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    • New digital radio system cleared for takeoff at London Gatwick Airport - Author Sean Fitzgerald

      Published Dec 09 2016, 8:16 PM by Clare McFarlane

      London Gatwick Airport to deploy Motorola Solutions MOTOTRBO™ Capacity Max voice and data communications network to underpin growth and bring safety and efficiency improvements to ground staff, security and maintenance teams.

      • New system will double capacity, maximising voice and data performance for 1,300 airport staff
      • System is resilient, secure and scalable to meet the airport’s needs now and in the future

      Gatwick is one of the United Kingdom’s most important transport hubs, with more than 4.6 million passengers travelling through it this July alone.

      The launch of the MOTOTRBO Capacity Max system at Gatwick – a joint project with authorised channel partner Servicom - will bring enhanced voice and data communications to 1,300 users both airside and groundside. Ground staff, security personnel and maintenance teams across the airport will all benefit from the new innovation, and there are plans in place for further expansion.

      The new Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) system will double the capacity of the existing analogue network and is fully scalable, in readiness for the airport’s ongoing growth.

      “We chose Motorola Solutions’ MOTOTRBO Capacity Max system not only for how resilient and secure it is, but because of the flexibility it offers us now and into the future.

      We have experienced significant growth over the past decade and we are now approaching the limits of our previous analogue system. Migrating to scalable, digital communications will double our capacity and bring new capabilities that will help us improve efficiency and safety for staff, retail partners and passengers across the airport."
      - Simon Telling, IT project manager at Gatwick Airport Limited.


      In addition to reliable and secure voice communications, airside and groundside teams at Gatwick will also be able to take advantage of Capacity Max’s powerful data performance with new applications.

      These include TRBOnet PLUS, a dispatcher application that enables voice recording, mapping and event logging in the control room, and iBeacon indoor positioning, which allows alerts to be sent to individual radios based on location. With the new system, central controllers can dispatch the closest employee to an incident, saving staff valuable time.

      Other built-in functions include settings for lone workers, geo-fencing to create restricted areas and automated escalation protocols, which will bring upgraded safety and security capabilities.

      As the hardware is connected to WiFi, software updates can be sent to equipment quickly and with less load on the radio network.

      "It has been a great pleasure to work with our partners at Servicom on this next generation solution for London Gatwick Airport. Through our strong partnership and focus on customer requirements, we are introducing best-in-class business technology that will support efficiency, security and safety at the airport now and for many years to come.

      Thanks to settings on the new devices which enable them to work on both the analogue network and the new Capacity Max system, the migration will take place through a phased roll-out with minimal disruption to working processes, another important advantage at a busy airport.”
      - Vivienne Francis, EMEA Vice President Channel Sales & Operations at Motorola Solutions

      If you’d like to join the conversation about communication solutions across transport hubs, we’d be delighted to welcome you to the Motorola Solutions Community EMEA LinkedIn Group.

      Sean Fitzgerald is Senior Solutions Marketing Manager at Motorola Solutions
      Connect with Sean on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sean-fitzgerald/1/705/4a0

    • The 5C's of Radio Communication That Can Transform Airport Operations - Author Danielle Doo

      Published Dec 09 2016, 8:16 PM by Clare McFarlane

      Can communication really be expected to boost efficiency across transport networks?

      Despite the surge in smartphone use in the workplace, two-way radios have remained the dominant technology for push-to-talk communications, this is particularly apparent when you consider the many hundreds or thousands of workers at an airport. Why is this? Two-way radios are designed for the job. Not only are they rugged and durable, with extremely long battery life and loud, clear audio but they also offer a secure and reliable network in a time when we are facing the need for heightened security and communication simply cannot fail.

      From check-in desks through to security, boarding gates and the runway themselves your users 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 balancing the practicalities of sometimes harsh working environments with the need for a sleek design for passenger-facing employees. From extra loud speakers, noise-canceling microphones, glove friendly ergonomics, extreme temperature ratings, purpose built accessories, intrinsically safe models to integrated smartphone PTT applications such as WAVE PTT that ensures individuals and teams are connected regardless of the device they are using. The 5 Cs are the basics of what makes Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) such a widely-used communications tool, with more than 40 million two-way radios in use globally.

      1. COVERAGE
      Designed to meet specific requirements, whether it is a single terminal or a multi site airport facility encompassing offsite parking, aeroplane hangars and maintenance facilities as well as multiple passenger and cargo terminals and on to the runways.
      2. CAPACITY
      Engineered to address peak usage, using dedicated licensed spectrum and right-sized to each airport’s specific needs – so calls always get through.
      3. COST
      Predictable costs, with no additional airtime fees like those associated with commercial mobile phone networks.
      4. CONTROL
      High degree of control over system requirements, design, priorities, security, and operation – allowing a system to be configured for a specific use case.
      5. CAPABILITIES
      Features and capabilities that enable safety and productivity for users such as location services, added encryption/security, text messaging, telemetry, radio programming and other enhanced features.


      The 5th C(apabilities) is the game changer.
      These capabilities continue to drive the usage of PMR in airports and will continue to propel usage for time to come. Let’s take a look at the 5th C in more detail...

      Efficiency and Productivity Capabilities (data applications)
      Modern, IP-enabled digital radio systems offer data capabilities. Radio systems might not offer broadband data speeds, but they allow you to deliver data services within your custom designed coverage area, with the capacity you need, without facing additional data airtime cost and give you 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 workers, by connecting sensors to radios via Bluetooth
      • Send status alerts, call outs and text messages (free form and one-touch canned messaging)
      • Coordinate work order tickets for example sending aircraft engineers or cleaning services to a plane immediately after it has touched down to ensure fast turnaround times
      • Keep track of your staff and assets using locations services (such as GPS outdoors, Bluetooth locations sensors indoors)
      • Set up telemetry and SCADA to let your machines talk to each other to maintain everyday operations and quickly identify security breaches
      • Manage your fleet of radios over-the-air

      Secure Communication Capabilities
      Security is a big topic these days, especially for airports. With PMR 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 TETRA systems. Trusted by tactical teams and government organisations, TETRA secures the most sensitive data.

      Safety and Reliability Capabilities
      In terms of safety, PMR really shines with its heritage in public safety communications and features like: prioritisation 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 prioritised and radio traffic is load balanced. In case of a mobile network overload, you need to be sure your staff will be able communicate on their radio network or in direct mode. 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.

      If you wish to explore in more detail how critical communications solutions can help airports overcome challenges such as security, capacity overload and quality of service download our latest guide to communication"From Drop-Off To Take-Off".

      If you’d like to join the conversation about communication in hazardous environments, we’d be delighted to welcome you to the Motorola Solutions Community EMEA LinkedIn Group.

      Danielle Doo, Marketing Solutions Manager, Motorola Solutions
      Connect with Danielle on LinkedIn at https://uk.linkedin.com/in/danielle-doo-97b31283

    • Motorola Solutions Enhances Airport Safety and Efficiency

      Published Dec 09 2016, 8:16 PM by Clare McFarlane

      Motorola Solutions Enhances Airport Safety and EfficiencyStuttgart Airport and Baden-Airpark selects Motorola Solutions broadband push-to-talk platform WAVE™ to connect public safety personnel, airport workers and supporting organizations at like never before.
       
      • WAVE Work Group Communications connects TETRA with disparate networks, including Wi-Fi, cellular and telephone landlines
      • Integrated control room communications enable faster reaction in cases of emergency between airport organisations as well as fire and rescue services
      • Airport authorities sign comprehensive long-term service contract with Motorola Solutions

      Long term Motorola Solutions customer, Stuttgart Airport identified the need to extend the airport’s communications beyond its TETRA rollout to ensure greater workforce connectively, interoperability and collaboration. Connecting the DIMETRA™ TETRA system with broadband devices and networks using WAVE - a powerful PTT platform – ensures public safety personnel and workers at the airport can join the broadband platform via smartphones, computers, other radios or telephones from virtually any location.

      The future-proof technology extension follows a long-term communications strategy of the airport authorities. After the consolidation of the control rooms for fire departments and rescue services, the officials were looking for an integrated, secure communications system for all users – from ramp agents and baggage handlers to external workgroups such as cleaning organizations. Motorola Solutions provided this solution based on its WAVE platform combined with a refresh of its DIMETRA IP Compact TETRA radio network and its MCC 7500 IP Dispatch Console for integrated control room operations.

      “We have been relying on Motorola Solutions’ TETRA digital radio solutions since 2009 and successfully expanded our DIMETRA IP Compact system to Baden-Airpark in 2013. Extending our TETRA network to other user groups at the airport was a logical step for us to increase efficiencies and to help us provide the best possible service to our passengers.”
      - Matthias Kolb, Head of Information and Communication Services at Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH

      Airport officials can now easily communicate and dispatch out individual responders or groups in the TETRA network using the WAVE Advanced Desktop Communicator. The employees can even establish a connection with a public provider network to ensure a smooth and seamless communication at any time.

      “A secure, reliable and interoperable communications system is crucial for airports in order to guarantee safe journeys for all passengers. Our WAVE PTT platform and our TETRA technology provide control rooms with the unmatched capability to reach across multiple user applications and resources for enhanced response coordination and greater efficiencies.”
      - Klaus-Dieter Drossel, Sales Director for Key Accounts, Motorola Solutions Germany GmbH

      LONG-TERM SERVICE AGREEMENT SIGNED
      For future-proof system stability and resilience of the communications system, the airport authorities have signed a comprehensive agreement covering software, hardware, and implementation as well as maintenance and repair services.

      If you’d like to join the conversation about communication for operational effectiveness across airports, we’d be delighted to welcome you to the Motorola Solutions Community EMEA LinkedIn Group.


      Klaus-Dieter Drossel,
      Sales Director for Key Accounts, Motorola Solutions Germany GmbH.
      Connect with Klaus-Dieter on LinkedIn at https://de.linkedin.com/in/klausdieterdrossel

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