Tadpole Technology Plc, the Cambridge, UK-based maker of portable computers, is looking to build its presence in the mobile computing markets, targeting professional mobile workers connected over the internet and corporate intranets. It has high hopes of its J-Slate rugged Java internet device. Tadpole says that over the past few weeks it has received inquiries from customers interested in deploying J-Slate for military, healthcare, maintenance and customer service applications.
This follows a year when Tadpole cuts its net loss in the 12 months to September 30 to 3.1m pounds ($5m), down from 3.7m pounds ($5.9m) on revenue up 45.7% at 13.6m pounds ($22m).
The figures include those of its 1998 acquisition of arch rival in the market for portable Unix machines, RDI Computer Corp for $6m. Chief executive Bernard Hulme says the fully-integrated Tadpole-RDI operation made a small positive contribution in the second half, before allocation of central costs and settlement of a legal dispute. It has higher revenue in the US Federal market and increased sales through US resellers while reducing operating expenditure.
