Panasonic, on Wednesday announced the launch of  its fully-rugged, 5 inch handheld tablet Toughpad FZ-E1/X1 and its semi-rugged Toughbook CF-54.The new Panasonic handheld tablet Toughpad FZ-E1, powered by Windows Embedded 8.1 Handheld and the Toughpad FZ-X1, running on Android 4.2.2 operating system are enterprise-class devices priced at Rs.119,000 and Rs.109,000 respectively. These devices are purpose-built to improve efficiency and productivity for professionals working in the field of defense, public safety, logistics, utilities, manufacturing, retail and field services. Created for usage in the automotive diagnostic industry and field work, mainly for indoor maintenance, the new semi-rugged Toughbook CF-54 priced at Rs. 139,000 is the thinnest and lightest semi-rugged PC in its category.

The Toughpad FZ-E1 and FZ-X1 represent a significant expansion of Panasonic’s Toughpad line, the company’s most comprehensive portfolio of enterprise-focused tablets. These tablets are also built for easy integration into existing IT infrastructures and for smooth deployments and ongoing support.

“With mobility increasingly becoming a crucial factor in determining business success today, the launch of these products is a strategic step towards enhancing our focus on the mobility segment. We are among the few device manufacturers to offer complete customization for our rugged-devices, with everything in-house. With the new devices complementing our existing business, we will be able to significantly improve our presence in the segment, driven by factors such as improving mobility infrastructure and ecosystem, combined with business and workforce demand,” said Hide Harada, Managing Officer in charge of Mobile Business Division, Director of IT Products Business Division (ITPBD), AVC Networks Company, Panasonic Corporation.

“With the industry moving towards unification of enterprise and carrier networks, we are offering all-inclusive solutions to different market segments. The new products build on the legacy of nearly two decades of rugged devices from Panasonic to accomplish the mission of professionals in the most demanding work environments. With this launch, we are looking at increasing our presence in the Rugged IT devices segment from an existing 60% to almost65%,” said Toru Hasegawa, Divisional Managing Director, Solutions Division, Panasonic India.

“The launch of these products will certainly enhance our portfolio catering to the enterprise segment.  With the broadest range of configuration options available in their class, industry-leading reliability and enterprise-grade feature sets, the Toughpad FZ-E1 and Toughpad FZ-X1 are ideal tools for a host of usage scenarios in the industry,” said Gunjan Sachdev, National Business Head - Toughbook, Panasonic India.

With the varied range of Toughpad that we have been offering, Panasonic India has been successful in creating its own niche in the world of rugged-devices technology targeting different businesses across verticals.