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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 -
March 19, 2013BearCom rents two-way radios used at some of the highest-profile events in America—events like the Super Bowl, World Series, and New York Marathon, as well as gatherings like South by Southwest, Burning Man, and the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. BearCom has provided radios used at the Olympic Games, World Cup competitions for both soccer and cricket, and World Youth Day. BearCom once assisted with the NBA All-Star Game and the Academy Awards on the same day!
Using Two-Way Radios for large Events
So how is BearCom able to support these often-massive events? A key reason is inventory. BearCom has more than 22,000 Motorola two-way radios in its rental inventory—an inventory managed from the Rental Operations Center (ROC) inside the company's 92,000-square-foot fulfillment and support center in Dallas. "We call it the fishbowl," Dennis Gonzalez said of the -
February 19, 2013Remember when wireless technology meant a doctor with a pager or a high-priced lawyer with a cell phone the size of a shoebox? So much has changed since then, with thousands of new devices, more powerful networks, and faster and faster data transmissions. The wireless industry has put cell phones in the hands of six of every seven people on the planet, even as two-way radios have improved and expanded their own loyal following. So what's next? It's machines talking to machines.
The Next Frontier for Wireless Technology
The next frontier in wireless communication is machine-to-machine (M2M) technology that links machines with other machines using wireless connections that transmit useful data in real time, so humans can act on it and learn from it. M2M has applications in a myriad of industries, including petrochemical, energy, -
February 05, 2013Flying between our Seattle and Chicago branches last week, I was over South Dakota when I noticed a most unusual—but entirely appropriate—application for video surveillance cameras: large agricultural operations. Back at BearCom, I did a little research and came across the story of Joel Foxley, who farms with his brothers near the South Dakota town of Platte. He told The Daily Republic newspaper how he installed his first video surveillance camera a year and a half ago and now has 15 cameras keeping watch over his equipment, fuel, grain bins, and grounds. He said, "With the price of fuel and the price of everything, we just thought it would be a wise decision to have a little safety."
Video Surveillance Cameras "Are the Way the Industry is Going"
Ross Ringling, who runs a feedlot and trucking operation near Platte, told the paper how he has eight cameras monitoring gates and high-traffic areas at his business. He said he hadn't had any -
January 22, 2013Across the business spectrum, there is intense focus these days on mobility. Companies want to arm employees with the tools needed to do more things from more places—and to do it all faster. Smartphones are getting smarter. And two-way radios are getting smaller and more sophisticated. In fact, cell phones and two-way radios now can be hard to tell apart. With the convergence of the two technologies, it's natural to ask: Which is right for my business, cell phones or two-way radios? A discussion of cell phones and two-way radios naturally will explore the advantages of each technology over various points of comparison. But in most cases, the two technologies are not direct competitors. Instead, cell phones and two-way radios are wireless mobile communications devices that have specific advantages, depending on the user's requirements. So, weighing the two options is really an exercise in needs analysis. That evaluation