Technology Reseller - v24

01732 759725 30 COMPUTING develop their own options and solutions. In a separate development, Panasonic TOUGHBOOK has become the first rugged mobile computing provider to join the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider programme, enabling it to offer customers quicker and easier deployment and management using the Windows Autopilot cloud-based configuration and deployment service. Jon Tucker, General Manager for Solutions and Engineering at Panasonic Mobile Solutions Business Division Europe, said: “This new deployment option is an immediate benefit for customers with users in disparate locations or with hundreds of devices to configure. It removes the need for IT teams to image each device and automates the deployment and management process – lowering effort and costs.” When customers order Panasonic TOUGHBOOK notebooks or tablets with Windows 10 Pro they can choose to manage the configuration and deployment using Windows Autopilot. Panasonic pre-registers the device in the cloud and uploads configuration settings for each device. When the user receives their device and switches it on, they simply need to enter their credentials and the device will be configured automatically over the cloud. www.toughbook.eu automotive, field service and Government sectors (e.g. MOD, emergency services), this capability allows organisations to adapt their devices to meet changing requirements day-to-day and throughout their lifecycle. Should the IT department introduce new more resource-intensive software, for example, a new graphics card could be fitted; or if a new hardware security authentication process was introduced, all you would have to do is upgrade existing 55s with the required authentication device (smartcard, RFID or fingerprint reader), rather than having to replace an entire device. Other options include a DVD or Blu-ray drive, extra storage or a second, hot-swappable battery for 40 hours of operation. As well as future-proofing devices so that organisations can use them for as long as 4, 5 or 6 years, the ability to upgrade individual components reduces TCO and delivers a lower carbon footprint. For security-conscious businesses, removable and replaceable SSDs mean that sensitive data doesn’t need to go off-site when a computer needs to be repaired – just remove the SSD and keep it somewhere safe. Panasonic says that the universal bay could even be used by IT partners to Replacing the popular TOUGHBOOK CF 54, the TOUGHBOOK 55 Windows 10 Pro computer delivers a significant increase in performance (e.g. a 32% increase in system performance); enhanced durability, with an increased IP protection rating; a doubling of the battery life to 20 hours (or 40 hours with the optional second battery); enhanced security; and many other new or improved features (see website for details). What really sets the 55 apart are its three configuration areas that enable businesses to extend the life of their machines by upgrading, replacing or adding exchangeable components – easily done thanks to simple release mechanisms. Introduced following feedback from B2B customers in the transportation, oil & gas, Announced at the launch of Microsoft’s new Surface computers (see below), the Surface Neo and Surface Duo are due to be launched in time for 2020’s Holiday season. The smaller, more mobile form factors are designed to replace the handful of electronic devices – notebooks, tablets, smartphones – that mobile workers typically carry to perform the specific tasks for which each is best suited. Microsoft believes that having a single device with two screens will aid productivity and concentration by removing the need for multi-tasking workers to switch between apps on a single screen or between different devices. As the launch press release states: ‘Imagine being able to take a Microsoft Teams call on one screen and look something up on the web or view a document on another. Switching seamlessly between tasks, without having to switch between devices.’ Surface Neo features two 9 inch screens connected by a 360-degree hinge that, when fully opened, creates a full-size 13 inch display, while the pocket-sized Surface Duo has two 5.6-inch screens that unfold to 8.3 inches. The latter can also be used to make phone calls. In the meantime, Microsoft is bringing out four new Surface devices offering the benefits of a tablet and a laptop. These include the Surface Laptop 3, ‘the perfect everyday laptop’, now twice as fast, packed full of new features and available in two sizes (13.5 inches and 15 inches); the thin, light, versatile Surface Pro 7 2-in-1 device; and the ultra-mobile, always connected Surface Pro X, featuring removable SSDs. www.microsoft.com Panasonic is breaking new ground with its TOUGHBOOK 55 semi-rugged notebook Microsoft previews first dual-screen Surface devices More rugged, more flexible Doubling up EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 55 9