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October 16, 2013All across the country, declining state and local revenues have caused budget cuts to numerous public safety agencies. Fire departments, with limited funds and the admonishment to do "more with less," are looking for two-way radio solutions with affordability as a major factor. Fortunately, there are options. In Los Angeles, the fire department's budget for the 2011-2012 year was $472 million, down from $561 million two years earlier. Last year, the city council voted to leave 318 firefighting positions unfilled. In Texas, lawmakers cut funds from $30 million to $7 million, forcing volunteer firefighters who were battling wildfires in 2011 to buy their own gear and even gas for the fire trucks. While the number of deadly fires has declined nationwide over the last 20 years, thanks to better construction and safety techniques, fire departments are increasingly called upon to answer medical emergencies, chemical spills, and more. Firefighters need reliable, versatile and sturdy wireless
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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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July 30, 2013What do you do when you have one of the most popular two-way radios ever produced in the Motorola CP200? If you're Motorola Solutions, you make it better. And that's what happened with the introduction this week of the Motorola CP200d. By bringing a digital option to one of the most popular talk-and-listen radios on the market, Motorola continues to add to its rapidly expanding MOTOTRBO line. Introduced in 2007, it has grown to more than 20 different models. Motorola says more than 1 million MOTOTRBO units have been sold. Clearly, all kinds of organizations are making the move to digital. And why not? Digital technology brings improved audio quality and clarity, enhanced coverage, greater efficiency, and longer battery life. The CP200d retains the simplicity and durability that have helped make the