It’s easy to picture oilfield workers staying in touch via two-way radios if the nearest cell tower is a hundred miles away. It’s not so easy to visualize the sophisticated data-communication networks that keep today’s oilfields safe and productive. A recent white paper from Motorola Solutions notes that an oil rig can generate a terabyte of data in a single day — enough to fill 20 high-resolution Blu-ray DVDs. These data demands illustrate the rise of what Motorola Solutions calls the “digital oilfield,” which relies on internet protocol (IP) ne
What does it mean when a product says “MIL-STD-810” on the package label and the spec sheet? It might not mean what you think. MIL-STD-810 is a document developed by the U.S. Department of Defense advising its suppliers how to test their products for a range of military needs. For starters, it’s helpful to understand what MIL-STD-810 does not mean: It’s not an official certification declaring how well the product performed on any of these tests. It does not mean the U.S. military has tested or approved the product. It does not mean the manufacturer hired an independent laboratory to
Business radio customers across the Rocky Mountain region are about to have more options to choose from thanks to BearCom’s recent acquisition of Frontier Radio Communications, which is based in Denver and Colorado Springs. Frontier Radio has been in business since 1988, serving thousands of two-way radio customersin industry, manufacturing, hospitality, education, hospitals and public safety. Key clients include major ski resorts, the El Paso County Sheriff's Off
The folks who arrive first at the scenes of accidents, crimes and natural disasters need the toughest, most reliable communication tools. Motorola Solutions was thinking about police on the street and soldiers on the battlefield when it developed its XTS 5000 line of digital two-way radios. Just about everything a government agency would need in a o
If you own only a few two-way radios and don't use them all that much, you might not fret about your batteries: Just buy some extras and a charger, and you’re pretty much set. But as your radio fleet gets bigger, you really need to pay attention to your batteries. If your radios number in the dozens, hundreds or even higher, batteries can become a significant cost center. Squeezing the most life out of your batteries is just good business. Furthermore, if your business lives or dies on your ability to communicate with portable two-way radio