Don’t get these devices confused with “cordless” bar code scanners, which are a very different thing and are discussed elsewhere on our site. Mobile wireless scanning terminals are much more sophisticated and require specialized programming and integration. But, in many application circumstances, they’re more than worth it!
Put side-by-side, a wireless scanning terminal pretty well looks exactly the same as a batch terminal, except for the occasional antenna stump. In fact, many manufacturers make the same device available in both configurations! There is a significant difference, however, between them: Where batch terminals intermittently and physically need to connect to the host system, wireless terminals are potentially connected persistently, inferring that everything they record and process is recorded in real time.
Having a hand-held scanning device directly interfaced to the host computer system in what basically amounts to a two-way “electronic conversation” is a great thing if what you’re doing needs to be recorded and available in the host system the moment after you’ve accomplished it. It’s also great to use if the operator of the mobile terminal requires up-to-the-minute data for on-the-fly processing or to make critical decisions in the field.
Used within a local wireless environment, the radio will almost certainly be of the Wi-Fi type, running on an IEEE 802.11a/b/g WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) connection. In a broader metropolitan situation, the data radio will be one of the common digital "cellular" technologies, using a third-party carrier to convey data between the mobile devices and host system.
Wireless terminals can make copious amounts of data (and host computer intelligence) available to the user through the wireless connection. The host system can guide or dispatch the user and all transactions conducted by the user will be available to anyone with access to the host system in a matter of seconds.
Adopting wireless terminals into a given application is not as simple as just purchasing them and turning them on! Considerable forethought and software development needs to be undertaken and either a thick or thin wireless client strategy needs to be considered and implemented.
Note that one of the added services we provide is a Wireless RF Site Survey — an on-site task that determines the quantity and placement of wireless access points within a given area.