OtterBox arms the military with rugged technology
StoryFebruary 18, 2009
Kristin Golliher
OtterBox
Two things go hand-in-hand on the battlefield: The need for technology that can withstand the harshest environments, and the need to hasten lifesaving medical services.
With technology advances, medical forces, soldiers, and commanders now have the ability to treat casualties on the battlefield. With the touch of a stylus, individuals can record, store, retrieve, and transfer patient medical records from an iPAQ device to laptops allowing medical personnel to share important information quickly.
Furthermore, accessing this information on the battlefield is
vital for the treatment and care of wounded individuals. But battlefield
environments are home to wind storms, mud, sand, dust, rain, and high
temperatures not suitable for standard technology. Because of these extreme
conditions, equipment protection is critical. OtterBox,
a leader in rugged case technology, developed the OtterBox
1900 (Figure 1) for just such an inhospitable environment.
Figure 1
(Click graphic to zoom by 1.9x)
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OtterBox teamed with GTSI Corp.
– a government information technology solutions provider – and came
up with a way to protect the integrity of the Armyís Medical Communications for
Combat Casualty Care (MC4) systems. GTSI incorporated the OtterBox
1900 into an MC4 solution that supports information management systems for Army
tactical medical forces.
The OtterBox 1900 makes the
standard MC4 HP iPAQ 4700 into a rugged device
providing immediate access to information at crucial times, saving lives, and
eliminating patient research. Arming service members with electronic devices
enclosed in the OtterBox 1900 provides an added
measure of protection. In addition, this proves to be an economical solution that
adds longevity and durability to fragile technology and ensures that information
is safe at all times.
In 2003, MC4 deployed 616 systems, known as the AN/TYQ 105
(V) 1, which included a fully accessorized handheld device. The following
year, MC4 deployed 1,239 additional devices, and by 2005 thousands more reached
major medical units throughout Southwest Asia.
To date, MC4 has deployed more than 11,000 systems in the
field. More than 250 medical units throughout Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and
Afghanistan now use these devices as a point-of-care assistant. The iPAQ also synchronizes with MC4 laptops to record and share
real-time medical information.
Electronic medical encounters are critical for soldiers,
medical professionals, and combatant commanders, and the OtterBox
1900 offers quality protection no matter what the mission brings.
Kristin Golliher has worked as a public relations executive at OtterBox, a consumer technology accessory company in Fort
Collins, Colo., for the past four years. She handles all public relations
activities for the company and is an active member of the Fort Collins Chamber
of Commerce and the Public Relations Society of America. Kristin earned a
bachelorís degree in Technical Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations
from Colorado State University. To find out more, email [email protected].
OtterBox
888-695-8820
