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April 29, 2014The Internet of Things (IoT) is a topic that continues to garner media attention by the terabyte. Now the IoT is moving beyond the trade journals and industry blogs to find a place in more mainstream publications. The Huffington Post recently took a look at the IoT, and it reached out to BearCom for some perspective. Business at the Dawn of the Internet of Things by Huffington Post contributor James Moore makes the point that, "Adoption of the IoT as an inevitability also begins to create new business for technology companies as other key markets approach the slowdown caused by saturation. Consumers and the general public may not even be aware of the beginning of the IoT or consider it a potential reality, but hardware and software manufacturers are already seeing its economic
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April 16, 2014Three years ago this month, we started this blog, the BearCom Bulletin, to keep you updated on the news coming from BearCom, our partners, and the whole wireless world. In my very first post, I said, "Over the coming weeks and months, it is our intention to use this space to inform, educate, advocate, challenge, and salute. We hope to do so in a way that will enlighten and, at least occasionally, entertain you." That was three years, more than 150 posts, and an estimated 15,000 visits ago! To celebrate, we're taking a look back at our most popular posts so far—and the most popular stories of all involve people young and old who show their enthusiasm for wireless communications technology. We told you about Chester Matusek, at 91 years old the oldest Motorola Solutions employee
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3M Peltor Accessories Analog Apps BearCom BridgeWave Call Boxes Cambium Networks Cell Phones David Clark Digital Eventide Extranets Facebook Firetide Icom America IMPACT Radio Accessories IP Kent Huffman LDV LinkedIn Mesh Networks Mobile Broadband Mobile Command Centers Motorola MOTOTRBO NeoTerra Systems NOC OTTO Panasonic Point-to-Point Bridges Preventive Maintenance Pryme Push-to-Talk Pyramid Rent Repairs Social Media Sonetics Sony Sprint Nextel TABLETmedia Today's Wireless World TurboVUi Twisted Pair Twitter Two-Way Radio Rentals Two-Way Radios Ubiquiti Verizon Vertex Standard Video Surveillance Walkie-Talkies Wireless WLAN YouTube Analog Technologies Motorola Solutions Two-Way Radio AccessoriesJanuary 07, 2014Some companies publish catalogs filled with little more than pretty pictures and glowing product descriptions. Not BearCom. Our 2014 Wireless Products, Services & Solutions Guide, which is headed to customers early next week, is filled with detailed information about BearCom's capabilities and scope, as well as updates on the latest innovations in wireless technology. "In this issue, we explore how digital technology is transforming two-way radios," said BearCom's Chief Marketing Officer, Kent Huffman, who oversees the annual project. "That section includes information on the benefits of switching to digital and how backward-compatible equipment makes an analog-to-digital migration smoother." Huffman added, "The guide also serves as a reminder of how BearCom's strong partner relationships and our 26 branch offices nationwide keep us positioned to offer wireless communications solutions of
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September 24, 2013Sure, almost everyone has a smartphone these days, but the little jewels don't work everywhere all the time, and there are times when we don't carry them. Fortunately, other wireless technologies fill those voids. One of them is remote call boxes, which will be used to keep people in Southern California safe as they enjoy the outdoors. The Los Angeles River biking and walking path is a busy place. All day and night, riders and walkers make use of this lengthy urban path. The path is not immune to crime, and its isolation and lack of signage could make it difficult for police and paramedics to respond quickly. And of course, many joggers do not carry cell phones. The Alliance of River Communities, a coalition of neighborhood councils, is trying to focus attention on the issue. Chairman Hector Huezo, in a letter to the city council, wrote: "Currently, absent of a smartphone, persons using the path have few
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August 07, 2013Part Three Almost any discussion of cell phones eventually turns to apps. This smartphone platform has these cool applications and that platform has these others. Many people don't realize that two-way radios have apps as well, and their growth is being fueled by the same third-party ingenuity that gave us Angry Birds. In this final installment of our comparison of cell phones and two-way radios, we'll look at applications and that most paramount of concerns: cost. Applications came to two-way radios as they went digital. Just as in smartphones, software developers saw an opportunity to design apps for the most popular platform, and in digital two-way radios, that's Motorola Solutions' MOTOTRBO line. Motorola MOTOBRBO has grown from a single radio in 2007 to a line of more than 20 models
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June 26, 2013Part Two When companies weigh the relative merits of cell phones and two-way radios, there's one group that has to stay top of mind: the users. These are the people actually using the equipment, after all. This series of articles has examined communications philosophy, urgency, coverage, reliability, and security. Now we turn our discussion of cell phones and two-way radios to users' concerns, which center on durability and ease of use. How many people you know have cracked the screen on their smartphone after it fell out of their pocket or purse? Some don't even bother to get their phones repaired because they know in a few months, a new model will be available with a bigger screen and a better camera. Two-way radios last for years because they're built to higher standards. Among them are
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June 19, 2013They said it, we said it, now we'll say it again: The shutdown of the Nextel National Network is happening at the end of this month. Are you ready with another wireless communication solution to replace Nextel push-to-talk phones? We've known for years that the Nextel National Network, which is based on iDEN technology inadequate to meet the data needs of modern smartphones, was on its way out. Sprint, which now owns the network, announced the shutdown in late 2010. Later it set the date: June 30, 2013. Earlier this month, Sprint laid out the plan down to the minute. In a news release the company said, "Sprint remains on schedule to decommission the iDEN Nextel National Network beginning at 12:01 a.m. eastern time on June 30. iDEN devices will then no longer receive voice service—including 911 calls and push-to-talk—or data service. Sprint will shut down switch locations in rapid succession on June 30, followed by powering down equipment and eliminating backhaul at each
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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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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