Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 enterprise tablet arrives

Fujitsu's Stylistic Q550 is set to be available in the UK from the end of June, joining a number of new tablet devices targeting the enterprise market rather than consumers.

First announced in February, the Stylistic Q550 is based on Intel's Oak Trail Atom processor and runs Windows 7, potentially making it a good fit with corporate infrastructure that is already based around Windows server domains.

The company is also pushing the security credentials of its device, which includes a fingerprint scanner and SmartCard reader, plus a self-encrypting solid-state disk (SSD) to keep sensitive data secure should the tablet be lost or stolen.

Fujitsu's UK product manager for the Stylistic Q550 contrasted Fujitsu's device with the many consumer-grade products that have been finding their way onto company networks, especially since Apple's iPad made tablets into a desirable device category.

"On the one hand, CIOs want their employees to have the right tools to be productive and retain flexible working practices, but on the other, CIOs and IT departments must ensure that those devices do not inadvertently lead to damaging security breaches," he said.

The Stylistic Q550 has a 10.1in 1280 x 800 touch screen that supports both multi-touch gestures and a digital stylus for written input, and weighs about 870g.

A similar Windows tablet, the Motion CL900 from tablet specialist Motion Computing, is also set to ship in the near future.

Both devices are lining up against other recently launched models such as RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook and HP's TouchPad to compete for a share of the enterprise tablet market.

Fujitsu said that the first version to arrive in the UK will be Wi-Fi only, with a model featuring Wi-Fi and 3G broadband coming in July. Prices have yet to be disclosed, but the company previously said it would be between £749 and £849.