Zebra Technologies Corp. today acquired the consulting and software development firm ITR Mobility, of Mendota Heights, Minn., a move that Zebra said will improve its ability to deploy mobile technology for supply chain tracking and real-time visibility, the company announced Tuesday.
With the growing popularity of mobile tools such as hand-held and touch-screen computing, many companies face the challenge of porting their standard desktop logistics programs to new operating systems, Lincolnshire, Ill.-based Zebra said. Adding ITR will help Zebra streamline that process for its clients in manufacturing, warehousing, and other supply chain areas, the company said.
Terms were not disclosed.
ITR Mobility had been a unit of the IT consulting firm ITR Group Inc. and is known for its iFactr mobile platform. Customers use iFactr to update their legacy Windows Mobile and CE.NET applications to run on modern platforms such as Windows Embedded 8 Handheld, iOS, and Android devices.
Without the tool, users would have to completely rewrite those applications, a complex and timely process.
"With our customers and partners increasing their reliance on mobile devices in the enterprise, there is a need for cost-effective, flexible, and easy ways to transition legacy applications to new modern operating systems," Zebra's vice president for enterprise mobile computing, Joe White, said in a statement. "ITR Mobility/iFactr will complement our RhoMobile and Mobility DNA offerings."
Among ITR Mobility's customers are Cardinal Health Inc., FedEx Corp., and General Mills Inc., as well as businesses in the distribution and transportation, retail, finance, and healthcare areas, according to the company's website. That profile makes it a close match for Zebra's focus on providing bar-code tagging and printing technologies—including RFID and real-time location solutions—for clients in transportation and logistics, warehouse management, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and hospitality.
