Chicomm Blog

In the not too distant past, administrators and educators didn't have to worry about things like connecting students and teachers to school WiFi – school supplies came in boxes and filmstrips were considered high-tech. 

When computers and other technology did initially become available, they were shared by students, teachers and administrators alike in group computer labs, and getting time on a computer was a challenge.

Today, of course, it’s hard to imagine educational settings without individual access to computers, tablets, laptops and lightning fast school WiFi. It’s worth taking a closer look at the critical role technology in schools plays, from school safety to campus communication, and how your campus can stay connected.

Now that you’ve drastically improved your in-building connectivity and you’re feeling confident about the strength of your wireless network, it’s time to tackle the next frontier: how to extend WiFi range outdoors.

Hotel and resort guests, students, mobile workers and anyone else on the go is increasingly looking for opportunities to stay connected, even near the pool, on the campus commons or out on the dock.

With your constantly connected users in mind, here’s a quick overview of how to extend WiFi range outdoors.

Motorola Solutions periodically conducts surveys to gather insights and feedback as part of its effort to continuously improve wireless communications for users and teams. The 2016 Commercial Survey collected input from 1,200 business and industry participants, “the largest single group of whom currently use two-way radios,” according to the company.

Respondents identified six wireless communications priorities they said would improve team efficiency, productivity and safety: Performance, Ruggedness, Voice & Data, Instant Work Group Communications, Application Integration and Interoperability.

Let’s take a closer look at each of the top six priorities for team wireless communications.

The health care industry has some of the most complex communications needs imaginable: in addition to the safety, security and privacy of patients and staff, the industry has mountains of patient data to handle and technology trends to track. 

There is no shortage of innovation in health care when it comes to communications, and things are getting more high-tech all the time for patients, health care professionals and staff.

Here’s a look at 6 things the health care industry is doing to improve communications.

As your boss keeps reminding you, it’s your job to make sure wireless communication at your company, campus or property is something that no one is talking about because all is well: You’re effectively using communications to enhance safety and security, you don’t need to improve wireless communications with a stronger network and dead zones are a dead issue.

But if your communications are still a topic of conversation, there are solutions available.

Here are four things your boss wishes you knew:

The hospitality industry may have been slow to pick up on some technology trends – looking at you, super-slow hotel WiFi – but it’s been making up for lost time by leading key tech trends instead of following them.

Hotel and resort chains are competing like never before on technology that elevates guest experiences, and some options are truly over the top – the rooftop that is. From robot butlers to, yes, a rooftop rainforest, let’s look at some ways the hospitality industry is stepping up its tech.

If you're purchasing a new facility and about to do a building condition assessment, you're probably expecting that assessment to cover the facility’s structural and maintenance bases, but what about communications readiness? To make sure your assessment is painting as comprehensive a picture as possible, and to position you to meet your needs now and into the future, there are some key communications considerations to keep in mind.

Your users will be expecting instant and reliable connectivity from day one, whether they’re relying on wireless communications, cell phones or two-way radios. As you’re considering a property for your business, you’ll need a realistic assessment of whether it’ll support your communications needs or will require some help in the form of bi-directional amplifiers or other enhancements.

Here are some questions to keep in mind as you’re carrying out your assessment:

"I do not think that the wireless waves I have discovered will have any practical application." —German physicist Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, the first person to broadcast and receive radio waves.

It’s fair to say that Heinrich Rudolf Hertz didn’t quite know what he had on his hands when he discovered the radio wave in 1886, but in his defense, the rest of the world didn’t either. While Hertz’s experiments paved the way for technology including the radio, television and mobile phones, it would be years before scientists fully understood the implications of what he’d uncovered.

Let’s take a quick look at how wireless communications have evolved from Hertz’s “impractical” radio waves to some of the indispensable technology we use today.

Digital communication decisions often seem complicated. Technology is always changing, from hardware improvements to software updates to larger system overhauls. These changes often lead to misconceptions about digital communications technology - which can get in the way of your business or agency making the right decision about acquiring new technology or updating what you’ve got.

Being aware of these misconceptions can simplify your digital communications decisions and help you break down barriers to getting the technology your business or agency needs.

Here are 5 common misconceptions about digital communications technology:

Schools are changing. No, not just the curriculums they offer or the lessons they teach (though those are quite different today than they were even just ten years ago), but the ways in which they use technology to keep students safe, informed, and connected.

Today, many schools have adopted location services, a technology that operates off of a GPS-style system. Location services can be used for just about anything, from sending emergency updates and obtaining student locations to offering interactive campus tours and even notes and content. The benefits are clear, and with today’s students being supremely comfortable with all things technological, the rollout is widely appreciated and is something that students, staff, and parents can get excited about.

Here are five ways your school can use location services: