Field Data Collection Hardware: What's New & What's Next | Virtual Brew

Field conditions change. Your field data collection tools should be ready to change with them.

Watch Virtual Brew on demand as Product Manager Patrick McLellan shares the latest updates to American Innovations’ field data collection hardware, including what’s being phased out, what’s coming next, and what you need to know before year-end.

Transcript

[0:08] Ed Kruft: All right, I think people are on. Somebody say good morning in the chat so I know everybody can hear, if you don’t mind. Anybody? Oh, thank you. Thanks, John. Thanks, Michael.

[0:20] I’m Ed Kruft. Thank you for joining us today. With me is Patrick McLellan, a longtime AI employee and product manager of our mobile products. Many people still refer to him as “the Allegro guy,” and he likes that.

[0:41] Patrick McLellan: I do.

[0:42] Ed Kruft: Anyway, really glad you’re all here. We appreciate it. We’re going to try hard to stick to our 30-minute window, so we’ll jump to the next slide.

Upcoming Events

[0:51] Ed Kruft: Just a quick update on what’s coming up. We’ve got the HF Sinclair team, and Kimberly smiling. That’s wonderful to see. We’ve got the AMPP Central Conference coming up at the end of this month. We hope to see many of you there.

[1:11] In October, at next month’s Virtual Brew, we’ll show a customer portal we’re building. It lets our clients and customers manage the products they buy from us and see what they own. We want to start getting it in front of people and get feedback, so that will be next month. Then we have AMPP Eastern, the Esri show out in California, and then AI World.

[1:42] Patrick, you can go to the next slide. AI World is about the same week we have it every year, the first week of November. We’re really excited about it. We’ve mentioned this many times, but we’re in a new location a little closer to downtown. For those Aggies who always refused to come because it was on the Texas campus, you’re safe now. We’re off campus and closer to downtown. It’s a really neat facility that lets us have all the meeting rooms close to each other, with a great gathering place in the center. And of course, it puts us closer to a lot of the restaurants and other things downtown.

[2:26] There’s a full agenda out now. We had a preliminary one out about a month ago, so take a look and hopefully you see something you like. If you don’t, ping me, Patrick, or your salesperson. And if you have an idea for a session, we’re still taking them.

Product Updates: Survey Manager, Bullhorn FieldPro, and Archer 4

[2:46] Ed Kruft: Next slide, Patrick. Hopefully some of you are aware of this: we’re running a program right now where you can try Survey Manager free for 30 days. We’ve seen great growth and adoption of Survey Manager, and when we show the software to people who haven’t seen it, they’re quick to see its value. So we’re giving more people the chance to see how it helps their survey workflow. It automates the workflow, gets the right survey assignments out, shows the data on a map alongside other data, and lets you check it before you push it back to PCS. There are some powerful things in there we want people to see.

[3:27] My final slide is around FieldPro. For years you’ve been using a tool called Bullhorn Tools. We’ve retired it, or are about to, and now it’s called Bullhorn FieldPro. But it’s more than a new app that does the same things. It gives you the control of Bullhorn Web on your phone. If you want to do a read on demand, start an interruption, or check the status of your units, you can do all of that from your phone in a mobile-optimized way.

[4:08] We’ve also partnered with Juniper and begun offering the Archer 4, which is about the size of an iPhone, with a screen a little over 6 inches. Right, Patrick? We should have the picture here with the keyboard that makes it look alarmingly close to an Allegro. So if you’re still missing the hard buttons you used on the four or five generations of Allegros we offered, you can recreate that a little bit. The Archer fits nicely at the top, and you get the full keyboard.

[4:44] So those are some new products and software we’ve released. If you have any questions, let us know in the chat. With that, I’ll hand it over to Patrick, who’s going to give a field data collection update across the whole product offering.

Presentation Overview and Agenda

[4:56] Patrick McLellan: Great, thanks, Ed. Again, my name is Patrick McLellan. I’m the product manager for our mobile solutions, FDC, and our device support. That includes our hardware for the DVM as well as GNSS receivers. Ed touched on this a bit, but with the Archer, we’ll be talking about the different platforms we offer for FDC. This is informational and for planning. I want to give you an overview of our offerings.

[5:29] Here’s what we’re going to cover today, what you’ll leave with, and what this is not. We’ll talk about the device life cycle status across our FDC platforms. We’ll define end of sale, last date of repair, and end of life, and what those mean in practice. We’ll also touch on the OS direction of our products and FDC version support by product. We’ll also cover your options for keyboard workflows, GNSS receivers, and our DVM lineup.

[5:56] I want to be really clear up front: this is not a “your device stops working” message. This is about planning and understanding our current lineup and what our future looks like.

[6:05] Quick agenda: we’ll go over life cycle terms so we’re aligned, then the Allegro line, our current tablet line around the Mesa, the Archer, some accessory options, and we’ll close with the DVM product line.

Device Life Cycle Terms Defined

[6:22] Patrick McLellan: Let’s level-set with some quick definitions. There’s been confusion in the past about what these terms mean: end of sale, end of life, last date of calibration, and last date of repair. I want us all to understand what they mean when they’re applied to a specific product.

[6:44] We’ll start with end of sale. That’s the last time you’ll be able to buy something. It doesn’t mean it’s the last time you’ll be able to use it, and it doesn’t mean we’ll stop supporting it. It just means we won’t sell it anymore and we’re moving on to something else. We’ll still support repairs for years to come.

[7:05] Last date of repair comes after end of sale. It’s the last time you can get a repair done or send the device in for an RMA. Some of that comes down to our manufacturing process. If parts aren’t available or a device can no longer be repaired, that’s how those dates are set.

[7:24] For something like the DVM, you’ll see last date of calibration. That’s the last time we’ll provide calibration services for that type of device. And end of life is the end of sales, repairs, and calibration for a specific device. But it doesn’t mean all support ends. It becomes best-effort support. Sometimes the answer may be, “We’ve fixed this in a newer version,” or “We’ve moved this to a new platform.” I just want to make sure we’re aligned on the terms as we go through this presentation.

Audience Poll: Current Devices

[7:57] Patrick McLellan: Before we get into the platforms we’ve offered in the past and offer now, I want to do a quick poll: what devices are you currently using? I’d love to understand the mix of your fleet. Our options are the QX, the AX, our Mesa tablet platforms, or bring your own device (BYOD). We’ll let this poll play out for a few minutes. Appreciate you all putting in your input.

[8:31] Mesa 3 is winning at the moment, and BYOD is a close second. So we’ve got a good mix: some QX users, some AX users, definitely some Mesa users, and some BYOD.

Allegro Line: QX and AX

[8:44] Patrick McLellan: Let’s jump to the next slide and talk about the Allegro life cycle. The Allegro QX has been around since 2014. We released it with the Allegro software on an older Windows CE platform, and it ran Allegro 7.2 or older versions of our Allegro software. We did an end of sale at the end of 2020, when we released FDC, our updated mobile application, along with our Mesa tablet line. We continued repairs through June 2024, which was the last date of repair, and end of life was also June 2024.

[9:24] If you’re on a QX, we can help guide you to the next platform based on your technicians’ needs or your workload. What it doesn’t mean is that your QX stops working. Calibration services and repairs have ended, but the devices will still work, and if you call in, we’ll still support you as best we can. The answer to an issue may be, “We’ve addressed this in the new FDC application,” and that may be the best way to resolve it. I don’t want anyone to think that end of life means the device will automatically stop working.

[9:55] After the QX, we moved to FDC, an Android-based mobile solution. The Allegro AX is approaching end of life, but it isn’t there yet. We technically ended sales at the beginning of this year as we moved to Android and iOS tablets. Some of the parts for the older AXs aren’t available anymore, so the manufacturer has ended repairs and sales as well. We’re setting the last date of repair and end of life for the end of this year. Again, that doesn’t mean your device will stop working. It means we won’t be able to repair it after the end of this year.

[10:37] The AX runs on the Android Open Source Project, Android 7. From a supported platform standpoint, it runs FDC up to 1.17, and we’re already on 2.3. When we moved to FDC 2.0 and beyond, we expanded support to Windows and changed some of the architecture. So FDC still works on the AX, but we’re not delivering new FDC features to the Allegro AX.

[11:08] If you’re on the AX platform, we have some great options. Some of you are QX or AX users who like that form factor and keyboard data entry. As you plan for the future, there are some exciting things coming that I think you’ll find very interesting.

Current Device Lineup

[11:22] Patrick McLellan: Our current lineup is built more around the tablet form factor. Times have changed. A lot of people are used to using Android or iOS phones for their day-to-day activities, whether personal or work-related.

[11:40] So we have the Mesa line, based on Android. We’ll go through each of these platforms in a few seconds. It’s a ruggedized Android tablet rated IP67, so it’s dustproof and waterproof. It’s a proven platform, and it’s probably our most deployed platform across FDC’s user base. We also have the Mesa 4 Windows, which is the same form factor and the same ruggedization as the Mesa 3, just on a Windows platform.

[12:13] And like Ed mentioned in the intro, we’re really excited to have released support for the Juniper Archer 4. It’s an Android platform with the same IP67 ruggedization as the Mesa line. It comes in a phone form factor for those who want something lighter and smaller, and there’s a keyboard option. It’s about the size of an iPhone Pro Max, so it gives you something new and more choices depending on your workflows.

[12:42] And I’m really excited to talk about the Alta. It’s going to be our next-generation Android device, and it’s coming soon. It’ll have some next-generation capabilities and an integrated pod system. Let’s jump into each of these platforms.

Mesa 3 (Android)

[12:57] Patrick McLellan: The Mesa 3 Android is a current offering and an active product. It was released in Q1 2021, originally on Android 11, and it’s getting an upgrade to Android 14. Android 14 will be the last major operating system update for that platform, and it will remain on Android 14. We’ll continue doing security updates, working with our Google partners and Juniper, and per Google, security updates will end around Q2 2027.

[13:33] The Mesa 3 will most likely reach end of sale at the end of this year, so the end of 2026 will be a closeout. Again, have no fear. It will still be supported. We’ll continue to do FDC releases for it and continue to support the platform. As you can see from the last date of repair and end of life dates, those will be three to five years past the end of this year. That’s really driven by component availability. We want to offer the best platforms and the best support, so as component availability changes, we’ll provide at least three to five years of support.

[14:14] From an FDC standpoint, the Mesa 3 is supported on all FDC versions. Our current version is 2.3, and any earlier version will also work with the Mesa 3 Android.

Mesa 4 (Windows)

[14:32] Patrick McLellan: Next is our Mesa 4, our Windows Mesa. This is worth noting: the Mesa is the platform, a 7-inch tablet. The “4” indicates the Windows version and the “3” indicates Android. Some people have been confused in the past, thinking the 4 is a brand-new version of the Mesa. It’s essentially the exact same Mesa model: 3 means Android, 4 means Windows.

[14:56] This is a Windows 11 platform, and we’ll continue doing security updates with Microsoft. It will stay on Windows 11. Right now, there’s no published end of sale date. Our typical release cycle for devices is three to five years, and once the Mesa Windows reaches end of sale, there will be another three to five years before last date of repair and end of life.

[15:25] One thing to note on the Windows Mesa: it supports FDC 2.0 and forward, all the way up to 2.3, which was just recently released. We’ll keep delivering updates for it, just as we will for the Mesa 3. Every new FDC release will be supported on this Windows platform. We have another FDC release coming out in mid-October with a bunch of great new features that we’ll talk about very soon, but not in this Virtual Brew.

Juniper Archer 4

[15:58] Patrick McLellan: Like we discussed in the intro, the Archer 4 was recently released, in the middle of this year. It’s an Android 16 device, and it will continue to get operating system updates up to Android 18, and more than likely a bit beyond that.

[16:14] It’s a smaller, lighter option for field mobility. Some of your technicians may not need the bulk or screen size of a 7-inch tablet. If they want something lightweight and mobile in the field, the Archer is a great option, especially for QX and AX users.

[16:34] As you can see in this picture, you can run it standalone, or it can integrate with the Juniper Allegro Wireless Keyboard, which we’re also supporting and selling. The keyboard is fully integrated into the FDC application, so if you’re a power user who relies on the keyboard, the Archer is a great option.

[16:52] Another benefit of the Archer is that it comes with a pod system that integrates a sub-meter GNSS receiver right into the device. You don’t have to worry about buying an external GPS receiver or figuring out how to mount it. Everything is already mounted and configured on the device.

[17:11] Right now there’s no end of sale date. It will follow our three- to five-year release cycle, and there will be three to five years of support past the end of sale date once that’s published. This is our newest product, so it’ll be around for a while. It’s supported on FDC 2.3 and above, the release we put out in the second quarter of this year. Version 2.4 and every release after that will continue to support the Archer.

[17:48] A couple of notes on supported GNSS options. The pod system is great, especially since it’s integrated. But say you already have an AX or a Mesa and you bought a Geode in the past. The Archer fully supports the Juniper Geode GNS3S and the GNS3H line, so if you already have those receivers, it pairs well with them. You can choose between the pod system and the Geode.

[18:12] And then there’s the tie-in with the Allegro Wireless Keyboard, which gives you options on how you want to use this device. Like I said, for Allegro users this is a great option, because it still gives you the ability to do data entry through a keyboard.

Next-Generation Android Device: Alta

[18:28] Patrick McLellan: Now, the most exciting thing to talk about today: we’ll be introducing a next-generation Android device very soon. Our partnership with Juniper isn’t a typical reseller arrangement. It’s a true partnership. We have insight into the development of new devices and how they integrate with our software. We’ll start taking pre-orders for this device in Q4 of this year and start shipping in Q1 2027.

[19:02] It will follow a three- to five-year release cycle before end of sale is announced, and then there will be three to five years past that for last date of repair and end of life. The device will be supported starting with the next version of FDC, 2.4, releasing in the October time frame.

[19:24] When you’re planning your fleet mix and device upgrades, check which FDC version each device supports. If you’re on the current version of FDC and you get a new device, make sure you update to the FDC version that device supports.

[19:43] Some highlights of this new device: it has an expanded temperature range, so if you work in really hot or really cold environments, it’s optimized for that. It has an updated chipset. Machine learning and AI are increasingly built into mobile platforms, and we wanted a device that can support that technology.

[20:04] It also has an updated stylus and touchscreen profile. You often work in environments that are wet, high in humidity, or subject to temperature swings. With this next-generation device, we wanted to give you the best possible experience, whether you’re using the stylus or touch. There will be auto-touch profiles and improved wet and cold touch profiles, so you can interact with the device more accurately and with better performance in those environments.

[20:39] Just like the Archer, the Alta will have an integrated pod system. We have a planned GNSS receiver coming soon as a pod that can be used with the Alta. And just like our current platforms, we’ll integrate and fully support the Geode GNS3S and GNS3H. So if you already have those in your fleet mix, you can keep using them as you move to these new devices.

[21:05] If you want more information, please reach out to sales or to me in product, and we’ll be happy to share more. We’re really excited about what’s coming on this line.

Q&A: Alta Battery Life and iOS Support

[21:18] Patrick McLellan: Mike, I see you have a question: what’s the anticipated battery life on the Alta versus the Mesa 3? The Alta will run about 18 to 20 hours on a charge, much longer than the Mesa 3. It will have removable batteries, just like the Mesa, with a hot-swappable system. If you need to replace the battery while you’re working, you don’t have to power the device off. You can hot-swap it just like you can on the Mesa.

[21:48] James, I see you have a question: what about FDC updates on iOS? iOS will continue to be fully supported, and that’s a great transition into the next slide.

BYOD Strategy

[21:59] Patrick McLellan: Our BYOD strategy is to stay in sync with the iOS and Android mobile platforms. We also support Windows devices, as long as they’re on Windows 11. All FDC releases going forward will continue to support the current versions of iOS and Android. Right now, for iOS BYOD, we support iOS 18 and 26, and for Android, we support 15 and 16. I know the Mesa 3s are still on Android 14, and we’ll continue to support that device on Android 14 as well. And if you’re using a BYOD Windows unit, we’ll continue to support it as long as it’s running Windows 11.

Allegro Wireless Keyboard

[22:43] Patrick McLellan: The other key piece of our BYOD strategy, and of the Archer form factor, is the Allegro Wireless Keyboard. For years we’ve heard that the keyboard and form factor were among the biggest draws of the Allegro line. The hot keys and shortcut keys made data entry quick. When you’re carrying data canes and poles and walking your pipeline infrastructure, you don’t always want to touch the screen. You want shortcut keys that jump to certain functions so you can enter data quickly and accurately.

[23:22] The Allegro Wireless Keyboard is a true keyboard-style workflow: data entry, shortcut keys, and hot keys, just like you had on the Allegro. It comes with two mounting options. You can order it with an Archer bracket that lets the Archer pop into place and connect to the keyboard over Bluetooth. There’s no power shared between them. They’re charged separately and connected by Bluetooth.

[23:47] There’s also a universal configuration. If you’re using an iPhone, or up to an iPad mini, you can connect to the keyboard over Bluetooth and get the same shortcut keys, hot keys, and data entry you’d have on Android. That support now extends to iOS when you use the Allegro Wireless Keyboard.

[24:06] The nice thing is that it uses the universal Quad Lock system. I’m sure you’re familiar with Quad Lock. It’s a tried-and-true mounting system for many phone models and rugged mounting setups, whether you’re mounting on vehicles, poles, or whatever it may be. You can order the Allegro Wireless Keyboard with the Quad Lock mount and get a Quad Lock case for your phone. You can also put their stick-on mounts on your existing case or the phone itself. That lets you mount the phone onto the keyboard with full keyboard functionality.

DVM Product Line

[24:40] Patrick McLellan: Closing out, I want to touch on the DVM. We have three models: the DVM 1100, the DVM 1110, and the DVM 2130. Two of those are device-specific. The DVM 1100 is for the Allegro QX and slides into the back of the Allegro pod system. It reached end of sale at the end of 2022, last date of calibration was December 31, 2023, last date of repair was June 2024, and end of life was June 2024. It was supported on the Allegro software.

[25:13] Just a note: we heard your feedback that calibrations ended a little earlier than you expected, which made planning harder. So we’ve made some changes to the DVM 1110, which is specific to the Allegro AX and slides into the pod just like it did on the QX. We were going to end-of-life it at the end of this year. Instead, we’re ending sales at the end of this year, extending calibrations through the end of next year, and extending end of life to the end of 2028.

[25:48] That gives you more time to plan your future device support and choose which devices you want to move to, without losing calibration in the meantime. We know calibrations and repairs are essential for continuing your survey work. We made these adjustments to support you and give you a better experience as you plan your next hardware upgrade.

[26:08] The DVM 2130 is our current DVM. It’s an independent, standalone DVM that uses Bluetooth or a USB connection for power and data transfer. It’s used with the Mesa and the Archer, it will be used with the Alta, and it works with your iOS BYOD options as well. It’s our active product. It was released in Q4 2020, it’s supported on all versions of FDC through 2.3, and it will continue to be supported in the future.

Summary of Your Options

[26:36] Patrick McLellan: A quick summary of your options. If you’re a QX user, reach out to us, and we can help figure out your next best platform based on your workflows and your technicians’ needs. If you’re an AX user, it’s time to start thinking about where you want to go, and I think the Archer would be a great option given the workflows you’re used to with that form factor.

[27:03] If you need a ruggedized tablet, the Mesa line is tried and true and our most deployed. Almost all of these devices are ruggedized, built for your crews and the kind of field work you do. The Mesa Windows is for those who really need a Windows operating system or have it mandated by their IT departments. If you’re thinking about what comes after your current device, definitely consider the Alta. And as always, we’ll continue to support a BYOD option. If you have iOS, Android, or Windows BYOD questions, reach out to us. We can recommend the best options based on your workflow and the versions we support.

Key Takeaways and Closing

[27:47] Patrick McLellan: This message is about planning and visibility. We have an end-of-life page on the AI Worldwide site, under FDC hardware or technical support, where you can see all of these dates. We want to be very transparent so you know what’s going on and can plan effectively. What this message is not is “your device is going to stop working.” We know how important it is for you to keep working. We want to give you what you need to plan, including how our platforms will change and how we’ll manage support over each device’s life. We don’t want anyone panicking that their device will suddenly stop working in the field. That’s not what’s going to happen, and that’s not our approach.

[28:28] Key takeaways: end of sale is not end of use. It just means the device can no longer be purchased. Last date of repair is when we can no longer repair the device, and end of life is when formal support ends. We’ll still provide best-effort support, but the resolution may be that you need to upgrade to a different platform. We just want to make sure you know your options and what they mean for your future choices.

[28:52] I look forward to hearing from you. If there’s anything you need or want to know about this presentation or our product line, please reach out to product or to me personally. You can also contact your sales account manager or support. We’d all love to have a chat with you about this. Our contact information is here, or you can reach out to sales directly.

[29:12] I really appreciate you joining today, using our products, and continuing to tell us how we can do better and build the best devices for your workflows. With that, I’ll open it up for a couple of questions.

[29:40] All right, I don’t see any new questions in the chat. I appreciate everyone’s time this morning. Have a great day.