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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
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July 16, 2013The first wave of the Internet connected users to information found on websites. The second wave went further by connecting users to each other through social media. The third wave will go beyond interactions with personal computers to include digital wireless technology, connecting machines and systems in a vast network to benefit users. Simply stated, devices will talk to each other to optimize our daily living. According to a new report from IHS Electronics & Media, the expansion of machine-to-machine (M2M) functions found in a growing number of electronic devices will cause the market for value-added services (VAS) to also expand. The prediction is that the VAS market will rise from $1.5 billion in 2012 to $10 billion by 2017. "The next Internet wave
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June 04, 2013At BearCom, we know all about how two-way radios make large events easier to manage, more enjoyable to attend, and safer for all. We've helped some truly high-profile events with two-way radio rentals. So it's with that experience that we tip our hats today to our partners at Vertex Standard.
Vertex Standard's New Digital Radios
A new case study from Vertex Standard details how its eVerge EVX-531 portable digital radios were used by Red Cross Disaster Relief -
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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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 12, 2013BearCom is adding the new Vertex Standard EVX-531 two-way radio to our product line, and officials here are predicting it will be a popular choice among customers looking for a talk-and-listen radio with dual analog and digital functionality.
Two-Way Product Line
"The Vertex EVX-531 fits perfectly into the simple talk-and-listen space that is still the most popular," said BearCom's Product & Purchasing Manager, Hugh Johnston. "Because it's dual-mode analog and DMR digital, it's fully compatible with existing digital systems, including MOTOTRBO from Motorola Solutions, for basic applications." Established in 1956 with headquarters in Tokyo, Vertex Standard manufactures two-way radio communications equipment sold and serviced through more than 1,000 dealerships in North America. The Vertex Standard EVX-531 is the latest addition to the company's EVX-530 Series -
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
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4G Analog Apps BearCom Colleges and Universities Construction Data Applications Digital Education FCC Federal Communications Commission Government GPS IP K-12 Schools Land Mobile Radio LMR LTE M2M Motorola Narrowbanding Public Safety Retail Safety Security Text Messaging Two-Way Radios Video Surveillance Walkie-Talkies Wireless Analog Technologies K-12 Schools and Universities Motorola SolutionsJanuary 15, 2013
Analyzing Wireless Trends
Again this year, I asked Jerry Denham, BearCom's President & CEO, for his thoughts about the coming year in wireless communications. And while some of his predictions reflect those he made a year ago, there are several new ones worthy of discussion as 2013 shifts into high gear: 1. Narrowbanding will continue to be an issue, despite the passing of the January 1, 2013 deadline set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The massive effort to convert users of the private land mobile radio spectrum to 12.5 kHz narrowband technology is not yet complete. Thousands of two-way radio users clearly missed the deadline set by the FCC to obtain new licenses. And though many have filed applications that now are being processed and others were granted waivers, there are still thousands of users nationwide who failed to act. While there are indications that strict enforcement may be some months off, we know it will come. We're already working