The Windows 8 home screen is shown in this publicity photo
The Windows 8 home screen is shown in this publicity photo released to Reuters September 13, 2011. REUTERS/Microsoft/Handout Reuters

The rollout replaces a fleet of 1,100 desktop computers that include 600 Windows XPs that were at the end of life and 200 in-car mobile data terminals. After a series of thorough analysis on different devices available in the market, the Tasmania Police decided to go for the Acer Iconia W511.

It is very important that the officers of Tasmania Police find a way to increase the numbers of hours spent in the field every shift. It is also vital to use the department's overtime budget on more crucial police activities rather than have themselves glued on their desks finishing deskbound administrative tasks.

According to Jason Hutcheon, the acting inspector of the Business Improvement Unit at the Tasmanian Department of Police and Emergency Management, their department needed a single device which would perfectly fit the duties of all officers in all situations. He added that police officers need a device which could provide them online access to all their administrative and reporting functions even if they are in working in the field and far from their office desks.

A powerful 3G enabled device that has a battery that can withstand 10 or more long hours of police work were the mobility requirements of Tasmania Police. Apparently, the Acer Iconia W511 was able to meet all the stipulated requirements of the officers. W511's keyboard docking facility is very relevant for officers who do a huge amount of administrative work and do long hours of typing each week, Computer World reports.

In the largest deployment of the Windows 8 tablets in Australia, it went through a six month rollout phase which began in its Training Academy, to its 1-2 man stations and then to the completed fleet of 1044 devices that will be allocated to all 73 stations in the state. As a result, officers will now have easy and secure access to all police systems which will enable them to quickly pull-up driving license information and can execute field ID. Officers can easily encode information even in the field instead of writing witness and victim statements by hand and then transferring the information to a PC in the station. This will definitely revolutionise how these officers work.

Hutcheon adds that the benefit of having the W511 will avoid work duplication and most of all it will keep more officers out in the field to be of more service to the community. Rather than staying for long hours in their stations doing administrative stuff.

Finally, the Acer Iconia W511 is Windows 8-based and is perfect for the budget and work requirements of the Tasmania Police with its 10.1-inch HD display, an Intel Atom dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage capacity and a docking keyboard.