The Munich-based value-added distributor is bundling consulting, service and sales for industrial products like PCs, rugged tablets and handhelds, industrial panel PCs and rugged laptops for logistics, production and automation with a new department.
Munich, March 28, 2024 – The demand from industry and production for IP and MIL-certified, but above all durable computer hardware that is adapted to requirements is continuously increasing at Concept International. The Munich-based value-added distributor is taking this into account and is bundling the expertise previously distributed throughout the company in the new “Industry” specialist department. At the same time, Concept is expanding its product range. Since July last year, Marco Lippert, formerly of Intel, has been on board as Business Development Manager in order to broaden service and sales.
The market for robust hardware that can withstand extreme temperature and humidity conditions as well as high technical demands is large in the industry. Not only are numerous form factors required, from top-hat rail to panel PCs, and a wide range of connection options. The individual adaptation of all devices, from small handhelds to large industrial PCs, to the extremely diverse application scenarios is also crucial – and that from a quantity of one.
Mike Finckh, Managing Director of Concept International, is convinced that “it was time to take care of this important area with a separate specialist department and more staff in order to be able to deliver quickly, competently and in line with individual requirements”. The appointment of Marco Lippert as the new Business Development Manager Industry, who will be responsible for aligning and expanding the new business division, is also a logical step. Lippert previously worked for Intel, among others, and has a total of 25 years of professional experience in the IT sector, particularly in vertical markets. He is responsible for bundling the competencies and responsibilities for the industry target group, which were previously distributed throughout the company, into a separate department.
Best-of-breed with experience and an overview
In addition to its own umbrella brand, the “Future” product family, with handhelds, tablets, panel PCs and industrial PCs, Concept International’s portfolio also includes the market-proven manufacturers Giada, Sunmi and DT Research. These high requirements are reflected in the expansion of the product range to include FutureIPC, a proprietary brand that manufactures industrial PCs for extremely harsh environmental conditions. With its experience and broad selection, Concept offers a “best-of-breed” approach. It promises resellers an overview and orientation, particularly in the following product areas:
Industrial PCs
Industrial PCs should above all run, run, run, even in dusty, damp, cold and hot conditions. Simple remote maintenance, a suitable installation form, for example with top-hat rails, and many well-placed connections for patching and cabling are important. An increased input voltage range and serial ports for sensors are essential for many industrial applications. An existing DC power supply for all control cabinet devices reduces costs, maintenance effort, fire risk and sources of error. Also important are as many form factors as possible. The entire range of possible processors, RAM and fixed memory for a wide variety of requirements and environments are supplied as required.
Panel PCs
Permanently installed panel PCs for industry are extremely robust PCs with touch displays that are used as endurance runners on various operating systems as HMIs (human-machine interfaces) or for system control. For example, in the food industry, where steam cleaners are used for cleaning and where extreme cold, heat or moisture are the challenges. Concept offers 13 different form factors from 7 to 50 inches and ensures maximum compatibility. This is for example when existing systems need to be seamlessly brought up to date or failed devices need to be replaced without having to modify the existing environment.
Individualization and modular wish fulfillment from a quantity of one for every conceivable requirement from the industry is indispensable and is part of the DNA of every panel PC from Concept: RAM and hard drives as required, LTE, WLAN, Bluetooth, monitor brightness up to 700 candela, screen formats from 4:3, 5:4 and 16:9 to the classic design of user interfaces in 16:10. COM port connections for controlling devices are also available, as well as 2x LAN for access to the network and parallel control of another network, such as a sensor network.
Rugged laptops
IP-certified laptops for mobile and stationary use are characterized by individual, needs-oriented features, a wide range of accessories and rugged qualities for tough everyday use. Concept’s range extends from 10.1-inch laptops with IP65 protection against dust and moisture and optional night vision mode in accordance with military standard 810G /HERO and 3009 to high-performance 15.6-inch workstations. The latter with 13th generation Intel Core processors with a maximum of 14 cores and AI support for extremely demanding tasks, such as fast image analysis. On request, Nvidia graphics cards can also be installed in the high-performance models, which increase AI performance even further with the help of the GPU.
Rugged handhelds and tablets
Theses devices are mainly used in logistics, but also for mobile control and monitoring. A high level of connectivity, various operating systems and good equipment are crucial to ensure that numerous, changing tasks can be completed quickly and reliably. The Equipment include scanners for barcodes or tags, UHF RFID, chip card readers, cameras, also geo-referenced, for authentication or documentation. In addition, optional keyboards, hot-swap batteries and ergonomic accessories, such as holders or pistol grips with triggers, and much more.
Rugged handhelds and tablets in Concept International’s portfolio range from 11.6 inches to 15.6 inches. They are certified to protection class IP65 or IP67, in some cases also to military standard. Temperature-stable from -10 to 60 degrees, drop-proof, resistant to vibrations, moisture, water and dust. The hardware is state of the art and enables fast, mobile working – even when wearing gloves and in poor lighting conditions.
On request, Concept International can support the roll-out of projects with the Total Preparation Service. The devices are thereby delivered configured specifically for the project and permanently tested, even in large quantities. They can be used plug-and-play on site. Concept has a stock in Germany and assembles at its headquarters in Munich, which enables fast response times if required. Furthermore, Concept guarantees long-term availability of the housing design and offers continuous updating with new CPUs as they are released. A warranty period of 5 years rounds off the offer for industry and production.