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December 10, 2013With help from our partner Motorola Solutions, wireless LAN is going down under. In this case, I don't mean Australia, but underground into the subway system in Toronto, Canada. There, ruggedized wireless access points and controllers using Motorola's Wireless Next Generation technology were chosen by BAI Canada to give Wi-Fi connectivity to Toronto's subway riders. TCConnect, as it's being called, was unveiled this week at two of the city's busiest subway stations, and it eventually will cover all 65 that are in place or planned. That's good news for 1.7 million people who use the system daily. They get the ability to use their wireless devices to access the Internet, social media, and e-mail. They also can get access to real-time alerts, arrival and departure information, and
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December 03, 2013Hiring happens on a mind-boggling scale at this time of year. Retailers will add up to 780,000 seasonal workers to handle the crush of holiday consumers. Many will have little experience, limited product knowledge, and no familiarity with store operations. How will they get answers? Through a two-way radio. Radios are being used in an increasing number of retail settings because they provide the one-to-many communications that result in quick responses to queries. One person sends the same message to the entire staff in a process that is vastly superior to one-to-one, phone-based communications. The more questions an employee has, the more he or she is helped by the answers. Retail employee groups as a whole become more efficient from these communications, and business owners find new efficiencies. Those savings inevitably benefit customers. Radio communications benefit retailers and consumers in a variety of ways:
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November 26, 2013Last year at this time, we told you how wireless technology saved the first Thanksgiving, improving communications and making for a festive celebration for the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians in 1621. Historians are just now learning about the struggles the new settlers faced in their second year in the New World, and how they were solved by digital two-way radios. Around turkey-laden tables across the nation, many families each year recall the now-familiar tale of the first Thanksgiving. They remember the leadership of Governor William Bradford, who had moved quickly to get two-way radios from BearCom. They will recall how he handed out the Motorola XPR6550, Motorola/BearCom BC130, and Motorola CP200 to the colonists based on their specific communications needs. As every child learns in school, Bradford used his Motorola MOTOTRBO radio to reach Squanto, who was in turn able to locate other Wampanoag tribesmen not yet
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November 20, 2013Our fleet of rental radios from Motorola Solutions—we've got 20,000 of them—has taught us a thing or two about preventive maintenance. All that experience and expertise helped us develop the BearCom Preventive Maintenance Plans, which officially launched this week. "A communications system is only as strong as its weakest link," BearCom President & CEO Jerry Denham said in a news release announcing the new offering. "With a Preventive Maintenance Plan from BearCom, our customers can avoid outages and unexpected repair costs, while ensuring their equipment is operating at peak efficiency. We are very excited to offer this service." A BearCom Preventive Maintenance Plan can be developed for any combination of portable radios, mobile radios, and repeaters, whether they are analog
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November 05, 2013The latest news on the machine-to-machine (M2M) industry points to even faster growth in M2M and identifies the business sectors that stand to be most impacted. Strategy Analytics says M2M will grow from $45 billion in annual revenue in 2013 to an amazing $242 billion in 2022. The report's author, Andrew Brown, was quoted by M2M World News as saying, "Healthcare, consumer electronics, utilities, and vehicles are areas that will see major revenue growth, through the driving out of inefficiency in existing processes, as well as the creation of new service opportunities. The growth in providers of regulatory compliant NOCs (network operation centers), investment from industrial giants like GE, and growth in the number of 'big data,' system
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October 30, 2013Some $500 million was spent on video surveillance equipment in 2012, and that doesn't even count accessories. A big driver of that spending is, well, driving. A significant portion of the video surveillance equipment being purchased these days is being used to equip vehicles: school buses, patrol cars, and commuter trains to name a few. While school systems can use surveillance cameras to monitor child safety inside buses, some districts have found that the real need is on the outside. For example, Falls Church, Virginia, is using cameras mounted on buses to crack down on drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses. Falls Church City Public Schools, the Falls Church Police Department, and American Traffic Solutions partnered in a project to address the problem. City officials say drivers ignore stopped buses average of 20 times each school day. "Most of the children who lose their lives
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October 22, 2013I'm not the only superhero here at BearCom. We've got people with amazing levels of experience and expertise in two-way radios and other wireless solutions who every day solve complex and unusual challenges for customers. One of my personal BearCom superheroes is Product & Purchasing Manager Hugh Johnston, who recently told me about how he helped restore power to the mobile two-way radio in an unusual vehicle: a steam locomotive built in 1896. "My favorite attraction in my Texas hometown is the Grapevine Vintage Railroad and its crown jewel, the 1896-built steam locomotive affectionately called Puffy," Hugh told me. He explained how Puffy had been out of service for several years after one of her ancient steam cylinders, which power the driving wheels, disintegrated from age. "Spare parts for steam engines cannot be found at the local
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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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October 09, 2013The Motorola BC130 has been a winner for years, and now it's official. This BearCom-branded two-way radio has been recognized in the Contractors' Top 50 New Products awards made annually by Equipment Today magazine and ForConstructionPros.com. The awards are based on reader interest in earthmoving, road-building, lifting, demolition, transportation, and technology products. The Motorola BC130 was among four technology products honored, along with a rugged smartphone, a grade-control system, and an operator vision system. "We're always pleased to see our products recognized for their quality and utility, especially when the recognition comes from the people who use them," BearCom President & CEO Jerry Denham said in a news release. "This award is especially satisfying, because the Motorola BC130 is manufactured for us by Motorola Solutions and is available exclusively through BearCom." The Motorola BC130 has proven very popular with customers who want a device that is compact, lightweight, and easy to use. A rugged, die-cast chassis gives the BC130 greater protection, making it ideal for everyday and commercial use, both indoors and outdoors. It offers 16 channels and 5 watts of power. The BC130 has adjustable power levels, accessory connectors, and squelch levels that help minimize interference from weak signals. Each is sold with an antenna, spring belt clip, Lithium-Ion battery, rapid charger base, and power supply. The BC130 is one of three BearCom-branded two-way radios, and it remains the most popular, especially so when it comes to two-way radio rentals. It's a great choice for customers who need to rent a large number of radios and want to do so cost effectively. The BC130 also is popular with customers across a range of other industries, including education and security, and among companies involved
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October 02, 2013It seems everyone is talking about healthcare. This week, the health insurance exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act went into effect. Many wonder what this means for their individual care plans. Now more than ever, hospitals need to reduce costs and increase efficiency through any means available. Digital wireless technology offers a clear path to improved productivity. Most hospitals are anxious to try new technology. The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society found that 79% of 253 healthcare executives said they plan to use wireless equipment information systems in the coming year. Doctors are, by nature, early adopters of technology. "Doctors were the first large worker base that started using PDAs on the job," Ellen Daley, an analyst at Forrester Research recently told Computerworld magazine. "Here are a bunch of people who have an appetite for carrying PDAs." The impact of wireless technology extends far beyond its most obvious uses. In