Eliminating the barriers between devices, networks and locations

I often hear that one of the main communication challenges faced by humanitarian organisations is that their personnel require a variety of devices to suit their roles and work environment. The technological diversity this brings about can make it almost impossible to connect simultaneously and share information across a unified platform.

Until now.

Motorola Solutions has developed a network-independent multimedia communication subscription service called WAVE PTX that connects your entire team at the push of a button. Based on broadband Push-to-Talk (PTT), WAVE PTX removes the barriers between devices, networks and locations, allowing you to communicate seamlessly and immediately.

This means that humanitarians can choose the device best suited to their needs, while remaining in touch with the rest of the team. Whether you’re working from a tablet on site or a smartphone or two-way radio out in the field, everyone can join in the conversation.

It’s also extremely simple to set up and operate, saving precious time and keeping costs down. WAVE PTX does not require any infrastructure, deployment time or training, so it offers you the flexibility to get connected quickly and adapt to changing situations. Subscriptions can be scaled according to your workload to increase efficiency and optimise your budget.

Share multimedia information at the touch of a button

Broadband PTT lets teams share videos, photos and files instantly, so that everyone has access to the information they need to be proactive and prepared.

• Mapping and tracking helps to keep personnel safe and can improve response times by informing you of exactly where teams and vehicles are located.  
• Streaming video heightens situational awareness, so that everyone can keep pace with rapidly-changing situations.

There’s also greater security, with group or private PTT calls, discrete listening for high-risk situations, as well as emergency calling and alerting. Location-based communication and remote user checks can provide reassurance for lone workers by helping them to stay in touch.

Focus on what matters most

Fixed annual subscription fees make it easier to keep track of costs and over-the-air updates simplify the management of your devices.

With everyone having access to the information they need, where and when they need it, workflows can be streamlined and personnel can make more informed decisions and respond more effectively.

Humanitarian organisations shouldn’t have to worry about which devices or networks they are dependent upon to stay connected. With WAVE PTX, we’ve taken Push-to-Talk one step further so that you can focus on what matters most and rest assured that your team will be there at the push of a button.

Mimmo Marchetti
East Africa and United Nations Channel
Motorola Solutions
m: +39 | 349 760 2203
www.linkedin.com/in/mimmomarchetti

Mission-critical ecosystem intuitively guides decision-making

Dear Community

We have lived through the pandemic for just over a year and it has brought about much change, requiring us to reimagine the way we work.

Safety has really come to the fore and underpins every decision we make. Without a secure environment, it is virtually impossible to be productive or work efficiently. Yet, we live in a world where we are under ever-increasing pressure to do more with fewer resources, so we need to look to technology to help us increase our capacity.

Following extensive customer research, Motorola Solutions has developed a unique mission-critical ecosystem which is based on the interrelation between safety, efficiency and productivity. Unifying voice, data, video and analytics on a single platform, this ecosystem heralds the next phase of mission-critical capability, going beyond communication and detection to guide decision-making. It will enable humanitarians to be better prepared, more aware, more connected and able to focus on what matters most.

Detect. Analyse. Communicate. Respond.

When disaster strikes, single or multi-agency collaboration can be hampered by a lack of continuity across systems and technology. And valuable hours are often spent having to process data in the office, when teams need to be at the scene of an incident.

The mission-critical ecosystem can help to overcome this, by enabling you to automate operational workflows, saving time and improving accuracy. It combines a powerful portfolio of communication technologies that can detect events as they occur, analyse what is happening, identify where response is needed, communicate with the right stakeholders, then dispatch the closest resources – all from a single view.

The ability to track security breaches, measure body temperature, recognise faces or number plates and see when door alarms are activated offers real-time visibility that contributes towards a safer environment for everyone. Videos and images can be sent automatically from the scene of an incident to alert multiple teams simultaneously, providing more informed decision-making and promoting more effective collaboration.

This is an ecosystem that guides humanitarians to where they are needed most, automating tasks and processes to protect people and assets. It is how smart cities and smart communities work.

Intelligent and intuitive

You might imagine that such a system is complicated to operate, requiring specialised in-house skills which detract from your core responsibilities. In fact, the graphical interface and intuitive functionality makes it surprisingly easy to configure. And Motorola Solutions’ support services are on hand to help you monitor and maintain the system and to minimise downtime. Incident reports can be logged automatically, saving precious hours so that you have more time to focus on your operations.

With this mission-critical ecosystem, we have reimagined safety so that humanitarian organisations can continue to deal efficiently and productively with an increasing number of incidents without compromise.

Mimmo Marchetti
East Africa and United Nations Channel
Motorola Solutions
m: +39 | 349 760 2203
www.linkedin.com/in/mimmomarchetti

Adapting to rapidly changing times

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been felt right across the globe. None of us know how long it will last, but one thing we can be certain of is that it will have an impact long after the virus has been contained.

The socio-economic challenges Covid-19 presents are already becoming evident. In some areas where this has been most immediately and acutely apparent, it has been exacerbated by political unrest and a surge in refugees.

We all know that the future is unpredictable, but planning ahead for a rapidly changing world is even more complex. Limited budgets could become tighter, while demands are likely to grow and priorities may change frequently. So, organisations will need to be more agile in how they allocate funding and more scrupulous in their use of existing resources and infrastructure.

Turning Capex into Opex

Collaboration across humanitarian agencies is one way to help optimise resources, although this can be complicated by disparate communication systems.  Based on insight from working side-by-side with humanitarians for many years, Motorola Solutions has developed a service offering that can be customised to meet individual needs.

Under the umbrella of “Managed Services” it allows you to pick the solutions that suit your operation and to pay based on usage. In this way, you reduce your initial investment and can more accurately forecast your operating expenses.

Covering everything from product and implementation to technical support, repair, preventative maintenance, network monitoring and upgrades, Managed Services enables humanitarian organisations to avoid the distraction of trying to keep pace with technology and to stay focused on saving and improving lives.

How it works

We have integrated Managed Services across our ecosystem comprised of mission-critical communications, tracking systems, Command Centre software, video security & analytics and support services. This modular system has been created to optimise situational awareness and real-time intelligence so that the most important information can flow quickly and seamlessly throughout your organisation.

With Managed Services you have peace of mind that your communications technology will be there when you need it, keeping teams in touch and informed.

An example of such a service is WAVE PTX, our subscription-based, Push-To-Talk cloud solution. It has been designed specifically to enable teams like humanitarians to connect across different networks and locations instantly and share information regardless of device and service provider.

WAVE PTX offers you the flexibility of additional capacity when you need it, without a significant upfront investment. Fixed usage costs also make it easier to manage your budget and maximise your available resources.

And it doesn’t have to stop there. Video -as-a-Service (Vaas) is gaining momentum in various parts of the world. It will not be long before we have pay-as-you-go programmes for body-worn cameras, fixed video and other surveillance solutions that include hardware, software, support and services.  This will enable you to capture information and share it in real time to promote more intelligent decision-making and a more efficient response to crisis situations.  

Here to support you

Motorola Solutions has been a trusted partner in mission-critical communications for over 90 years. Whatever challenges may come our way, we will continue to stand side-by-side with you, helping you to support vulnerable communities and save lives.

If you’d like to know more about how you can gain greater financial flexibility without compromising on safety or efficiency, get in touch with me.

Best wishes for a healthy, safe and peaceful new year.

Mimmo Marchetti
United Nations and International Accounts Manager
Motorola Solutions
m: +39 | 349 760 2203
www.linkedin.com/in/mimmomarchetti

Changing the way we communicate

We are facing a particular moment in time when we are all being called upon to change our habits and lifestyles. It is a time when prevention and control, along with a deep sense of accountability to ourselves as well as to others, have become the key elements in this historical change.

Our way of communicating is changing too, becoming more focused on information that really matters in these challenging times. The need for collaboration is greater than ever before and the focus on communities has become even more important.

Motorola Solutions has always worked closely with our customers, listening to what end users need to help them face new challenges and having the agility to adapt quickly to changing situations. So as we consider how to support your humanitarian operations through these uncertain times, I would like to talk about communication, tracking, security, and logistics.

Communication

Responding promptly to emergency situations during the Covid-19 pandemic means allowing people to continue to communicate, while observing social distancing which makes face-to-face interactions difficult.

Motorola Solutions is enabling secure communications by allowing operators to use their existing devices, such as smartphones, to connect instantly and seamlessly across networks. In fact, we have made our Push-to-Talk service available to key workers free of charge for the first three months.

Tracking

This is becoming the most critical area for all organisations, particularly for monitoring outbreaks and affected people, as well as for protecting humanitarian workers. The good news is that our tracking solutions can natively integrate with Covid-19 real-time monitoring features, to make this task easier and more efficient to manage.

Security

Another area which is even more relevant today, is enabling the interception of possible Covid-19 cases before they access any protected areas, camps, or buildings. Our video analytics solutions now include all the capabilities to enable correct upfront screening and to continue to support operations in a safe manner.
Occupancy counting, face mask detection and thermal elevated temperature detection are just a few examples of how we have adapted our video solutions to Covid-19 emergency response.

Logistics

The pandemic has had a huge impact on the availability of resources as well as budgets. Having real-time visibility of goods enables you to make them available as soon as they are needed, reducing wastage and spoilage. Our mission for humanitarian support is also to help you increase efficiency by having all critical equipment protected and inventoried.

And last but not least is the importance of integration. All service providers are changing their support models due to the limitations imposed by travel restrictions. New remote support models, both for deployment and for certification and training, are available to keep you updated and in touch throughout this crisis.

These are some of the measures we have put in place to help humanitarian organisations to continue to deploy solutions rapidly and cost-efficiently.

For further information, click on this link to access our Covid-19 Response Technology brochure.

We are planning some webinars with our subject matter experts to cover the above topics in the near future, so stay tuned. I am available for any questions in the meantime, so please do get in touch.

We are here to listen and to help.

Stay safe and stay well.

Mimmo Marchetti                                             

United Nations and International Accounts Manager

Early warnings can be sent securely and rapidly from the scene of an incident, saving minutes and possibly lives.

Natural and man-made disasters or early alerts for refugee camps are familiar situations which humanitarians face and two-way radio continues to be extremely effective for one-to-one and one-to-many communication in such situations. So, how could this capability be extended to make it possible to broadcast mass notifications when a disaster occurs or an evacuation needs to be carried out?

Expanding the capabilities of traditional PA systems

One of the biggest challenges in disaster situations is a lack of mobile phone coverage within the affected areas. Traditional PA systems have been used to distribute mass notifications by broadcasting from desk-based microphones or through pre-recorded messages. But, what if guards and security officers were able to use their MOTOTRBO (DMR) or TETRA radios to broadcast an alarm as soon as a critical situation arises at a camp site or base? Minutes could be saved by enabling those closest to an incident to react and this can be achieved easily, today.

Motorola Solutions’ mission-critical IoT system can connect to your early warning sirens using your existing TETRA or MOTOTRBO network. The siren data and voice recordings are transported via the digital radio network to identified siren alarm locations. Not only does this allow alerts and announcements to be sent using two-way radios, it also leverages the inherent security of the digital radio network for more robust, end-to-end protection.

A customisable graphic user interface makes it easy to manage and control your sirens remotely. Activation and announcements can be made by selecting individual sirens or groups and zones and these can be programmed to send out alerts automatically, as well as enabling live broadcasts. You can also view events as they occur or store them for analysis afterwards and the system can be expanded to accommodate future growth.

Less infrastructure, lower costs, greater security

There are several ways in which our Early Warning Smart Siren solution can benefit humanitarian operations - including peace keeping missions, disaster response and development agencies:

1. Interoperability: As the sirens can be monitored and controlled using your existing digital radio infrastructure, there is no need to set up a new communication backhaul or additional repeater sites.  The solution is also siren- vendor neutral and scalable. And for even greater reliability, redundant LTE options can be added to ensure the sirens are activated whenever needed.
2. End-to-end security: Tone-based sirens can be easily hacked and this makes them vulnerable to misuse. False siren activations could cause havoc at humanitarian sites and even put lives at risk. By migrating your existing siren system to your TETRA/MOTOTRBO network, you can inherit the redundancy and security of the digital radio network, making your early warning system much more resilient.
3. Cost-effective: The ability to integrate sirens from different vendors and to use your existing digital radio infrastructure keeps costs down without compromising security.

Keeping communities safer

Disasters are becoming more frequent due to more extreme weather patterns and increased threats to public safety. They’re also largely unpredictable and potentially devastating, so a robust early-warning mass notification system is critical. Providing early, clear and continuous communication during an emergency, these systems can help humanitarians to work more effectively and keep communities safer.

Why should you replace your analogue radios with digital (DMR) radios?

Throughout my travels and interactions with humanitarians in the field, there is one question which keeps on coming up: “Why did Motorola phase out analogue radios…? They worked so well!”  This suggests to me that many users do not see value in replacing their analogue radios with digital (DMR) radios.

If you consider DMR as a mere substitute for analogue, then you are absolutely right in your thinking: there aren’t many apparent benefits to everyday radio checks, whether you are using DMR or analogue. But then you are missing out on all the vast benefits which DMR has to offer over analogue.  And one of the real values lies in its capability for integrated data.

Life in the humanitarian world isn’t just about “checking in” regularly. It’s about unpredictable situations and how well you can respond to them. It’s not about an ideal world, where networks are stable and reliable. It’s a world where harsh environments, extreme weather conditions and volatility can occur without warning.

How well can analogue radio support you in those conditions?

Setting aside the intrinsic features of a DMR radio - such as man-down, geolocation, etc. - which can support lone workers in potentially dangerous areas out in the field, I would like to bring up capabilities that are not seen as the primary benefits of a digital system. These are all around data transfer.

Sending vital information where it needs to go, as quickly as possible

What happens when lone workers who need to send life-saving or critical transactions (such as acknowledgements, beneficiary registrations or animal counting for wildlife conservation) are without any connection to an ISP or basic communication infrastructure? This is the reality of the situations humanitarians face.

DMR comes to the fore when you need to transfer critical data quickly and securely to improve the safety of your personnel and the communities you serve. Whether via Bluetooth or WiFi, you can connect virtually any device to a digital radio.

You can transfer data - from a simple text message to financial transactions or job tickets - at the same time as voice, meaning that the network does not cut off communications and you can prioritise and override channels as needed. This ensures that the most vital information gets to where it needs to go, as quickly as possible.  

DMR also allows you to track the movement of personnel and vehicles in real time, keeping up to date as events unfold and making the most of limited time and resources in disaster situations. The ability to access and share crucial information enables people to make more informed decisions and more accurately assess situations, which could save more lives and improve the efficiency of everyday operations.

Analogue radio simply cannot achieve that.  

So, that is why we have phased out analogue radios.  DMR takes two-way radio communication way beyond basic voice functionality, expanding possibilities and helping humanitarians to be their best in the moments that matter.

When we meet again, I will be elaborating on the capabilities of DMR by taking a closer look at interoperability (IoP) and exploring the differences between private and commercial broadband.

If you’d like more information about how Motorola Solutions’ DMR portfolio can support your operations, get in touch with me, or click on the links below:

• Solutions for Humanitarian Organisations
• MOTOTRBO DMR: Keep connected when conditions are toughest
• TETRA: Digital radio for mission critical communications

Mimmo Marchetti

United Nations and International Accounts Manager