Last month I posted a blog about the 4 Cs that drive the use of private land mobile radio systems. For a quick review of the 4 Cs, they are:
- Coverage - designed to meet specific requirements, whether it is a single-site warehouse or a multi-site manufacturing operation
- Capacity - engineered to address peak usage, using dedicated licensed spectrum and right-sized to each organization’s specific needs, so calls always get through
- Cost - predictable costs, with no additional airtime fees like those associated with cell phones
- Control - high degree of control over system requirements, design, priorities, features, and operation – allowing a system to be configured for a specific use case
As a follow up to that blog, I wanted to spend some time on the 5th C: Capabilities. The 4 Cs are the basics of what makes Land Mobile Radio such a widely used tool, with more than 40 million analog radios in use globally.
Illustration Credit: DMR Association, August 2010
The 5th C is the game changer. What are some of the capabilities that further drive the usage of Land Mobile Radio in the enterprise?
- Purpose-built devices and networks
- Data applications to increase efficiency and productivity
- Secure communications
- Safety and reliability features
Purpose built devices and radio networks
Organizations have different communications requirements based on the environments they work in. Employees may work in high noise environments, on extended shifts, outdoors in the hot and cold, or in dangerous environments that require intrinsically safe devices. Different use cases may require devices that can be used with gloves, include displays or operate hands free. Supervisors may not carry a radio but need to interoperate with radio users from a smartphone. Purpose- built radios designed for specific use cases can meet all of these needs from extra loud speakers, noise-canceling microphones, glove friendly ergonomics, extreme temperature ratings, purpose built accessories, s intrinsically safe models plus integrated smartphone PTT applications such as MOTOTRBO Anywhere.
Data applications to drive efficiency and productivity
Modern, IP-enabled digital radio systems offer data capabilities. Sure radio systems do not offer broadband data speeds, but with the power of the 4 Cs you can deliver your data within your custom designed coverage area, with the capacity you need, without facing additional data airtime cost and exactly the control you need. So with data capabilities, what more can you do?
- Query databases, identify (price, inventory, licensing), stock codes, (price, inventory, licensing)
- Monitor biometric data such as the heart rate of a firefighter
- Send text messages (freeform and one-touch canned messaging)
- Link to email gateways so you can send an email directly to the radio
- Coordinate work order tickets for example sending room service or cleaning services in a hotel
- Locate staff and assets (GPS -outdoor, Bluetooth -indoor)
- Customize your system to your operation via Application Program Interfaces
- Set up telemetry to let your machines talk to each other
- Manage your fleet over-the-air
Check out a utility company using Bluetooth™ barcode scanners to capture and send a work-order ticket using their MOTOTRBO radios.
Secure Communications
Security is a big topic these days, from consumer data breaches to cyberattacks. With Land Mobile Radio you control who can listen to your voice and data traffic. In addition there are many security features to secure your voice and data traffic, from business level secure voice encryption to government certified end-to-end encryption with features such as over-the-air encryption key management in P25 and Tetra systems. From communications on the battlefield to government agencies, land mobile radio secures the most sensitive data.
Safety and Reliability Features
In terms of safety, land mobile radio really shines with its heritage in public safety communications and features like: prioritization to clear communications channels during emergencies, dedicated emergency buttons on radios to call for help and man-down and lone-worker features to keep your workforce safe.
To be safe, your communications must be reliable. Your calls need to always get through so there are features built in to make sure calls are prioritized and radio traffic is load balanced. Systems can be designed to be resilient from redundant backhaul links at remote radio sites to redundant system controllers and back-up power. Plus radio always has the fall-back of direct mode/simplex/talkaround operation so communications can occur directly between radios in a peer to peer fashion without the need for infrastructure.
Capabilities – the 5th C is the game changer
So when considering wireless communications remember Capabilities can be the real game changer providing a device that is built to your specific needs, with additional data functionality to augment your voice communications and a reliable system that provides always available communications at the push of a button. So let’s add capability to the other 4 C’s - coverage, capacity, cost, and control -to really differentiates land mobile radios as a one of a kind operational tool to make your enterprise operate as efficiently as possible and keep your employees safe.
Which “C” do you think is most critical? I would like to hear from you how the 5Cs of radio communications make a difference in your organization – please leave your comments below.
John Kedzierski is Motorola Solutions Director of Government Product and Solutions Marketing and previously the Motorola Solutions Area Sales Manager for the states of Illinois and Indiana.
Read additional blogs by John Kedzierski:
Crime Technology of the Future, Here Today
The 4 C's and Why Two-way Radios are Everywhere
How LMR and LTE Work Together for Public Safety
How to Easily Connect Over LMR, LTE and Smartphones: Interoperability from Radio to Smartphone and Beyond
Entries » Blog » The 5th C of Land Mobile Radio: Capabilities
The 5th C of Land Mobile Radio: Capabilities
Last month I posted a blog about the 4 Cs that drive the use of private land mobile radio systems. For a quick review of the 4 Cs, they are:
As a follow up to that blog, I wanted to spend some time on the 5th C: Capabilities. The 4 Cs are the basics of what makes Land Mobile Radio such a widely used tool, with more than 40 million analog radios in use globally.
Illustration Credit: DMR Association, August 2010
The 5th C is the game changer. What are some of the capabilities that further drive the usage of Land Mobile Radio in the enterprise?
Purpose built devices and radio networks
Organizations have different communications requirements based on the environments they work in. Employees may work in high noise environments, on extended shifts, outdoors in the hot and cold, or in dangerous environments that require intrinsically safe devices. Different use cases may require devices that can be used with gloves, include displays or operate hands free. Supervisors may not carry a radio but need to interoperate with radio users from a smartphone. Purpose- built radios designed for specific use cases can meet all of these needs from extra loud speakers, noise-canceling microphones, glove friendly ergonomics, extreme temperature ratings, purpose built accessories, s intrinsically safe models plus integrated smartphone PTT applications such as MOTOTRBO Anywhere.
Data applications to drive efficiency and productivity
Modern, IP-enabled digital radio systems offer data capabilities. Sure radio systems do not offer broadband data speeds, but with the power of the 4 Cs you can deliver your data within your custom designed coverage area, with the capacity you need, without facing additional data airtime cost and exactly the control you need. So with data capabilities, what more can you do?
Check out a utility company using Bluetooth™ barcode scanners to capture and send a work-order ticket using their MOTOTRBO radios.
Secure Communications
Security is a big topic these days, from consumer data breaches to cyberattacks. With Land Mobile Radio you control who can listen to your voice and data traffic. In addition there are many security features to secure your voice and data traffic, from business level secure voice encryption to government certified end-to-end encryption with features such as over-the-air encryption key management in P25 and Tetra systems. From communications on the battlefield to government agencies, land mobile radio secures the most sensitive data.
Safety and Reliability Features
In terms of safety, land mobile radio really shines with its heritage in public safety communications and features like: prioritization to clear communications channels during emergencies, dedicated emergency buttons on radios to call for help and man-down and lone-worker features to keep your workforce safe.
To be safe, your communications must be reliable. Your calls need to always get through so there are features built in to make sure calls are prioritized and radio traffic is load balanced. Systems can be designed to be resilient from redundant backhaul links at remote radio sites to redundant system controllers and back-up power. Plus radio always has the fall-back of direct mode/simplex/talkaround operation so communications can occur directly between radios in a peer to peer fashion without the need for infrastructure.
Capabilities – the 5th C is the game changer
So when considering wireless communications remember Capabilities can be the real game changer providing a device that is built to your specific needs, with additional data functionality to augment your voice communications and a reliable system that provides always available communications at the push of a button. So let’s add capability to the other 4 C’s - coverage, capacity, cost, and control -to really differentiates land mobile radios as a one of a kind operational tool to make your enterprise operate as efficiently as possible and keep your employees safe.
Which “C” do you think is most critical? I would like to hear from you how the 5Cs of radio communications make a difference in your organization – please leave your comments below.
John Kedzierski is Motorola Solutions Director of Government Product and Solutions Marketing and previously the Motorola Solutions Area Sales Manager for the states of Illinois and Indiana.
Read additional blogs by John Kedzierski:
Crime Technology of the Future, Here Today
The 4 C's and Why Two-way Radios are Everywhere
How LMR and LTE Work Together for Public Safety
How to Easily Connect Over LMR, LTE and Smartphones: Interoperability from Radio to Smartphone and Beyond