Users of warehousing services may be intrigued to read of supply chain businesses’ increasing interest in Android-based technology as legacy mobile operating systems continue to be replaced.
Warehouse mobile OS systems being re-evaluated
IT management software specialist Ivanti recently commissioned a poll of more than 100 high-ranking warehouse professionals, and found an ever-greater tendency among decision makers to re-evaluate and upgrade the mobile OS systems used in their warehouses.
The survey found that growing numbers of such qualified decision makers across North America and Europe were either considering or had definite plans to migrate from legacy Windows devices to the running of alternative operating systems.
In a market seeing an ever-expanding range of rugged mobile computers from which to choose, it seems that Android is being given particularly thorough consideration by many.
Customers demanding ever-faster orders
Ivanti’s vice president of mobile productivity, Steve Bemis, observed:
“The demands on warehouse operators to increase productivity while tightening costs are ever increasing, and more companies are looking to do this by refreshing their supply chain mobility deployments. And because current mobile operating systems will be out of service soon, making the change while minimising disruption becomes essential.”
The Ivanti research also discovered that the leading pressure driving investment in mobile solutions was customer demand for faster orders (55.7%). This was followed by systems proving incapable of keeping up with such orders (42.1%) and the high cost of labour (37.5%).
Meanwhile, the primary factor driving respondents’ decisions to upgrade mobile devices was because mobile OS systems on an existing device were nearing end of life (EOL), as cited by 34.8%.
With regard to the migration of legacy Windows devices, almost 40% of respondents indicated they were evaluating or planning to move to an alternative mobile OS for their next-generation mobile computing solution. Android devices already accounted for 36.9% of rugged device shipments as of 2016, compared to 24% the previous year, and that number is expected to continue to rise.
As for the selection criteria when the time came to choose a new mobile OS, 55.1% of those polled cited security as their top concern, ahead of the ability to customise (34.8%) and a modern user interface (30.3%).
Could Android represent the future of mobile warehouse technology?
That certainly seems to be a likely prospect if the findings of such research as that conducted by Ivanti is anything to judge.
This is not the only survey in recent times to signal an emerging new approach to mobile pathways, and our warehousing services experts here at Bis Henderson Space expect Android to play an ever-more central role in many companies’ considerations.
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