Bar Code Wand for Windows CE Revolutionizes Portable Data Capture; Socket and Welch Allyn's Add-on Turns Any Handheld PC into a Powerful Data Collection Terminal

Business Wire, August 4, 1997

NEWARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 1997--(OTC Bulletin Board:SCKT and SCKTW)(Pacific Stock Exchange:SOK) Socket Communications today announced the availability of a portable data collection system for the new generation of Microsoft Windows CE compatible handheld PCs (H/PCs). The Bar Code Wand Card system combines Sockets top selling serial PC Card with market leader Welch Allyn's popular SCANTEAM(TM) 6180 barcode scanner/decoder. When users insert the card into the PC Card slot of any H/PC, they can use the attached pen-like wand to collect bar code data directly into any Windows CE application. The system makes it possible to replace expensive, dedicated data collection terminals with general purpose H/PCs capable of performing an unlimited variety of computational tasks at the point of data capture.

The Bar Code Wand Card is the first standards-based solution to the problem of portable data collection. When users move the wand across a bar code symbology, Windows CE programs behave as though the data has been typed in, eliminating the need for any special programming. Users can then dock their H/PC to a Windows 95 desktop PC and copy the collected data to a company network by using the utilities included with Windows CE. Markets that will benefit from this system include retailers, warehousers, distributors, freight companies, airlines, health care, parcel and package delivery companies, and manufacturers. Potential applications include point-of-sale, shelf price audits, store transfers, inventory management, tracking goods in shipping and receiving, order picking, stock pulling and put away, field inspection and audits, patient data collection, route delivery, and market research surveys.

There are several advantages to attaching a bar code wand to Socket's PC Card adapter rather than to the H/PC's built-in serial port. Socket's solution lowers cost and simplifies maintenance, because Socket's PC Card can deliver power from the host H/PC to the wand, eliminating the need for batteries in the wand. It also allows users to select their favorite H/PC without having to find a special interface adapter for the bar code wand, as PC Cards adhere to a common physical standard while built-in H/PC serial port connectors vary from one manufacturer to another. Able to withstand heavy use, the advanced cable connector design reduces cable strain and ensures the wand is securely attached to Socket's PC Card. Socket's "Battery Friendly(TM)" PC Card draws less power (only 5 mA) than any other PC Card serial adapter, maximizing the battery life of H/PCs. The product achieves this low power consumption by incorporating Socket's proprietary chip technology.

About Socket's Bar Code Wand Card

Welch Allyn's bar code wand is a contact scanner with a visible red light source. The wand is housed in a rugged stainless steel case and includes a tapered sapphire tip for durability and high first-time read rates. The software included with the system reads the data collected by the scanner wand and delivers it to Windows CE applications as though it were typed from the H/PC's keyboard. Because scanned data will appear on the computer screen only when it is correctly captured, the system represents a reliable method of entering information into the H/PC without the risk of undetected keyboard errors.

"Socket's Bar Code Wand Card is a major market advancement. It makes bar code scanning more accessible, affordable, and powerful," said Tom Ruhlman, product marketing manager at Welch Allyn. "Low cost H/PCs are ideal for portable data capture and provide more display area, storage capacity, programmability, and connectivity than specialized mobile data terminals. We see this product offering enhanced capability to existing markets and opening up new ones," he added.

"We certainly have had interest from people in vertical markets who want to use Windows CE devices for data collection," said Jim Floyd, handheld PC product manager at Microsoft. "The wand scanner card Socket and Welch Allyn have co-developed appeals to a broad range of users. What's most exciting about the product is that it builds on the position H/PCs have established as a premiere platform for mobile data retrieval and adds the functionality to make them suitable for mobile data collection as well."

"The Bar Code Wand Card brings users the benefits of the familiar Windows operating system plus Windows-compatible applications," said Barry Raymond, director of vertical markets for CASIO, a manufacturer of H/PCs. "Integrators who focus on data collection solutions will have the advantage of a familiar and powerful development environment. We think were seeing the beginning of a big trend in H/PC usage. Just as general purpose personal computers replaced dedicated word processors, Windows CE-based portable computers will eventually win out against dedicated portable data terminals."

"Our rugged PC Card technology and Welch Allyn's stainless steel wand scanner both deliver the field-proven durability required for mobile data collection," said Peter Phillips, product marketing manager at Socket. "Better yet, the PC Card interface supports a heavy duty connection between the wand scanner and the H/PC, so the product can stand up to industrial applications. Serial port connectors built into H/PCs simply arent designed for strenuous use."