Post by Peter Han, Vice President, Microsoft U.S. OEM Division.

It’s a thrilling time. Microsoft and our OEM partners are approaching a robust product launch season that’s unprecedented. Microsoft is releasing new versions of nearly all our products, and the wave of momentum and excitement carrying us toward these launches is so powerful, you can feel it.

The marketplace is especially hungry for flexible form factors, specialized hardware, and user-driven software solutions that meet specific industry needs. Your challenge—should you choose to accept it—is to build them.

The consumerization of IT has left many organizations using devices that don’t meet their unique business needs. These devices aren’t designed with discrete industries like construction or healthcare in mind, so they can’t deliver pivotal functionality for customers in those segments.

As a Microsoft OEM, your PCs can bridge that gap between a business’s everyday computing requirements and their critical industry-specific needs driven by a growing mobile workforce. Consider how many businesses run outside of an office, and then dive deeper to imagine the demands the “non office” environment places on devices. Customers in industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and construction need mobile solutions that can withstand extreme use conditions and often also have to meet regulatory specifications.

I’m inspired by how many of you have risen to the challenge of the mobile workforce and innovated with customized solutions for the unique needs of an industry. Take a look at how your peers of all sizes are tapping into business within specific segments, and I bet you’ll be inspired, too.

• Education: The All-in-One PC ET2012EUTS from ASUS, with a space-saving design, features a webcam and audio functionality to connect educators and students all around the world. Designed to withstand a drop from desk height and to be water resistant, 2go Studybook L7 Tablet is another device designed to stand up to real-world scenarios in the classroom.
• Finance: A vibrant 14.0-inch diagonal HD display and graphics performance options make the EliteBook 8460 from HP a highly functional, impressive tool for professionals in this space. Also from ASUS, Zenbook UX31E combines appearance with power, maintaining performance when running large spreadsheets and programs that are essential to the finance industry.
• Government: iX104C5 DMSR-M from Xplore Dual-Mode Sunlight-Readable- Military (DMSR-M) tablet is the most rugged, powerful and longest-lasting military-grade tablet in the world, while the RCLC-1 from VT Miltope is derived from a series of rugged laptop computers that have served three generations of the U.S. Army’s Integrated Family of Test Equipment (IFTE).
• Healthcare: Point-of-care reliability and mobility are crucial in this industry, and OEMs Motion Computing and Panasonic have innovated tablets that are designed to perform in even the most rigorous of care environments with the C5v and Toughbook 19, respectively.
• Manufacturing: Motion Computing offers industry-dictated capabilities, applications, and ergonomic ease-of-use in its CL900 Tablet PC. Fujitsu's TeamPad 700 features solid state media, a lightweight, ruggedized and splash-proof case, and an intelligent Lithium-Ion battery that lasts for up to six hours.

After considering what’s possible in industry vertical development, ask yourself: What kind of flexibility, durability, and computing power do your customers need to be the best at what they do? Build them the devices that align to those needs, and you’ll uncover an area of specialization that translates to growth for your business. Resources for partners who build devices are on the Microsoft OEM Partner Center, and if you serve customers in education, healthcare, or government, partner resources are on the U.S. partner portal, Microsoft in public sector.

Follow me on Twitter at @PeterKHan and tell me how you’re building your business by building for need!

Read previous posts from Peter Han.