Motion Computing Debuts Rugged Tablet For Healthcare

Health IT Boosts Patient Care, Safety

Motion Computing is extending its offering of tablet PCs for healthcare with a new rugged, ultra-light “reader” model.

The new CL900 is suited for clinicians such as respiratory therapists in acute care settings and home health care workers out in the field who often “need a reader more than a full function tablet,” to view patient charts and images. It offers an alternative to devices designed for heavy data entry or to access multiple enterprise applications at the same time, said Mike Stinson, VP of marketing at Motion.

Priced at about $1,000 and weighing about 2 lbs., the CL900 is a thin client tablet running Windows 7 and is powered by Intel’s Atom processor. Options for healthcare use include two cameras that can be used for video conferencing and documentation of care, such as wound care, said Stinson.

The CL900 supports Wi-Fi and cell connectivity, has an IP-52 rated exterior to protect against moisture and dust, and can be cleaned with disinfectant, said Stinson.

The tablet, which is being introduced at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show this week, will begin shipping in the second quarter of 2011. The tablet will also have a variety of optional peripheral modules, including integrated bar code reader that can be used with drug safety applications, he said.

The new CL900 joins other tablets PCs offered by Motion for the healthcare sector, including the C5, which is the company’s “workhorse” tablet model for hospital workers requiring access to multiple enterprise applications and more intense data entry capabilities.

The CL900 features an on-board keyboard for finger-touch or stylus typing, he said.

In addition to the healthcare sector, Motion is also aiming the CL900 to vertical markets such as retail, fast food, field service and construction, he said.

While other tablet devices, including the iPad have been making inroads into healthcare, Motion views the CL900 “more suitable for healthcare organizations,” in part because of its ruggedness, ability to be cleansed, and its Windows-based operating system, Stinson said.

“iPad is more of a personal device,” for physicians and other clinicians, he said.