Symbol Technologies will this week ship a new handheld aimed at mobile staff such as service engineers and delivery drivers. The ruggedised device offers multiple wireless options and facilities such as a barcode scanner, allowing staff to query central data sources while in the field.

The MC70 enterprise digital assistant (EDA) follows on from Symbol’s earlier MC50 model, and is designed for a wider range of applications, according to European product manager Alex Price. “The MC50 was durable, but not that rugged. The MC70 is more like our traditional rugged mobile terminal products,” he commented.

The MC50 had just 802.11b wireless LAN capability, but buyers of the MC70 can specify tri-mode 802.11a/b/g or GPRS connectivity, or a combination of both. Bluetooth is also standard on all MC70 models, to link to peripheral devices.

Other configuration options include a choice of 1D barcode scanner or 2D imager; numeric or Qwerty keypads; and 1900mAh or 3,800- mAh battery packs, giving a battery life of eight to 12 hours, according to Symbol.

Price said that typical users of the MC70 would include service engineers, who could scan barcodes and use the device to look up diagnostic information and availability of spare parts. The 2D scanner option allows for basic image capture in apps such as insurance loss adjusting, and the GPRS option allows staff to make voice calls.

All MC70 models are based on a 624MHz Intel PXA270 chip with 64MB RAM, run Windows Mobile 5.0, and have a 3.5in, 320x240 display. Prices start from $2,195 (£1,240), depending on configuration.