Mobile Government Employee Trends
More and more government employees rely on ruggedized, mobile devices to perform their jobs in the field. For example, law enforcement officers use in-vehicle PCs to generate crash reports, get directions to unfamiliar addresses, and lookup information, like driver license pictures. But if these PCs are stolen or hacked, confidential information could be compromised. Consequently, government agencies are always on the lookout for security technologies that provide the best physical and data security.
Government agencies are also exploring the use of advanced digital technologies, like image processing and artificial intelligence (AI), to increase the usefulness of in-vehicle PCs and wearable cameras. Keeping up with evolving mobile technology, like 5G, is also critical to ensure reliable, fast communication. To benefit from the advances in computing technology, government agencies expect more from electronic system suppliers, including:
Better Security
Ruggedized, mobile device developers need to implement state-of-the art security solutions to best protect sensitive data, prevent intellectual property (IP) theft, and thwart malware attacks. It is important to implement multiple layers of security in order to safeguard devices and establish trusted data that can be safely shared across mobile and agency networks.
Greater Computing Performance
Computing-hungry image processing and AI technologies can reliably read license plates (e.g., optical character recognition) in various conditions and automatically pull up driver and vehicle information from a central database. Future AI-based camera solutions will pinpoint objects of interest (e.g., gun, knife), obscure faces in case the video is made public, and add timelines, all of which is very time-consuming for Officers to do manually.
Higher Mobility
5G has more bandwidth, better coverage over longer distances, and lower latency than current wireless networks, so it will transmit data about twenty times faster than current 4G technologies. This very high performance network is expected to greatly improve the user experience for government employees. Intel has a long history of supplying electronic components to government agencies. The following describes some of the ways Intel® technologies help support the growing demands for secure, high performance, and highly mobile devices.
Enhanced Security for Mobile Devices1
Intel security solutions provide end-to-end protection for computer equipment and networks. These solutions help deliver trusted data through a tight integration of hardware- and software-based security technologies that safeguard valuable data and computing devices against malware attack, tampering, and theft. These Intel® technologies include:
- Intel® Enhanced Privacy ID (Intel® EPID) helps establish a chain of trust between edge devices and a government agency data center (or the cloud). This solution allows cloud-based applications to authenticate a device for a given level of access while allowing the device to remain anonymous.
- Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES NI) improve on the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm. These instructions accelerate data encryption to help better protect confidential data at rest and in flight without the typical performance penalty associated with software-only security solutions.
- Intel® Software Guard Extensions (Intel® SGX) protect selected code and data from disclosure or modification. Government agency applications can use these instructions to establish private regions of code and data that are shielded against direct malware attacks.
High Performance Devices
Image processing, machine learning, AI, and new application requirements are driving the need for in-vehicle and wearable devices with higher levels of performance and computing headroom, which can be satisfied with Intel® processors. Some of the Intel products and features pertinent to the government sector include:
- Intel Atom® and Intel® Core™ processor families contain low power SKUs specially designed for battery-powered computing devices. These processors also support various price/performance points and execute a common set of code, thus protecting software investments into the future.
- Intel® Turbo Boost Technology2 accelerates processor and graphics performance for peak loads, automatically allowing processor cores to run faster than the rated operating frequency if they are operating below power, current, and temperature specification limits. This technology helps extend battery life by only running the processor at maximum speed when needed.
- Long product availability for select Intel processors helps increase the longevity of government equipment. Newer processors are available for 15 years, whereas older processors are available for seven years.
Mobility-Optimized Devices
Intel has extensive experience with laptop and mobile device design that is being applied to in-vehicle computing and wearable devices, like ruggedized tablets, fixed-mount computers, and body cameras. These devices can help technology investments last longer because they incorporate next-generation computing and communications technologies. Intel products offer many benefits for mobile computing, including:
- Extended temperature support, from -40°C to 85°C3, is available for select Intel processors. With the ability to withstand temperature extremes, Intel processors enable system suppliers to develop high performance, ruggedized computing systems that can be deployed in the harshest field conditions.
- Intel® 5G Modems are helping shape the future of 5G by creating the next-generation technology that will enable in-vehicle and wearable devices, along with self-driving cars and drones, and more, to run on it. Intel also offers a wide range of 4G modems.
- Ruggedized mobile devices from Intel’s vibrant ecosystem, called the Intel® Internet of Things (IoT) Solutions Alliance, are supported with long lifecycle hardware and software product management.
Addressing Government Agency Challenges
Intel and its ecosystem of hardware and software vendors offer standards-based, modular, rugged solutions for government agencies, backed by Intel’s 30+ years of experience in delivering world-class computing and communications solutions.
System developers and integrators can benefit from this broad selection of interoperable, COTS solutions at multiple levels of integration, along with software tools designed to shorten development time and costs. Those tasked with addressing the emerging requirements of government agencies can satisfy their security, computing, and mobility needs when they design with Intel solutions.
For more information about Intel solutions for the government sector, please contact your Intel account owner or distributor partner.