Qualcomm Inc.'s MSM6500 chip equips the unit with high-speed cellular datacom capability based on CDMA EV-DO/1xRTT. Voice communication is not supported; field staff and crew leaders will communicate through text messaging.

Several redundancy and flexibility features are incorporated in the device. In case there is no cellular coverage in the area, for example, the handset comes with a dial-up modem.

It also incorporates a USB connector. While software upgrades customarily would be handled in small packets via a wireless network, "the USB connector is there just in case," Murray said, adding that anytime custom-developed software is involved, "glitches can happen."

Few standard mobile phones today offer fingerprint authentication, but in the case of the census device the utility is both an important security measure and an ease-of-use feature. A registered fingerprint becomes the field worker's access key, eliminating the need for workers to remember passwords.

Indeed, the standout feature may be the unit's usability. Ease of use is critical, since, in the field, the device will be deployed by workers with varying technical literacy who may range in age from 18 to 80.

Once a field worker collects data and is out the front door, the information collected is automatically sent to a data center without requiring the field worker to push a "send" button. "It's gone," even without the census worker's knowing, said Murray. Only partially completed data--an interrupted interview, for example--would be saved, in encrypted form, on the unit's SD card without being automatically transmitted, he said.

Data is encrypted upon collection via a Harris-developed software module running on the CPU. The encrypted data is then sent via private network to a data center. A Web portal at the data center makes the data available via a secure network to the regional census office. For encryption, Harris uses a U.S. government computer security standard: Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 140-2.

As for the cost, Murray said that Harris is still negotiating with HTC, but the program will be managed within the $600 million government contract Harris won as system integrator for field data collection automation. Harris won the contract a year ago, beating out finalists General Dynamics and Northrup Grumman.