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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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April 16, 2014Three years ago this month, we started this blog, the BearCom Bulletin, to keep you updated on the news coming from BearCom, our partners, and the whole wireless world. In my very first post, I said, "Over the coming weeks and months, it is our intention to use this space to inform, educate, advocate, challenge, and salute. We hope to do so in a way that will enlighten and, at least occasionally, entertain you." That was three years, more than 150 posts, and an estimated 15,000 visits ago! To celebrate, we're taking a look back at our most popular posts so far—and the most popular stories of all involve people young and old who show their enthusiasm for wireless communications technology. We told you about Chester Matusek, at 91 years old the oldest Motorola Solutions employee
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April 08, 2014Big news from our partner Teldio! At the recent Motorola Solutions Channel Partner Expo (CPE), Teldio released D3M, the first web application that simplifies the end-to-end process of designing, documenting, delivering, and managing two-way radio networks. TodaysWirelessWorld.com reported from CPE that the response to D3M was overwhelmingly positive. The Teldio booth staff could barely keep up with the demand for live demos. Both technicians and sales reps see extreme value in the application and are already starting to use the tool with new customer opportunities. D3M allows for seamless collaboration among all parties involved in rolling out anything from a small radio deployment to a large, multimillion-dollar statewide communications network. The web app is an intuitive, all-in-one tool that addresses
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April 01, 2014BearCom takes special pride in the relationship we enjoy with Motorola Solutions, so it was especially rewarding when our largest partner named BearCom to its Empower Circle. The industry leader in two-way radios this year designated 101 companies for the Empower Circle, which recognizes Motorola's best-in-class partners around the world. Representatives from Motorola and executives with the Empower Circle partners are set to meet soon for five days. While they are to discuss how everyone involved can grow their businesses, the gathering is primarily an opportunity to bring everyone together, share lessons, and celebrate achievements. Morning business meetings will be followed by various activities, luncheons, and evening events. There will be a golf tournament as well as a farewell event on the last evening. The Empower Circle announcement was made at the recent Motorola Channel Partner Expo, an annual conference that
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March 26, 2014The wireless industry takes its latest technologies to the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE), and this year was no exception as Motorola Solutions and Icom America both arrived in Las Vegas with new products. Motorola Solutions used IWCE, the wireless industry's largest annual gathering, to announce the introduction of its APX1000 and APX4000XE portable radios, as well as the mobile APX Dual radio. That brings to 13 the number of Astro 25 radios in the APX portfolio. The Motorola APX1000 is a smaller, more affordable portable radio intended for use by workers in utilities, public works, and smaller public safety organizations. Its P25 TDMA capabilities open the door to advanced features and extended battery life. The Motorola APX4000XE is intended for public safety agencies seeking a cost-effective portable that will perform
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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 26, 2014The big news from BearCom this month is our designation by Motorola Solutions as a Motorola Service Elite Specialist. This is a reflection of our ability to sell, design, deploy, support, and service the highest tiers of Motorola products and solutions as a direct representative. "Even though we sell only the highest-quality wireless communications equipment, we recognize that it sometimes needs service and repair," Jerry Denham, BearCom's President & CEO, said in announcing the designation. "Our Technical Services Group is staffed by more than 100 experienced, factory-trained technicians. It's their experience and expertise that are being recognized by BearCom's designation as a Motorola Service Elite Specialist." The designation, which is for the calendar year, will be used when BearCom acts as a Motorola subcontractor performing maintenance, installation, and warranty services for certain Motorola two-way radios, consoles,
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February 18, 2014While the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to be the subject of mind-boggling projections, major companies—including our partner Motorola Solutions—are working to develop new mobile technologies that will solve real-world business problems. "The 'Internet of Things'—technologists' vision of a network of billions of connected devices—has attracted the attention of a number of tech giants—including Cisco, Intel, and General Electric—all of whom have internal business units dedicated to building the infrastructure for that network," The Washington Post said this month in a report on the impact IoT will have on the training
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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 28, 2014All around us, the wireless world is going digital. But organizations have questions about this breakthrough technology. To provide them with answers, BearCom and Motorola Solutions teamed up to create our Analog-to-Digital Migration Guide: "Five Reasons to Migrate to Digital Two-Way Radios." "A 'smart' revolution is transforming two-way radios," the guide begins. "Digital technology is opening the door to a host of useful web-based applications for two-way radios, even as it enhances capacity, coverage, audio quality, and battery life." Available as a free download from BearCom.com, the guide details how digital two-way radios offer additional functionality, greater efficiency, enhanced coverage, improved audio quality, and