BY BEN AMES, SENIOR EDITOR
WAREHOUSE SYSTEMS
Technology
MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICES ARE A STAple in the modern warehouse, allowing workers
to perform picking, packing, and putaway tasks
far faster than they could with clipboards and paper
checklists. From bar-code scanners to touchscreen
tablets and voice-directed picking headsets, mobile
devices provide the speed and accuracy that DCs need
to meet the demands of rising e-commerce orders and
expectations for overnight shipping.
Change is in the works for all these devices, however,
since nearly all of the computers in this sector run on the
Windows operating system (OS), and Microsoft Corp. is
planning to end its support for the versions of that software
that are used on handheld devices. The Redmond, Wash.-based technology giant will stop issuing security patches
and software updates for its Windows CE and Windows
Mobile operating systems in a series of rolling deadlines
occurring between 2018 and 2021, industry sources say.
After Microsoft “sunsets” its support for those popu-
lar products, any company still running that Windows
software on its devices will be left to fend for itself in the
constant battle to ward off viruses, fix software bugs, or add
new apps. A few of the largest user companies may have
sophisticated enough information technology (IT) depart-
ments to manage on their
own for a while, but the change
will leave most companies with a stark
choice—continue to use mobile devices that will
soon become obsolete or upgrade to a new OS.
For most DCs, the transition will require several steps.
First, unless they’ve purchased new hardware recently,
warehouses will need to buy new handheld devices that
pack enough memory and computing power to run the
next-generation OS. Then they can upgrade their applications and build new links to related software like warehouse
management systems (WMS).
Fortunately, that big investment can also generate big
returns. “Choosing a new OS, finding the right devices, and
modernizing your apps before the 2020 end of extended
support will have huge productivity and cost advantages,”
according to an e-book from Zebra Technologies titled “A
smart guide to upgrading your enterprise OS and apps:
Extended support for Windows Embedded is ending very
soon.” Despite the cost of upgrading to a modernized
As Microsoft prepares to
end support for its Windows
Mobile operating system,
DCs look to the Android OS
for a new generation of rugged
handheld devices.
Android leads charge
with warehouse
handhelds
P
HO
T
O
C
O
U
R
T
E
S
Y
O
F
Z
E
B
R
A
T
E
C
H
N
O
L
O
GI
ES
