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Chicomm Blog

Evolving technology is making it more possible than ever for different devices to communicate with each other so that humans can do what they do best: think and respond.

It’s called communication interoperability, and it’s allowing for new levels of communication across devices.

How does this work in real life?

Tags: Interoperability

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When a workforce is scattered throughout a wide area and many people are still working from home on different devices and networks, how do companies keep everyone connected?

Despite all the communications innovations we’re seeing, it still seems like a pretty big challenge.

Tags: Interoperability, MOTOTRBO

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STARCOM21 Pays Off In Increased Public Safety

Posted by Todd Niccum on Tuesday, August 10, 2021

In Illinois, STARCOM21 pays off in increased public safety. STARCOM21 is a radio system that offers reliable high‑speed mobile connectivity to more than 60,000 subscribers in Illinois. In this blog, we’ll discuss the system in more detail, including a case study of how one police department overcame serious safety issues by fixing coverage problems with their STARCOM21 system.

Tags: Public Safety Communications, Motorola Solutions, Interoperability

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In both emergencies and daily life alike, updated communications systems are mission critical to saves lives, protect property and preserve communities. During natural disasters, large crime scenes or every day incidents, an effective emergency response system requires swift and reliable communications.

Public safety agencies and first responders rely on strong communications for today’s needs and as they prepare for the exciting future promise of Next Generation 9-1-1, or NG911, to catch up to consumer technology. All while they’re battling budgetary and resource constraints.

As technology continues to evolve, both in public safety and beyond, the importance of updated emergency communications equipment becomes even more clear.

Tags: Public Safety Communications, Interoperability, Safety Solutions

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8 Use-Cases for MOTOTRBO Applications

Posted by Lisa MacGillivray on Monday, April 27, 2015

When you first start researching ways to improve your communication across your business or organization, you will typically learn that digital two-way radios are often the best answer. Whether you are looking for reliability, durability, or just a more integrated way to communicate with your staff, two-way radios offer many great benefits (read more about those here).

One of the most useful and relevant benefits offered is the ability to choose from a robust selection of customized, integrated data applications to use on your MOTOTRBO radio. These applications give you the ability to expand your communications beyond just voice and audio, and offer the convenience of having data directly on your radio device. MOTOTRBO applications span a variety of use-cases, but range from GPS tracking to alarm monitoring to SMS communication (texting). Here are just some of the areas data applications can help in:

Tags: Interoperability, MOTOTRBO, Digital Two-Way Radios

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We thought we’d round up some of the top highlights this week in the Communication world and give them to you in one place. Check out some buzz worthy stories happening in the wireless communication and public safety world!

1) P25 (Project 25) Communication equipment- These are the set of standards used for federal, state, and local police departments set forth by APCO.  It ensures interoperability between these levels in terms of radio communication to enhance timeliness, effectiveness, and coordination during emergencies. Why is this important? FEMA opened applications for Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) on the 18th, which is only available for “the acquisition of P25 compliant equipment.” 

Tags: Two Way Radios, Public Safety Communications, Motorola Solutions, Interoperability, Next Generation Public Safety, GPS

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Communication interoperability is a well-recognized imperative for public safety, homeland security, law enforcement, or any other organization that has a need to share intelligence, coordinate plans, and mount successful joint operations with others operating on disparate systems. Nationally, emergency equipment operability is becoming a priority.

So wouldn't it be great if you could access your radio system from a Smartphone? Or what if you were able to remotely create interoperable radio communications, enable basic dispatch functionality in remote locations, remotely control radios, or connect your phone into your radio system? Federal, state and local agencies with incompatible voice systems can communicate with a MOTOBRIDGE radio over IP interoperability solution.

The MOTOBRIDGE solution, by Motorola Solutions, enables you to add these capabilities and more to your existing analog, digital, conventional or trunked radio system.

Tags: Motorola Solutions, Wireless Communication, Interoperability

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Last week the ETSB of DuPage County formerly announced the launch of their $30 million interoperable radio system made possible by a statewide radio network, STARCOM21.  STARCOM21 is Illinois’ statewide digital public safety radio system and provides coverage for over 98 percent of the State of Illinois. The network currently provides public safety communications for state and local public safety agencies. The STARCOM21 network is a public-private partnership between Motorola Solutions and the State of Illinois.

Tags: Public Safety Communications, Motorola Solutions, Interoperability

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What we discovered at this year's Motorola Channel Partner Expo

It was a momentous year at the Motorola roadshow in Las Vegas. Our yearly trek to understand products, goals and networking with colleagues really put a vision in our minds. As a follow up to my notes on the Public Safety (Future of the DBlock) aspect of the Motorola Expo this year, we also looked into the future with Digital Mobile Radio (DMR); and for Motorola this means MOTOTRBO. A technology that lends itself to gain two voice paths for one channel, it effectively doubles the ability of a customer’s radio system for voice traffic. In addition with Application Developers who write software to these radio platforms, we had a chance to review the concepts and systems that allow unique platforms such as GPS, Texting, Personal Location systems and Interoperability to be displayed in one location.

Tags: Motorola Solutions, Interoperability, MOTOTRBO

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What to Know about Next Generation 911

Posted by Jill McNamara on Thursday, September 15, 2011
Technology continues to evolve and is more mobile now than ever. First cell phones, and now Voice Over IP (VoIP), text messaging, imagery and video have changed everything, from the way the public places 9-1-1 calls, to the manner in which emergency operations centers field and respond to those calls. The Nation's current 9-1-1 system is designed around telephone technology and cannot handle the text, data, images and video that are both increasingly common in personal communications and critical to future transportation safety and mobility advances. The NG9-1-1 initiative has established the foundation for public emergency communications services in a wireless mobile society (RITA).


What is NG 9-1-1?

Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) addresses the evolution of emergency call taking in a technology-saturated world centered on Internet Protocol (IP). IP will be the foundation of NG9-1-1 for years to come. However, we must not lose sight of the present and the fact that each call center has its own unique needs. After holding Lunch & Learns in partnership with Cassidian Communciations, here we share some important things to consider going forward that can allow you to plan ahead.

Tags: Chicago Communications, Interoperability, Safety Solutions

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