureau website, here. Related stories:
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