Panasonic launches new Toughpads, Toughbook

Strengthening its presence in the rugged notebook and tablet space, Panasonic has launched three new products in the Indian market. Claiming to be the biggest player in this segment, the company aims to capture 65 per cent market share by the end of 2015/16 in the rugged IT device category.

Panasonic has launched Toughpad FZ-E1 and FZ-X1 along with Toughbook CF-54. The former is a 5-inch handheld tablet with support for calling and data services. Toughpad FZ-E1 is powered by Windows Embedded 8.1 and the Toughpad FZ-X1 runs on Android 4.2.2 operating system. These two are enterprise-class devices and are priced at Rs 1.19 lakh and Rs 1.09 lakh respectively. These can withstand a drop from up to 10 feet on concrete and are IP65/IP68 water- and dust-resistance certified. They pack in a 6,200mAh battery.

The company has also launched the ToughBook CF-54, which costs Rs.1.39 lakh. The company claims it to be a high-end rugged notebook, which is 50 per cent thinner and 25 per cent lighter than the previous CF-53 model. It packs in the 5th generation Intel Core i5-5300U vPro processor clocked up to 2.9GHz and 11 hours of battery backup.

Toru Hasegawa, Divisional Managing Director, Solutions Division, Panasonic India, said, "With the industry moving towards unification of enterprise and carrier networks, we are offering all-inclusive solutions to different market segments. The new products build on the legacy of nearly two decades of rugged devices from Panasonic to accomplish the mission of professionals in the most demanding work environments. With this launch, we are looking at increasing our presence in the Rugged IT devices segment from an existing 60 per cent to almost 65 per cent." 

Currently, the company has a wide variety of devices under this segment starting at Rs 89,000 and going up to Rs 2.3 lakh.