Zebra launches mobile computer lines for Android

Logistics technology provider Zebra Technologies Corp. has launched two new lines of mobile computers designed to run Google Inc.'s Android operating system (OS), the technology that many users are choosing to succeed Microsoft Windows in enterprise handhelds, the firm said Thursday.

Lincolnshire, Ill.-based Zebra announced the MC3300 handheld computer series and the VC80x vehicle-mount mobile computer, both intended to meet the demands of retail businesses from the front of the store to the distribution center or warehouse, the firm said.

The MC3300 mobile computer has data capture features that can scan both 1-D and 2-D barcodes at short or extended long range, and offers both a large touchscreen display and a physical keypad that combine to support efficiency in fast-paced backroom and warehouse environments, Zebra said.

The VC80x is the industry's first Android-based vehicle-mount computer, with rugged features that provide frost- and condensation-free operations intended to decrease device downtime and maintenance, according to Zebra.

Both designs come with Zebra's Mobility DNA software, a set of application development tools designed to help simplify the transition from legacy Windows-based mobile investments to Android platforms. Microsoft is planning to end its support for the versions of its OS used on handheld devices, ceasing the delivery of security patches and software updates for its Windows CE and Windows Mobile operating systems by 2021.

"Retailers require real-time visibility across all purchasing channels to ensure they have what the shopper wants, when and where they want it, or shoppers will buy somewhere else and may never come back," Jeff Schmitz, Zebra's chief marketing officer, said in a statement. "Zebra will showcase solutions that deliver visibility and actionable insights into retailers' customers and inventory, from the point of sale to the distribution center."