Two-way radios outsmart phones for intelligent fleet communications

There has never been a more important time for companies ? particularly smaller businesses ? to take control of their fleet communications.

With a growing percentage of the global workforce?

becoming more mobile, the adoption of newer, innovative

technologies is becoming increasingly important in helping

organisations stay connected to their employees in the field,

while ensuring the benefits of greater operational efficiency.

While we constantly hear about the growing popularity of

consumer mobile devices like tablets and smartphones in

business settings, what we haven?t heard as much about

is the increasing uptake of digital two-way radios in fleet

management.

Two-way radios might seem dated at first thought, however,

the potential benefits these devices offer businesses in

terms of productivity improvements, increased efficiency

and cost-effectiveness make this a hidden growth story.

There are a number of reasons for this popularity. The most

important are the unique features of two-way radios.

For example, two-way radios are still one of the only

devices through which an organisation can facilitate

instant one-to-many group communications. There?s still no

faster or more cost-effective way to assign and schedule

multiple mobile vehicles and blue-collar personnel than with

two-way radios.

Another key differentiator is longevity. Both two-way radio

devices and networks have been designed for much longer

lifecycles than the average faster-moving consumer-oriented

mobile devices of today. Overall, these lifecycles combined

with usage patterns translates into lower overall total

ownership costs for organisations as devices last longer, and

organisations do not have to contend with subscriptions or

pay-per-use fees. Users also tend to use these devices for

critical communications only, rather than social conversation,

thus enhancing productivity.

The advent of digital radios in particular promises to keep

this technology relevant for years to come. Modern digital

units now enable a whole range of applications such as GPS

location-based services, text messaging and other mobile

applications ? and even roaming onto mobile networks ?

creating new opportunities for increased efficiency and

productivity benefits.

By NEALE JOSEPH

General Manager, Strategic

Accounts, Motorola

Solutions

This article was previously

published in Dynamic Business,

May 2012

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