Energex has refreshed its rugged Toughbook fleet with 740 new units for use in a full scale technology upgrade of the Queensland utility company this year.
The Toughbook CF-19 Mk5 roll-out is in response to the need for improved processor power for field response devices, which were first introduced into Energex operations in 2006. The roll-out is part of a wider refreshment program, which also includes updating the back-of-house dispatch system.
Based in South East Queensland, Energex distribute electricity to more than 1.3 million residential, industrial and commercial customers across a population base of around 3.1 million, and require a large field workforce to get this done. The entire Energex field workforce and a large proportion of the contract workforce – around 1,600 people – will use the new CF-19 Mk5 Toughbooks to perform tasks from simple meter readings to complex network augmentations.
Toughbook was originally chosen in 2006 after reviewing a range of devices from six different suppliers. The most important element in determining suitability was whether the devices were rugged enough for use in harsh sub-tropical south-east Queensland weather conditions. Darryl Steven, Energy Delivery, Energex, explained that the ruggedness was an absolute necessity, with standard laptops just not able to withstand the harsh conditions in the field.
“Our field workforce is called upon to work in some harrowing conditions, from storms, strong winds, high humidity and even floods, such as the devastating January 2011 ones. The field units need to be tough to handle these extreme weather conditions. It is also important the devices can handle large temperature ranges, as it can get extremely warm in the truck on a 35 degree-plus day, which is not uncommon in South East Queensland,” said Steven.
Panasonic Toughbooks are built with a magnesium alloy frame and a shock-mounted hard drive which can withstand knocks and heavy vibrations, and survive falls from up to 180cm. They are dust and water resistant, and can bear extreme temperature fluctuations, such as experienced in the harsh environments often faced by field forces such as power technicians. Before purchasing, the Toughbooks were put to the test by Energex staff, who decided they were the most suitable device for the job.
While the new replacement CF-19 Mk5 Toughbooks will be used as a straight swap from the current Toughbook fleet, Steven explained that the original purchase had lasted so well that they were only upgrading due to the need for improved processing power.
“The performance of the originally purchased CF-18’s in our current fleet has been absolutely first rate, and if we weren’t refreshing the back-of-house dispatch system and didn’t require improved processor power, we would have stayed with the current models – that’s how well they have lasted,” Steven said.
The Toughbook CF-19 Mk5 boasts system performance twice as fast as that of its predecessor with a second generation Intel® Core™ i5-2520M (2.5GHz) standard voltage processor, ensuring the device can handle even the most intensive applications with ease.
Other important features taken into account by Energex were the need for good screen visibility and the need for touch sensitivity – making the CF-19 Mk5 a good fit with up to 6,000 nit of transflective brightness and shipping standard with either a Touch Screen or a Dual Touch Screen.
“The Toughbooks are a key enabler to deliver our technology solutions. Without a robust device we can’t manage our dispatch process which is a key element of providing both our normal day to day workflow, but also our storm response,” Steven said.
Find out more about the Toughbook CF-19 here.