Motorola Demonstrates Wireless is its Forté

Communication Pioneer Introduces FORTÉ Wireless CommPad

Selling a new paradigm is a tough business. And it’s twice as difficult when not only the technology is new, but also the initial list of potential customers. In the high technology business, many companies with otherwise fine products have discovered that the sales and adoption cycle is longer than planned, partly a result of the new product itself, but also due in large part to the time it takes the customer to reach a level of comfort with the new supplier.

Understanding this, it comes as little surprise that some of the best performers in the early pen computing industry were the companies that had already accumulated years or decades of experience in some of the core markets where pen computing was supposed to offer the highest returns. These fields include inventory automation, data collection management, mobile productivity, and others.

The companies, which include industry veterans such as Norand, Telxon, and Symbol Technologies, had already been hard at work offering industrial-strength solutions before the pen became the point. To these companies and their customers, pen computing is simply another piece of the automation puzzle—not the be-all, end-all that others in the industry are forced to claim. Working with their customers, they are able to seed the technology in places where it has a natural fit.

The Wireless Market Leader

When it comes to wireless communication, you can easily add Motorola to this list of tried and tested vendors. In fact, Motorola has established itself time and time again as a pioneer in radio-based automation. The company began conducting research in the field of wireless data communication as early as the 1960’s and, by 1971 and 1972, had early versions of wireless data applications available for police and other fleet communication users.

Featuring 50 baud, one-way communication capabilities, the early systems seem rather primitive. However, the company and the industry as a whole got a pleasant shot in the arm with the passage of the Law Enforcement Assistance Act (LEAA) in the mid-1970’s. With this, the US Federal government mandated its support of local law enforcement efforts, partly through the use of high technology. By the mid 1980’s, mobile terminals had graduated from slow and clunky dot matrix devices to more flexible cathode ray tube (CRT) based systems.

Today, Motorola features the Radio Data Link Access Protocol (RD-LAP) capable of transferring up to 9.6 Kbps on narrowband channels, and up to 19.2 Kbps using wider bands. And most recently, Motorola’s Land Mobile Products Sector introduced a new pen-based product to better exploit this communication capability. Dubbed the FORTÉ Wireless CommPad, the handheld computer is designed to operate using Motorola’s private two-way wireless networks.

Introducing the FORTÉ

FORTÉ uses a low-power, mid-range Intel 486 SX processor running at 25 MHz to power its Microsoft Windows for Pen Computing applications (using Windows 3.1 as its base). The FORTÉ features a 7.4-inch monochrome screen which is a reasonable compromise for running Windows applications while keeping the overall size of the unit down. Designed for a range of harsh environments, the FORTÉ CommPad meets the MIL STD 810 C requirements for dust and rain, along with the intrinsically safe standards FM Division 2, Class 1, Groups C & D. Intrinsically safe compliance is essential for particularly hazardous environments where, for example, the spark generated by a battery contact is enough to initiate a fire or explosion.

Mobile Design

As you’d expect, the FORTÉ CommPad is designed with Motorola’s existing market in mind, including public safety and utilities, among others. With this in mind, the FORTÉ offers an optional vehicle docking station that simultaneously charges the device’s battery along with a spare battery. In addition, the FORTÉ automatically switches to using the vehicle’s external mounted antenna in place of its internal one when locked into the docking station.

In terms of communication, the FORTÉ features an integrated radio modem that works with Motorola’s dedicated wireless data networks using the MDC 4800, RD-LAP 9.6 and 19.2 protocols in the 800 MHz frequency band. Motorola states that it has plans to support these protocols in other radio frequency bands, along with adding support for existing commercial wireless services such as ARDIS, RAM Mobile Data, and the Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) networks.

Summary

Motorola seems well positioned to leverage its massive existing user base with the FORTÉ CommPad. Unlike its other pen-based wireless offerings, the Magic Cap-based Envoy and the Newton-based Marco, the FORTÉ more closely resembles Motorola’s existing keyboard-based terminals. The FORTÉ is an industrial strength device designed to serve a market that expects no less. ❑

Motorola FORTÉ CommPad

• CPU: Intel SL Enhanced 486SX, 25 MHz, 3.3-volt
• Dimensions: 9.75″ x 7.91″ x 2.0″ (24.7 x 18.2 x 5.1 cm)
• Weight: 4.17 lbs. (1.89 kg)
• Screen: Transflective monochrome VGA, 7.4-inch diagonal, 640 x 480, 64 levels of grey
• Digitizer: Electromagnetic, 800 dpi
• Memory: 8 MB RAM
• Storage: 8 MB Flash on Motherboard (Drive C:)
• PCMCIA: Two PCMCIA slots, accepts two Type I/II PCMCIA cards, or one Type III PCMCIA card
• Ports: serial and keyboard ports
• Sound: Built-in microphone and voice-communication quality speaker
• Battery: Nickel Metal Hydride
• Wireless: Radio communication in the 800 MHz band using the MDC 4800, RD-LAP 9.6, and RD-LAP 19.2 protocols
• Software: Windows 3.1 and Windows for Pen Computing

Motorola
1301 E. Algonquin Road
Schaumburg, IL 60196
(800) 247-2346
(708) 576-2346 (outside the US)