Harsh conditions
Dust, water, vibration and heat cause frequent failures in consumer devices.
Giving Mine Workers Reliable Mobile Technology On Site
Put mobile technology where the work actually happens.
Overview
Mining is hard on technology. Dust, water, heat, vibration and drops destroy ordinary phones quickly. Rugged mobile phones and tablets, managed from one platform, give mine workers reliable tools for communication, inspections and safety in the conditions they actually work in.
Why This Matters
Mines increasingly depend on mobile technology for pre-use inspections, SHEQ reporting, permit-to-work, push-to-talk and lone-worker safety. When workers use consumer devices, breakages and downtime pile up, and every replacement needs to be set up again by hand. When devices are unmanaged, nobody knows which apps are installed, whether they are up to date, or where a lost device has gone. A standard fleet of ruggedised devices, enrolled in mobile device management, keeps the right tools in every worker's hand and gives IT control of the whole fleet from one place.
How It Works in Practice
A shift supervisor at an open-pit mine issues rugged phones to a new team of contractors. Each device has been enrolled centrally and already carries the pre-use inspection app, the safety observation form, push-to-talk and the emergency alert. Operators complete equipment inspections at the start of the shift, report a hazard with a photo during the morning and stay in contact with the control room over push-to-talk across the pit. When one device is dropped from a haul truck step and damaged, a replacement is issued and configured in minutes, with no data lost.
The challenge
Why mining is tough on mobile technology.
Slow replacements
Every broken or lost device takes time to replace and set up again.
No fleet visibility
IT cannot see which devices are active, updated or compliant across sites.
Inconsistent tools
Different devices and app versions lead to different processes on every shift.
Operational flow
How it works, step by step.
01
Select
Choose rugged phones and tablets rated for the mine's surface or underground conditions.
02
Enrol
Register every device centrally before it is issued to workers or contractors.
03
Deploy
Push inspection, SHEQ, push-to-talk and safety apps to the whole fleet.
04
Monitor
Track device health, location, battery and compliance from one console.
05
Replace
Swap damaged devices quickly, with settings and apps restored automatically.
What operations can see
- Device estate by role or site
- Application availability
- Policy compliance
- Remote support status
- Operational access in the field
- Device health information where supported
Operational impact
- Provide a more suitable endpoint for harsh environments
- Bring digital workflows closer to the point of work
- Reduce reliance on shared office terminals
- Standardise devices and applications
- Support communication and data capture on one platform
Who it's for
For mines that run on reliable field tools.
Open-pit and underground mines
Equip operators, artisans and supervisors with devices that survive the environment.
Mining contractors
Issue and recover managed devices quickly as teams change between projects.
SHEQ teams
Make sure inspection and reporting tools are on every device, every shift.
Mine IT and operations
Manage a large device fleet across sites with less manual support.
Insight
The Device as an Operational Endpoint
A managed fleet of rugged devices reduces downtime, standardises processes and keeps safety tools available on every shift. Workers spend less time on broken equipment, supervisors get consistent data from the field, and IT controls every device across every site from one place.
This use case is particularly relevant to Mining environments, but the underlying operating model can also apply wherever distributed frontline teams, vehicles, assets or facilities need stronger visibility and accountability.
MDMMining PTTSHEQ WorkflowsMaintenance
Explore Mobile Device Management
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Which rugged phones are suitable for mining?
Look for devices with an IP68 rating, military-standard drop testing, long battery life and glove-friendly screens. For hazardous areas, intrinsically safe models are available. We help you select the right devices for each environment.
Can rugged phones work underground?
Yes, where the mine has Wi-Fi, private LTE or another network underground. Push-to-talk and data apps work over these networks, and some apps can work offline and sync later.
How do we manage hundreds of mining devices?
Mobile device management lets you enrol, configure, update, track and secure every device remotely, so large fleets can be run by a small IT team.
What happens when a rugged device is lost or damaged?
The device can be locked or wiped remotely, and a replacement can be enrolled and configured automatically, so the worker is back in operation quickly.
The goal is to make frontline activity visible, actionable and accountable across the operation.
Tell us how your operation runs today and we'll show you what this looks like for your teams.