Intermec, the North American company known for manufacturing bar code scanners, handheld computers and other industrial products, announced that its CN3 device would soon be released in a new edition that runs on Microsoft's latest Windows Mobile 6.1 OS. 

Created to suit the needs of workers who perform in-field tasks, the CN3 was first released in 2007, with a Windows Mobile 5.0 platform. Now, with Windows Mobile 6.1, Intermec's device brings a better user interface that should lead to improved stability and performance. Moreover, Windows Mobile 6.1 comes with Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager (SCMDM), which allows users to easily manage devices.

Operating system aside, Intermec CN3 also offers: Wi-Fi, internal GPS, EDGE / 3G or CDMA / EV-DO connectivity, enhanced virtual memory, a 3.5 inch TFT QVGA display with 64K colors, a QWERTY keypad, shock and high/low temperature resistance, Bluetooth, a 2 Megapixel camera with LED flash, expandable memory (via a microSD card, up to 2GB), an Intel XScale PXA270 processor at 520 MHz and so on.

Talking about CN3's Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade, John Kemp, senior director for Marketing Systems and Solutions at Intermec, said, "This solution will enable companies to keep employees connected to enterprise data systems and communicate in real-time with their mobile workforce to drive improved efficiencies and increased asset visibility across their operations."

Grace Ho, director at Microsoft Corp. added, "Over the past year we have expanded our end-to-end enterprise solutions by introducing Windows Mobile 6.1 and Mobile Device Manager. We are pleased to work with Intermec and believe the CN3 will empower mobile workers with the highest degree of performance and manageability available in a ruggedized device."

Intermec said that the Windows Mobile 6.1 powered CN3 handheld would be commercially available later this month (September). The company gave no details about the device's retail price.