After repeated communication-system failures that eventually led to an officer fatality, the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) realized their officers needed communications technology that could keep them continuously connected. The MSHP ran a two-month test in which 18 officers were issued rugged Toughbook laptops while 14 others relied exclusively on two-way radios. The officers using radios had up to a 5-minute wait when trying to get an available frequency. Officers using the laptops had no wait and were able to retrieve background information within seconds. The MSHP chose the Panasonic Toughbook mobile computing solution. In addition to cutting critical communications time from minutes to seconds advantage that could save time and lives—the Toughbook units are built with magnesium alloy cases, shock-mounted hard drives and spill-resistant features designed to withstand moisture, drops and vibrations that officers face out in the field.