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June 12, 2013Video surveillance cameras have been popping up in gas stations and parking lots for decades, but as budgets tighten and safety concerns rise, more organizations than ever are turning to them. As I travel around the country, I'm seeing them more and more in schools and retail stores.
IP Video Surveillance Systems Benefits
In Walpole, Massachusetts, high school officials had petitioned the town's budget committee for funds to install additional security cameras for the past few years. Finally, in April, the town voted to approve the funds. Once installed, the surveillance cameras will be used not only for security from outside intruders but also for monitoring student behavior and inside threats. Walpole High Principal Stephen Imbusch told Education Week that security cameras would prove useful in determining -
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 -
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 -
April 17, 2013Motorola Solutions makes some of the toughest two-way radios on the market, and this fall, a couple of them will be put to the ultimate test during an amazing expedition being sponsored in part by BearCom.
BearCom's Involvement with Expedition Outreach
Expedition Outreach, a charitable organization based in Boston, will be traveling to Iceland in August to try and set the Guinness Book World Record for the fastest alpine face-first luge. Team leader Michael Coyne, who already holds the world record for the highest-altitude luge run, will attempt to be the fastest person on Earth using an alpine skeleton-style sled. -
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