Fujitsu Personal Systems Extends Mobile Computing Revolution with Value Added Partner Program
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — August 9, 1993 — Fujitsu Personal Systems Inc. (FPSI), the leading provider of highly integrated systems for mobile computing solutions, Monday announced that its Value Added Partner Program has received support from more than 50 industry-leading VARs.
The Value Added Partner Program extends an unprecedented range of support, planning and integration services for VARs to develop total mobile business solutions for vertical markets.
FPSI's Value Added Partner Program is a combination of support services that ensure Fujitsu's hardware systems and VAR software applications are integrated into total mobile solutions that meet real business needs.
The program is designed to provide participating VARs with access to FPSI's expertise in emerging mobile technologies, such as local and wide area wireless communications, mobile peripherals — including PCMCIA-based products, and various mobile input technologies including pens and integrated scanners.
These services include sales and marketing assistance, technical support, business planning and Value Integration Services.
"The level of support we have received for our Value Added Partner Program underscores the rapidly expanding demand for field automation solutions in today's vertical markets," said Lou Panetta, FPSI's executive vice president. "It also confirms that vertical markets have a unique set of integration and support requirements that cannot be met with off-the-shelf mobile computers."
"Fujitsu is the first and only mobile systems vendor that understands that vertical field automation solutions do not implement themselves," said Greg Pellegrino, director of mobile computing at American Management Systems' Center for Advanced Technologies.
"As a firm committed to customer success, we appreciate that Fujitsu has taken the lead in offering a value added approach to mobile computing that supports our goal of building mobile solutions tailored to the needs of a specific business."
As part of the Value Added Partner Program, FPSI has implemented a channel support program called Value Integrated Services (VIS). The only program of its kind to be implemented by a hardware systems vendor, VIS is a cooperative arrangement whereby FPSI and its technology partners work directly with industry-specific VARs to formulate the optimal mobile solution for their customer or target market.
By leveraging the technology expertise from each of its partners — ranging from application design, product customization and re-engineering to system integration and emerging technologies — VARs and system integrators can assemble the resources necessary to design and implement the most efficient field automation solution.
"The adoption of mobile computers in vertical markets requires the ability to integrate a range of technologies," said Panetta.
"Through our VIS program, we offer our VARs access to integration expertise in pen interfaces, power management, implementing wireless communications, human factors engineering, software development and support for peripherals such as scanners and printers. There's simply no other program that offers such a broad-range of integration solutions."
"Building mobile computing solutions for the consumer packaged goods industry requires an integration strategy that enables the collaboration between disparate technology vendors," said Rick Hirsh, president of FASTECH, a Broomall, Pennsylvania -based VAR, specializing in sales force automation systems for the consumer packaged goods'industry.
"Fujitsu's VIS program is essential to our ability to design sales force automation tools that meet the unique business requirements of every customer."
FPSI's Value Added Partner Program is based on its existing family of handheld and palmtop mobile computers. The PoqetPad Plus is a full-screen, hand-held pen-based, PC-compatible computer designed for use in forms-based data collection applications.
The Poqet PC Plus, a leader in size, weight and battery life, is well suited for keyboard-based field data collection and corporate messaging applications. The 325Point — the industry's first three pound pen tablet — is designed for mobile workers involved in decision support activities in a wide range of vertical markets.
Fujitsu Personal Systems Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, is a leader in providing solutions for data collection and decision support applications through the development of super portable palmtop, pen-based and communicating computers. Its solutions are designed to meet the needs of applications where light weight, small form factor and long battery life are essentials.
The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Ltd. Fujitsu Personal Systems has North American offices in Santa Clara and Irvine, Calif.; Chicago; Atlanta; Houston; Dallas; Philadelphia; New Jersey; Rhode Island; Toronto; and international offices in England, France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Sweden.
CONTACT: Fujitsu Personal Systems Inc., Santa Clara
Bill Wittmann, 408/982-9500
or
Walt & Sommerhauser Communications, Santa Clara
Craig Sutphin, 408/496-0900