The Apple iOS certified CHS 7Xi and 7XiRx and the associated SocketScan 10 SDK enable developers to add commercial-grade barcode scanning capabilities to their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch applications.

The SDK also supports many other smartphone, tablet, notebook and desktop platforms, including Android, BlackBerry and Windows.

The Cook Scan solution will be initially deployed in the US and Canada to over 600 field representatives for use with their inventories, and will be used in over 1,000 hospitals to manage consignment inventories.

Cook Medical sales operations manager Scott Todd said the Cook Scan solution reduces the amount of time that their field-based representatives need to spend tracking their inventory and also increases data accuracy.

"It also helps provide more effective inventory management by keeping a closer watch of inventory turns, and allows us to rotate products that are nearing expiration," Todd said.

Socket Mobile data collection product manager Samantha Chu said as the number of applications for smartphones and tablets continues to grow, particularly in the field service sector and within the healthcare market segment, it is increasingly important to have a high-performance barcode scanner that is capable of preserving data accuracy while also being compatible with a range of operating systems and platforms popular among end users.