RUGGED TABLETS USED FOR SMART METER WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT
BRACKNELL, UK – 1ST OCTOBER 2013
EDF Energy today became the first utility company in the UK to buy Panasonic Toughpad tablets for its Smart Meter rollout programme. The 1,000 Toughpad FZ-G1 Windows 8 tablets will be used by field operatives to receive and send job information for smart meter installation work. The UK Government has said all 53 million meters in 30 million homes in England, Wales and Scotland should be replaced with smart meters by 2020.
Smart meters are the next generation of gas and electricity meters. The new meters take accurate readings of energy usage every day and, combined with a smart energy monitor, show how much energy is being used in pounds and pence. These readings are automatically sent to EDF Energy and consumers receive an accurate energy bill without having to submit meter readings. Smart meters will help consumers gain a better understanding of the energy they use every day, putting them in control of their energy consumption.
EDF Energy smart meter field operatives will be using the Panasonic Toughpad tablets to receive scheduling information during the day and to send installation information back to the office. The tablet includes a camera and barcode reader for capturing digital images or scanning of the smart meter system’s assets. The device will be equipped with ZigBee wireless technology which EDF Energy and Panasonic are jointly developing, based on Industry Standard specifications for secure connections to smart metering equipment.
Niels Roberts, Smart Metering Programme Director at EDF Energy said: “The Toughpad is the ideal device for our large scale smart metering roll-out because it is robust and resilient, yet light and easy to handle. The touch screen makes it easier for our field operatives to capture and input essential data, which will provide innovative options for engaging our customers and providing the best possible experience for them”.
Paul Davidson, Corporate Sales Manager - Utilities, Oil & Telecommunications at Panasonic Toughpad, added: The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 tablet was selected because it perfectly balances mobility with durability and provides a range of professional service options to meet the needs of operatives in the field. The Toughpad promises a range of benefits over existing PDA-style devices, including robustness of the product, a much bigger screen with easy to use multi touch and gesture based computing, all wrapped up in a long life battery device with the look and feel of a modern tablet device. We look forward to working with EDF Energy to jointly develop the Zigbee functionality”.
Launched in January 2013, the Toughpad FZ-G1 is Panasonic’s first fully rugged Windows 8 Pro tablet, which has been designed for mobile workers who spend much of their time working outside or in vehicles. The thin and lightweight device, weighing only 1.1kg, has been designed to take full advantage of the new functionality offered by the Windows 8 Pro operating system and offers two-way touch input with its capacitive 10-finger multi-touch screen and digitizer pen for tasks such as recording signatures.
The first fully rugged device to use the latest IPSα Panel technology, developed by Panasonic, the FZ-G1 provides new levels of viewing quality for tablet users working outside. The 10.1” Full HD (1920x1200) Resolution screen is purpose built to perform in any light conditions.
The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 has a MIL-STD-810G rating to cope with 120cm drops as well as an IP65 ingress protection rating for resistance to dust and water.
With built-in battery saving technology such as its ambient light sensor, the Toughpad FZ-G1 can operate for 8 hours on its standard 6-cell battery and with an optional 9-cell battery can run for 16 hours. Batteries can also be switched in the field to ensure the device is operational as long as the user requires it and offering businesses better total cost of ownership than traditional tablets.
The FZ-G1 comes with a high quality HD 720p front web camera as standard and optional 3MP rear camera with double flash capability for clear document, asset or site photos whatever the light conditions.
Using its Flexible Configuration Ports, the device can be configured exactly for the needs of the business, offering USB 2.0, Micro SD, True Serial port, LAN Connector, GPS and integrated smartcard reader optional. USB 3.0, Bluetooth® 4.0, HDMI and Wireless LAN capabilities are standard.
The Toughpad is powered by 3rd generation Intel® Core™ i5-3437U vProTM 3MB cache, 1.9GHz, up to 2.9GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD as standard with a 256GB SSD option.
For further information on the Toughbook product range visit www.toughbook.eu.
Press contact:
Wesley Hutchins
Tel: 0118 900 1133
Mobile: 07585 807 905
Wesley@ambergroup.net
About Panasonic System Communications Company Europe (PSCEU)
PSCEU is the European branch of Panasonic Systems Communications Company, the global B2B division of Panasonic. PSCEU’s goal is to improve the working lives of business professionals and help their organizations efficiency and performance. We help organizations capture, compute and communicate all sorts of information: image, voice, and textual data. Products include PBX telephone switches, document printers, professional cameras, projectors, large visual displays and rugged mobile PCs. With around 500 staff, engineering design expertise, global project management capability and a large European partner network, PSCEU offers unrivalled capability in its markets.
The new PSCEU is made up of four business divisions:
- Communication Solutions including professional scanners, multifunctional printers, telephony systems and HD video conferencing systems.
- Visual System Solutions including projectors, interactive whiteboards, presentation aids and displays. Panasonic is the European market leader in projectors with 28% revenue share.
- Professional Camera Solutions including professional audio visual, security and industrial medical vision (IMV) technology. Panasonic is one of the top two professional camera vendors in Europe.
- Computer Product Solutions including the Toughbook range of rugged notebooks, Toughpad business tablets and electronic point of sales (EPOS) systems. Panasonic Toughbook had 63.3% unit share of the European rugged and durable notebook market and a 29.2 unit share of the rugged business tablet market in 2012 (VDC, March 2013).
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and engineering of electronic technologies and solutions for customers in residential, non-residential, mobility and personal applications. Since its founding in 1918, the company has expanded globally and now operates over 500 consolidated companies worldwide, recording consolidated net sales of 7.30 trillion yen (68 billion euros) for the year ended March 31, 2013. Committed to pursuing new value through innovation across divisional lines, the company strives to create a better life and a better world for its customers. For more information about Panasonic, please visit the company's website at www.toughbook.eu
EDF Energy
Notes to editors
Contact: Phillippa Burgess, 0207 752 2266 or phillippa.burgess@edfenergy.com
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EDF Energy is one of the UK’s largest energy companies and the largest producer of low-carbon electricity, producing around one-fifth of the nation's electricity from its nuclear power stations, wind farms, coal and gas power stations and combined heat and power plants. The company supplies gas and electricity to 5.8 million business and residential customer accounts and is the biggest supplier of electricity by volume in Great Britain.
EDF Energy’s safe and secure operation of its eight existing nuclear power stations at sites across the country makes it the UK’s largest generator of low carbon electricity. EDF Energy is also leading the UK's nuclear renaissance and has published plans to build four new nuclear plants, subject to the right investment framework.
These new plants could generate enough low carbon electricity for about 40% of Britain’s homes. They would make an important contribution to the UK’s future needs for clean, secure and affordable energy. The project is already creating business and job opportunities for British companies and workers.
Through Our Sustainability Commitments, EDF Energy has developed one of the biggest environmental and social programmes of any British energy company.
In 2013 EDF Energy received seven “Big Ticks” in the Business in the Community (BITC) Responsible Business Awards, including a Platinum Big Tick in BITC’s Corporate Responsibility Index. EDF Energy also received the Environmental Leadership for Behavioural Change Award in the national 2013 Environment and Energy Awards and was highly commended in the first ever pan European Corporate Social Responsibility Awards scheme for its Sustainable Schools programme – the Pod.
EDF was an official partner and the official electricity supplier to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The company supplied electricity to the Olympic Park which was backed by low-carbon sources: 80% from nuclear and 20% from renewable generation.
EDF Energy is part of EDF Group, one of Europe’s largest power companies. The company employs around 15,000 people at locations across the UK.
For more news from EDF Energy please see www.edfenergy.com/media-centre/. To find out more about the UK's energy challenges look at www.edfenergy.com/energyfuture/