Get Rugged: the official blog of Juniper Systems

Behind the Name: How Juniper Systems Chose the Perfect Identity for Rugged Computing Devices

by | Oct 16, 2024 | Company happenings | 0 comments

For 31 years Juniper Systems® has served our many partners and customers. We pride ourselves on providing ultra-rugged data collection devices such as the Archer™ 4 Rugged Handheld, the Mesa® 4 Rugged Tablet, the Mesa Pro Rugged Tablet, and the Geode™ GNSS Receiver. The Juniper tree, known for thriving in harsh environments and enduring challenging conditions, serves as an ideal symbol for the company’s products, which are designed to perform in rugged outdoor settings. Whether you’re a gps expert looking for a field service tablet for mapping utilities, or on an assembly line looking for a manufacturing tablet to track inventory, Juniper’s hardware demonstrates endurable robustness. The name represents strength, adaptability, and a commitment to providing dependable tools for industries that require tough, field-ready solutions. But the name Juniper didn’t happen overnight.

The company started in the seed research market and continues to this day as the HarvestMaster™ brand. With data collection handhelds and weight systems, HarvestMaster is a brand that has gained trust over the years within the agriculture research world.  As HarvestMaster has grown, the products evolved to serve other industries such as land surveying, forestry, and geospatial. This evolution of our products led to a renaming of the company, Juniper Systems.

Why Juniper

Our founder, Ron Campbell, grew up on a farm in Juniper, Idaho, but it’s not as simple as naming a company after a town. The company name had to represent our products in its ruggedness and durability.

The Utah Juniper thrives in some of the toughest environments in the Western United States. The gnarled, twisted trunk and fibrous wood are dense and resistant to decay, which allows fallen Junipers to last for many years. But that’s not all. This tough tree contains a root system that penetrates deep into the ground to tap into water sources far below the surface, allowing it to survive long periods without rain. It can also store water within its trunk and branches, and during extreme drought, it may sacrifice portions of its canopy, allowing certain branches to die off to reduce water loss. This Utah native tree also thrives in rocky, alkaline, and nutrient-poor soils where other trees struggle. It can grow on dry, rocky slopes and desert flats and it can withstand both extreme heat and freezing temperatures.

Like the Utah Juniper, Juniper rugged handheld devices are designed to operate in harsh environments, such as industrial settings, outdoors, or in areas with extreme weather. The IP68 rating means it is entirely dustproof and entirely waterproof. This sturdy build means the tablets repel all sorts of elements including dust, mud, and rain.

The similarities don’t stop there. Just like the Utah Juniper tree, Juniper handheld tablets are built to withstand wear and tear. Built with reinforced casings, durable screens, and sealed ports, rugged tablets and handhelds are designed to resist drops and vibrations. The rugged handheld computers come with an aluminum rigid core with bumpers for shock-proof resilience and MIL-STD-810 testing performance standards, safe from drops, shock, vibration, humidity, scorching heat, and frigid cold temperatures. Built to endure the harshest conditions, Juniper rugged devices rise to the occasion when you need them. Like the Utah Juniper’s protective bark, their tough exteriors shield the sensitive internal components, ensuring long-term functionality.

When a Juniper tree conserves water in its trunk, it is evolving with optimally minimal resources.  Similarly, Juniper rugged devices are engineered for power efficiency, allowing them to run longer on a single charge, especially in situations where access to power is limited. Their optimized battery life and efficient processors allow them to function in remote or challenging environments. And just like a Juniper tree, rugged devices are built to last without the constant need for maintenance.

The Utah Juniper and rugged tablets or handhelds represent examples of resilience in their respective domains—natural and technological. Just as the Utah Juniper thrives in the deserts and mountains, Juniper rugged devices are built to represent the name well, excelling in demanding and unforgiving environments.


Juniper Systems is a leading manufacturer of ultra-rugged tablets, rugged android handheld computers, GPS receivers, GIS mapping software, and field computing solutions. Professionals utilize Juniper Systems’ innovative mobile computers in natural resources, utilities and public services, geospatial, agriculture, industrial, and military markets. Visit our website to see how Juniper Systems’ rugged solutions meet all your rugged computing needs.

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