Getac to focus on India

Getac Technology Corporation, a key subsidiary of MiTAC-Synnex Business Group was established in 1989 as a JV with GE Aerospace to supply defence electronic products. Into rugged notebooks, rugged tablet PCs and mobile video solutions for military, public safety, utility, manufacturing, transportation and logistics customers, the Taiwan based company is looking to tap the automotive market in India with its recently launched products. Rowina Lee, Vice President of Global Sales and Business Development Centre, Getac Technology Corporation speaks to Sricharan R on new trends, the go-to-market strategy and more. Excerpts: Q. How do you plan to penetrate the India market?

Lee: The Automotive, public safety, pharmaceutical and manufacturing segments are the fast-growing sectors in India. They are the key markets for Getac. The Indian government is also making recurring investments to promote the security and prosperity of its citizens. Here, the automotive industry is one of the key focus sectors for us in India. We are fortunate to have one of India’s largest manufacturer of automobiles as our prestigious client. We have been in India for over five years now, and are seeing more opportunities with both local and global customers based out of the country. Rugged devices such as ATEX-certified products will help increase productivity, especially in potentially hazardous environments. Q. What is the new product portfolio mix for India?

Lee: We recently introduced the UX10 rugged tablet. The UX10 offers reliability, powerful performance and lightweight portability to workers operating in challenging field environments every day. Multi-functional

rugged tablets such as UX10 can be used in the automotive industry to help ease the process of inspection during quality assurance checks. Rugged tablets such as UX10 can speed up quality checks in the assembly line by facilitating the appearance of various indicators concurrently on its screen through an onboard diagnostic tool. It allows more time for thorough checks of the unit without affecting the output of production.

Rugged devices offer better total cost of ownership over commercial devices. They allow users to work carefree in the field by avoiding downtime and machine failure. Our latest

products are built to perform, featuring the 8th generation powerful Intel® Core™ processors, super-fast flash storage and high-performance graphics. Getac’s revolutionary LumiBond®2.0 technology, bonding the display glass with the touch panel and LCD, enhances touch functionality and provides a display that is more readable, both indoors and outdoors, offering better contrast and crisper colours.

The device is a 10.1-inch Full HD LumiBond® touchscreen display with 1,000 nits of brightness and an optional digitiser mode which offers crystal clarity in all weather conditions, from bright sunlight to

heavy rain, and can even be used while wearing gloves. UX10 MILSTD-810G and IP65 ratings also ensure operation in temperatures ranging from -29 to +63 degrees Celsius and drop resistance of up to 1.8 metres (six feet). Our latest UX10 is equipped with multiple configurable factories installed options to fit diverse usage scenarios, providing high flexibility to a range of industries in India and Asia. Q. What are the new trends in rugged equipment industry that the auto sector could watch out for?

Lee: In the recent Rugged Industry 2019 Global Market Research report by Fortune Business Insights, there is an emphasis on product durability and reliability, with major players of the industry focusing on these unique features in their products. Features such as better internet connectivity, lightweight and multi-tasking functions are some key properties that are in demand in the market. In addition to the report, more customers are also looking at:

1. Thinner and lighter: Consumer products do not provide the rugged protection of our devices, but customers are used to the

convenience of such products. Therefore, we develop material technologies to make our rugged products lighter and thinner. At the same time, if you squeeze too thin and small, you cannot get the battery life that is expected of a rugged device, so we must upgrade our components to deliver the same performance with less power.

2. Latest operating systems: Android and Windows 10 are becoming more popular, therefore our products offer options to use both operating systems.

3. Tailor-made user experience: Customers want our products to fit seamlessly into their day-to-day workflow. Therefore, they may want a better way to type into tablets, straps to secure devices to their bodies, etc. We offer a wide range of accessories, from stylus pens to hand straps to vehicle mounts, and we have many customisation options to make sure our products solve our customers’ problems right out of the box.

4. Versatility and portability: We have also recently seen a trend where customers are beginning to appreciate external factors such as versatility and portability. The size of our tablets range from 5.7-inches to 14-inches and some also come with detachable options to suit the needs of customers in various industries. Q. How is the R&D capability?

Lee: There are some new features that we have introduced to the market. Getac has engineered thinner and lighter rugged tablets with capabilities for use in various extreme environmental conditions, and also introduced detachable features for versatility and portability. We have also introduced tablets with ANSI and ATEX certification - intrinsic safety technology that fully complies with stringent US and EU regulations that govern the certification of products for hazardous locations. Q. How do you ensure a well-differentiated product portfolio from the competition?

Lee: What sets us apart from our competitors is the unique ability to create customised solutions for our customers. We have a strong Research & Development (R&D) team that develops many patented and useful features such as glove-on multitouch screen, sunlight-readable display, hot-swappable dual battery system, and 3D antenna technology. We also have our own mechanical tooling centre that responds to any requirements in mechanical design modifications. Q. With a diversified product range are they any acrosslearnings from one industry to the other?

Lee: The importance of understanding the industry and its specific requirement to cater to customers’ varying needs are the biggest learning points for us in Getac. Having worked with companies from industries such as the pharmaceutical industry and automotive has allowed Getac to understand the requirements of these clients based on their external environment and their productivity. With that in mind, Getac identifies that the use of ATEX-certified tablets is a top priority for customers exposed to hazardous working conditions. Q. Do the devices receive Over-the-Air updates?

Lee: At Getac, technology and innovation are the core of our company. Over the last 30 years, our R&D and sales teams working very closely together to understand our customers’ needs and develop devices that would suit them. As shared, we tailor our products to fit into customers’ workflow on the user side and on a day-to-day basis. Getac offers configurable devices to customers – we have the ability to take the devices, add different ports, different ways of collecting data by adding cameras, barcode readers, RFID scanners, or add different ways to hold the device with handles and straps. Q. What is your automotive clientele like?

Lee: In India, we serve one of the largest manufacturers of automotive who is our prestige customer. Getac also engages with various system integrators in the automotive industry, that sell their data acquisition system along with our products, wherein they require a rugged or semi-rugged tablet and Getac is positioned as a partner to their the solutions. Globally, Getac works together with Volkswagen AG, supplying them with a customised robust VAS 6150E based on Getac S140 and VAS 6160E, based on Getac A140. The new device combines already integrated components, such as the Offboard Diagnostic Information System Service and the Diagnostic Interface, a system that has been tested extensively according to Volkswagen’s high-quality standards. Q. How exhaustive is your after sales and service network?

Lee: We have been partners with Third Wave Exim since 2016, and they are our sole distributor in India. This partnership has resulted in the effective management of queries and orders, as well as the provision of local services and rugged solutions to customers in the country. Getac works with R-Logic, a service partner for global customers. The service centres are present in various parts of India, such as Delhi and Bangalore.