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The MC9500 (right) was touted as enabling enterprises "to deploy a single pool of mobile computers that will provide the best coverage for users in different geographies." By this, Motorola referred to the fact that the device is not only available with either GSM (HSDPA) or CDMA (EVDO) voice/data connectivity, but also allows customers to swap out its cellular modules in the field. The MC9598 version comes with CDMA connectivity and is a certified part of the "Verizon Wireless Open Development" program, according to the companies.
The MC9598's keypad is also said to be customer-swappable, and is available in five different versions. Available designs are described as "modular," "alpha primary," "numeric telephony," "numeric calculator," and "alphanumeric."
Meanwhile, Motorola says the MC9598 comes with "MAX battery" technology, providing users and managers with an on-battery readout of charge level and battery health. The 4800mAh battery is said to provide at least eight hours of operation, and can be recharged via the same cradles as many other Motorola handhelds, adds the company.
For data capture and scanning, the MC9598 may be equipped with a 1D laser scanner, a 2D imager with 752 x 480 pixel resolution, or either of those two options along with a three megapixel autofocus camera, the company says.
In addition to GSM or CDMA, other wireless capabilities of this handheld include 802.11a/b/g wireless networking, Bluetooth 2.1, an IrDA infrared port, and a GPS receiver using the SiRF starIII chipset. The MC9598 is ready to make VoIP calls, gaining PBX functionality when used with Motorola's TEAM servers, the company adds.
The MC9598 includes a 3.7-inch VGA (640 x 480 display), capable of operating in portrait or landscape modes. Motorola says the handheld's three-axis accelerometer, which it dubs Interactive Sensor Technology (IST), is used not only to switch display orientation, but also to invoke sleep mode when the system is not in use. IST also "can increase worker accountability by detecting and logging device drops," the company says.
Speaking of device drops, the MC9598 is said to survive multiple six-foot drops or 2,000 3.2-foot tumbles. Operable at up to 12,000 feet, the device also has an IP67 ingress protection rating, which reportedly means it is protected against dust and can also survive 30-minute immersion in 3.3 feet of water.
Features and specifications listed by Motorola for the MC9598 include the following:
Girish Rishi, vice president and general manager of Motorola's Enterprise Mobility Solutions division, stated, "Motorola is committed to providing its diverse customer base with the solutions they need to stay connected inside and outside the enterprise. Certification on the Verizon Wireless network provides our enterprise customers with access to reliable voice and data to help increase mobile workforce productivity and streamline operations."
At a launch event last year for the MC9500 in New York, Motorola vice president Jerry McNerney reportedly said that whatever the company might or might not do with Windows Mobile for its future smartphones, it plans to keep using Windows Mobile for its rugged handhelds. The operating system has a rich developer community, especially for applications used by enterprise and industrial customers, and "we're committed [to] Microsoft going forward," McNerney was quoted as saying by Computerworld.
Further information
Motorola and Verizon did not release pricing or availability information for the MC9598, but the device appears to be available now. More information may be found on the company's website, here.
For the Computerworld story alluded to above, go here.
