Intermec (NYSE: IN) is now shipping the new CK32IS handheld computer, which provides industries like chemical, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, grain, textile and mining, a powerful, intrinsically safe, extremely rugged handheld computer. The CK32IS will carry the most extensive list of global hazardous environmental ratings—including ATEX and IEC at launch, UL shortly thereafter—of any handheld computer, so it can be deployed anywhere in the world. The CK32IS was designed from inception for hazardous environments, meeting the most stringent requirements not only for flammable gases, vapors, liquids, but also for dust, fibers and flyings. The mobile computer has been ATEX-certified for use in Zone 0 (gases) and Zone 20 (dusts and fibers) environments—the highest possible safety ratings, requiring double-fault protection of circuitry. In addition, the product’s accessories meet the latest associated apparatus certifications to provide the highest level of safety. The Windows Mobile“ 5.0-based handheld computer features a fast Intel™ XScale™ PXA270 processor, 128 MB of DRAM memory and 64 MB of non-volatile Flash memory. It supports Intermec TE2000 terminal emulation software to run legacy applications and has a full suite of audio capabilities to enable interactive VoIP, walkie-talkie applications, and digital recording applications. “Intermec’s CK32IS is the ideal combination of safety and performance,” said Donald Frieden, president and chief executive officer of SAT Corporation, a leading provider of asset tracking, data collection and integration solutions for the process manufacturing industry and an Intermec Honours Partner. “With the CK32IS, companies can implement our mobile workforce and decision support system on one computing platform both for employees working in hazardous environments and those not—lowering the total cost of ownership.” The CK32IS is designed for use in any country right out of the box. The device comes localized in worldwide English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Thai (character set only) languages and is compliant with the European Union’s RoHS and WEEE regulations. “Over the last year, we have observed growing awareness and interest in devices that meet the I-Safe and ATEX standards, particularly among companies that work with or distribute flammable gases,” said Todd Kort, principal research analyst, Mobile and Wireless, Gartner. As part of Intermec’s complete family of rugged AIDC products designed and manufactured for demanding environments, the CK32IS supports all the leading industry standards, including Cisco Client Extensions“ (CCX), Wavelink Avalanche Remote Device Management, Wi-Fi“, .NET, Java and the Intermec Developer Library. It also supports Intermec’s SmartSystems™ Foundation, which provides a single, integrated environment for hands-free deployment and management of devices located anywhere in the enterprise—on-site or remote. The ATEX/IEC-certified Intermec CK32IS is available worldwide now; units with UL certifications will be available in June.