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May 29, 2013We have plenty of people at BearCom with decades of experience in two-way radios and other wireless products and solutions, but no one here can match the longevity of Chester Matusek. At 91, Chester is perhaps the oldest and longest-tenured employee of Motorola Solutions. The Algonquin, Illinois, resident is a metal mold maker who has worked on some of Motorola's most famous products, including the first DynaTAC cell phone. "At the metal shop, we were involved in everything at Motorola," Chester said in a recent story in suburban Chicago's Daily Herald newspaper. "I really liked working on the DynaTAC. That was an interesting job. Right now, I am repairing World War II walkie-talkies, because people like to talk on them when they visit our museum. It's not easy getting them up
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May 22, 2013Nearly five months after the FCC's narrowbanding deadline, people are still talking about the mandate for users of two way radios to convert to 12.5 kHz technology. Among them is Al Ittner, Senior Manager of Spectrum Strategy for Motorola Solutions. Ittner was in Houston last week to speak at the Utilities Telecom Council's annual conference. His topic was "Narrowbanding: I Missed the Deadline. Now What?" The narrowbanding mandate from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is familiar to most everyone who works with two way radios. After all, the FCC began the narrowbanding initiative way back in 1992 in order to increase capacity and efficiency for the industrial/business and public safety radio pools in the private land mobile radio services category. In its simplest form, the mandate requires public agencies and companies that use two way radios to upgrade their technology. The FCC set the deadline of January 1, 2013,
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May 14, 2013Some executives shy away from social media networks or leave the tweeting to other professionals on their staffs. But Motorola Solutions Chairman & CEO Greg Brown sure doesn't appear to be one of them. Brown's Twitter feed (@GregBrownMoto) shows that he is a leader, is interested in politics, and loves his sports teams. "One of the most unbelievable Bulls games ever. One for the ages!" he said after a triple-overtime Chicago win on April 27. Brown also cheers hard for his alma mater: "Rutgers had seven players taken in this year's NFL draft, second only to Alabama. Congratulations to the Scarlet Knights." Brown also has tweeted about the Congressional deal making on the so-called fiscal cliff, the failure of cyber security legislation, and even the elections in Greece. He talks about his time with everyone from Ben Bernanke and Henry Kissinger to Bruno Mars and Bobby Flay, his visit to
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May 07, 2013BearCom is out with the latest edition of Today's Wireless World, our award-winning magazine that focuses on the latest innovations in wireless technology. This issue is all about solutions for manufacturers. Available in digital and print formats, the Special Manufacturing Issue of Today's Wireless World focuses on how manufacturers are using wireless technology to solve problems and increase productivity. It discusses how, with two-way radios, analog technology has given way to advanced digital systems, like the MOTOTRBO line from industry leader Motorola Solutions. "Today's Wireless World provides a wealth of information on the ongoing improvements in wireless technology," BearCom President & CEO Jerry Denham said in a
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April 30, 2013Businesses are always looking for options, and a once-important wireless communications option is going away on June 30, 2013. That's the date the Nextel National Network is being officially decommissioned. With just two months left, plenty of businesses are considering their options to replace their push-to-talk communications systems; and BearCom has them.
Nextel Network Shut Down
To highlight the choices available, BearCom this week published a white paper, Considering All the Options for Replacing Nextel Push-to-Talk Communications Services. In it, BearCom reminds organizations impacted by the shutdown that they have choices from among push-to-talk phone systems but can consider two-way -
April 24, 2013
Which one is Right for your Business Two-Way Radios or Cell Phones?
As companies evaluate their wireless communications needs, the discussion often turns to the relative merits of cell phones and two-way radios. Today, we're continuing our own review of the points of comparison generally used when evaluating the two technologies. The first post in this series explored overall communications philosophy and urgency. As we turn to questions of coverage, reliability, and security, we see again that frequently it's not a question of which technology is better, but which is better suited to a specific situation. You've heard the commercials. There's a reason that a major cellular phone company uses the catchphrase, "Can you hear me now?" Cell phone networks are notorious for dead spots, dropped calls, and service-level issues. Ever tried sending a text message from a crowded -
April 17, 2013Motorola Solutions makes some of the toughest two-way radios on the market, and this fall, a couple of them will be put to the ultimate test during an amazing expedition being sponsored in part by BearCom.
BearCom's Involvement with Expedition Outreach
Expedition Outreach, a charitable organization based in Boston, will be traveling to Iceland in August to try and set the Guinness Book World Record for the fastest alpine face-first luge. Team leader Michael Coyne, who already holds the world record for the highest-altitude luge run, will attempt to be the fastest person on Earth using an alpine skeleton-style sled. -
April 09, 2013What do you do when you help stage a fun event that raises a bunch of money for a great cause? You do it again! And that's what BearCom and Motorola Solutions have done in committing to again be the lead sponsors of an annual golf tournament that benefits wounded warriors and their families in North Texas.
BearCom and Motorolla Solutions Support Wounded Warriors with Golf Tournament
The 2013 AUSA Wounded Warrior Golf Classic is scheduled for October 14 at Firewheel Golf Park in Garland, Texas, a Dallas suburb. It promises to be even bigger than last year's tournament, which attracted some 200 golfers from around the country to the Dallas area. That event featured contests, giveaways, food, displays of military vehicles, and a touching musical performance. Best of all, it raised a tournament-record $56,380 for two local charities that assist injured servicemen -
April 02, 2013The latest public notice from the Federal Communications (FCC) on its narrowbanding mandate confirms two points that should be of interest to organizations that depend on two-way radio communication. First, the FCC intends to go ahead with plans to verify compliance with the mandate, and second, users who have yet to make the technology switch can still avoid the promised penalties. The FCC said the purpose of its March 14 Public Notice was to "provide guidance" to various stakeholders about the conversion from 25 kHz to 12.5 kHz technology, the deadline for which was January 1. Despite years of reminders, many licensees pushed the deadline or missed it entirely, leaving the FCC with a backlog of waivers and waiver requests with which to deal. Statistics kept by the Department of Homeland Security indicate that nearly 22% of
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March 27, 2013BearCom has announced that Paul Moore is the company's new Eastern Regional Director and that Rick Watson will replace Paul as General Manager of our branch office in Atlanta. I met Paul last June, when he spoke to me for our article on the Atlanta branch. In his new role, Paul will be responsible for all the branches in BearCom's Eastern Region, which stretches from New England to South Florida. Based in Atlanta, he will report to BearCom's President & CEO, Jerry Denham.
New Regional Director and General Manager
Paul joined BearCom as the Atlanta branch office General Manager in 2012, following seven years at Motorola, where he was a Senior National Accounts Manager. Moore has previously played leading roles with several category leaders, including Dannon, Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble—and now, BearCom. "Paul Moore has been an agent for change for some of the most recognized names in American business," Jerry Denham said in announcing Paul's new role.