As they buy tech, cities want mobile systems that perform multiple tasks in all kinds of settings

As they buy new IT systems, local governments want portability and versatility, says Scott Thie, senior manager of government markets at Zebra Technologies, which offers a portfolio of rugged tablets and mobile computers for field services, the public sector and other industries. Zebra sells marking, tracking, and computer printing technologies. It offers systems that are used to sense, analyze and act in real time. The firm offers solutions for the public sector.

“Many areas in the city and county administration are looking for increased mobility in their devices, and solutions that have multiple use cases both in the field and in the station or department. We’re seeing major increases in identification scanning, asset tagging and scanning of key assets on first responder and essential worker vehicles, so they deploy with everything they need and come back with the same.” Thie notes that the public sector seeks solutions that aid in evidence-tracking and chain of custody. He sees a big demand for his company’s products in schools: “In education, we’re seeing a huge focus on student and visitor management in and out of schools, scanning students on and off the school bus.”

The Zebra executive says cities and counties face several hurdles when they buy technology. “Some manufacturers update their models in less than a year, and many of the consumer brands are this way. IT buyers in the public sector may prefer long-term product cycles. Futureproofing is always a challenge in the mobility space as buyers often deploy equipment for five to seven years.”

Thie adds that another important aspect in the tech-buying process is budgeting for service and repair of equipment. He says this area of budgeting “is often difficult, as service and repair expenses usually come out of a different budget—an operational budget. This means that as budget cuts occur across the board, durability and fewer repairs on procured equipment become very important.”

Thie says his firm works to foster innovation in its offerings. “Zebra’s solutions adhere to the highest security standards while providing manageability and longevity, freeing resources for public service and enabling convenient and precise control of end-user experiences.”

To read the complete article, visit American City & County.