Technology

What is mobile data terminal

By muhkam01 | Published September 15, 2022

A mobile data terminal (MDT) refers to a small portable computerized device installed on vehicles that are always on the move like taxis, courier services, public transport, commercial trucks, ambulances, police cars, and many more. These devices are also known as mobile digital computers (MDC) and Motor vehicle Computers (MVC).

These devices are equipped with different software and application providing different information and functions like collecting geographical data, communicating with a centralized office, calculating fare information, providing route guidance, etc.

What does a Mobile data terminal do?

Different organizations & government agencies use mobile data terminals in their vehicles for different purposes. For instance, it is used in taxis to calculate the fare based on the time and distance. MDTs are most widely used in public transportation as well to collect passenger information, manage traveling details and send & receive messages from dispatchers.

Mobile data terminals have been used in police and law enforcement vehicles for a long time. MDT technology was first used in the police department in the early 1980s. The very first project based on MDT technology was to send an inquiry to the law enforcement databases and retrieve the result to the police vehicle. They started using Notebook computers as mobile data terminals in 1988 to manage vehicle tracking. However, nowadays with the advancement in technology, modern MDT devices are integrated with pen technology, which helps police officers easily manage incident reports on the incident spot.

The use of MDT devices is common nowadays. You can get one for personal use as well. Normally, there are standard MDTs available for different industries but MDT software can be customized based on the specific requirements of an organization.

MDTs can be of different designs and sizes. The simple one is having a screen with a small keyboard. However, nowadays, many elegant MDTs are touch screens having many other useful advanced features in them.

Benefits of Mobile data terminal:

Mobile data terminals assist drivers in moving vehicles in many ways by providing many functions and features on the go. These devices are used in almost all the different kinds of public and commercial fleets. Most commonly, MDTs are designed for vehicles.

Mobile data terminal has a key role to play in ambulances. In case of any emergency, the ambulance central dispatch center finds out the nearest ambulance available to the emergency location, and without wasting any time sends the crew and ambulance to the exact location. The crew then does the necessary, provide medical assistance, and if needed takes the patient to the nearest hospital. From receiving the first message in the dispatch center to taking the patient to the hospital, the ambulance takes as less time as possible because of using a Mobile data terminal and its multiple helpful features.

Things to Consider for Selecting MDT:

The technology used for Wireless Data terminals has improved aggressively over the past two decades. Now there are multiple advanced technologies linked with Mobile data terminals, but there are a few things to consider before choosing one for your organization.

Below mentioned are some of the important points to consider for purchasing a mobile data terminal:

• Easy to read & Input data, Mobile data terminal screen should be large enough to read the messages easily and to input the data with ease whenever required.
• Durable design, Mobile data terminal should be durable enough to work best against bouncy roads and maintain an effective touch screen for input data all the time.
• The wireless network should be good in coverage (maintaining decent connection all the time in the required area) and have flexible data services.
• Intact Cabling/Mounting, a proper design should be in place for all the cabling to put the cables in the proper place and to keep the connections safe from unintended interruption.
• MDT software compatibility, mobile data terminal software should be compatible with all the major networks.

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