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January 20, 2015Every flight into every airport affects travelers and cargo in other airports. We see it every time a blizzard in Chicago bogs people down for a thousand miles in every direction. That’s why it’s so essential for airports and airlines to have the right tools to maintain a steady flow of travelers, luggage and cargo. Two-way radios are ideal for airports because they sprawl over large, well-defined areas, and airport workers need radios programmed to avoid interference with vital signals between the tower and pilots landing jetliners. Analog radios have worked fine for generations of ground crews, baggage handlers and security personnel, but the increasingly sophisticated communication needs of today’s airports make digital two-way radios much more attractive. Portable radios that use digital technology can become important links in a communication chain that includes:
- RFID tags to track baggage and cargo
- Video surveillance cameras to monitor threats and address emergencies
- A digital command center that coordinates the use of all these assets along with digital radios.
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April 23, 2014Security is big business in America, with estimated annual revenues of $350 billion. The federal government alone spends nearly $70 billion a year on homeland security. Despite those big dollar figures, security organizations are always looking for force multipliers, and many turn to wireless technology.Wireless equipment and devices have a long track record as effective force multipliers. They also deliver discretion, mobility, and improved coordination—all key issues for an industry that continues to refine the balance between vigilance and visibility. Meanwhile, the security industry finds itself with a new responsibility: the protection of information. "Security organizations are well known for their ability to provide physical security," said Hugh Johnston, Product & Purchasing Manager at BearCom. "But increasingly, they have become responsible for securing not only those physical locations, but also the information they house. As they do this,
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March 12, 2014A key element of school campus security is the ability to quickly summon first responders in an emergency. And while calling 9-1-1 works, a direct wireless connection with police, fire, and medical personnel is even faster. That’s the advantage behind the donation by Motorola Solutions of 250 two-way radios to the Chardon Area Schools in Ohio. Each is equipped with the SchoolSAFE solution, which enables interoperable radio communications between school personnel and first responders. “School districts continue to identify methods that can improve the flow of information between first responders and on-site school personnel in case of an emergency,” said the school superintendent, Dr. Michael P. Hanlon, Jr. “The Chardon Local Schools are pleased to have been selected by Motorola Solutions and SchoolSAFE for the implementation of this program.” Along with the donations of radios and
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February 12, 2014Okay, so the recent Super Bowl wasn't much of a game. But there were plenty of noteworthy elements beyond the weather, the halftime show, and the event's largest-ever television audience. Security at the event was unprecedented—not just the day of the game, but the days and weeks leading up to it. A 2.5-mile chainlink fence surrounded the stadium, and there were helicopters, boat patrols, and an advanced system of IP video surveillance cameras. Video was processed by an artificial intelligence system able to spot unusual or suspicious behavior. These new technologies point to a surveillance industry that is rapidly growing and open to innovation. Organizations have used surveillance cameras to improve security efforts for decades, but the wired analog technology left much to be desired. Cameras had poor resolution and limited controls. Creating a tethered
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Accessories Analog Apps Batteries Construction CP200 CP200d Digital Effectiveness Efficiency Mobile Radio Motorola MOTOTRBO Noisy Environments Portable Radio Productivity Push-to-Talk Repeater Safety Speaker-Mics Text Messaging Trunking Two-Way Radios Walkie-Talkies Wireless Analog Technologies Motorola Solutions Two-Way Radio AccessoriesFebruary 05, 2014The construction industry is on a roll, according to experts who project construction starts will be up 9% this year, on top of last year's 5% gain. The biggest increases in activity will be in single-family housing, commercial building, and multifamily housing. Getting all that construction work done as efficiently and safely as possible will take top-floor communications capabilities, and that's where two-way radios come in. Two-way radios have long been popular tools on construction sites, and it's easy to see why. The one-to-many communications device makes it possible to alert entire groups of people to situations and facilitate their input on resolutions. Radio communications are immediate, which makes for quicker problem solving. Radios allow workers to be heard in noisy environments, and speaker-microphones keep their hands free
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January 21, 2014Those of you who follow my adventures know that I can fly to wherever there's a communications emergency. Regular folks need a plane, and what do private pilots need? They need two-way radios, of course! A recent story on TodaysWirelessWorld.com explained how many private pilots wouldn't consider taking to the air without a backup radio. "Imagine what happens if an airplane's primary radio fails in flight," the story says. "You're thousands of feet in the air at the controls of an expensive aircraft with no ability to monitor weather and emergency channels or communicate with control towers, ground crews, and other pilots. Getting down safely suddenly becomes more theoretical than a sure thing." The story goes on to review some key considerations for a pilot using a handheld aircraft radio as a backup:
- Mind your power supply. "While rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries usually
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October 30, 2013Some $500 million was spent on video surveillance equipment in 2012, and that doesn't even count accessories. A big driver of that spending is, well, driving. A significant portion of the video surveillance equipment being purchased these days is being used to equip vehicles: school buses, patrol cars, and commuter trains to name a few. While school systems can use surveillance cameras to monitor child safety inside buses, some districts have found that the real need is on the outside. For example, Falls Church, Virginia, is using cameras mounted on buses to crack down on drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses. Falls Church City Public Schools, the Falls Church Police Department, and American Traffic Solutions partnered in a project to address the problem. City officials say drivers ignore stopped buses average of 20 times each school day. "Most of the children who lose their lives
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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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September 11, 2013Innovations can dramatically influence the logistical needs of any industry. So when technological advances helped unlock natural gas and oil from shale formations, it meant growth for the petrochemical industry and an increased need for digital wireless solutions. As a result of the boom in shale gas, ExxonMobil has made plans to expand the capacity of its petrochemical complex on the Gulf Coast. The Baytown, Texas, complex will be tasked with converting ethane, a natural gas liquid, into the chemical building block ethylene, and from that to produce the plastic polyethylene. The company estimates the plant expansion will create 10,000 area jobs during its construction and $870 million of economic activity annually. In an article for TodaysWirelessWorld.com, Motorola Solutions' Dwain Lunau wrote that, "At ExxonMobil's
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July 24, 2013Schools function as a complex network of teachers, coaches, administrators, accountants, clerks, counselors, diagnosticians, nurses, cooks, security officers, librarians, computer technicians, janitors, bus drivers, and parent volunteers. The logistics are staggering. For any principal or college president, the biggest responsibility is the safety of the hundreds, if not thousands, of students. Maintaining proper communications among the staff and around the campus is the most proactive step an administrator can take to enhance safety, improve security, and increase overall productivity. TodaysWirelessWorld.com recently reported on a school in Plano, Texas, that relies on digital wireless technology to keep its campus safe. The children were playing during recess one day when a teacher observed a suspicious man sitting in a parked