An announcement last week from Motorola Solutions about its Mobility Lifecycle Management service got me thinking about what companies need to do to maintain their fleets of two-way radios. For the whole story, I went to Hugh Johnston, BearCom's Product & Purchasing Manager, who as usual had plenty of good advice. "Radios can lead a tough life," Hugh said, explaining how they can get dropped and banged against things. Knobs and antennas have it especially rough.

They said it, we said it, now we'll say it again: The shutdown of the Nextel National Network is happening at the end of this month. Are you ready with another wireless communication solution to replace Nextel push-to-talk phones? We've known for years that the Nextel National Network, which is based on iDEN technology inadequate to meet the data needs of modern smartphones, was on its way out. Sprint, which now owns the network, announced the shutdown in late 2010. Later it set the date: June 30, 2013.

At BearCom, we know all about how two-way radios make large events easier to manage, more enjoyable to attend, and safer for all. We've helped some truly high-profile events with two-way radio rentals.

We have plenty of people at BearCom with decades of experience in two-way radios and other wireless products and solutions, but no one here can match the longevity of Chester Matusek. At 91, Chester is perhaps the oldest and longest-tenured employee of Motorola Solutions. The Algonquin, Illinois, resident is a metal mold maker who has worked on some of Motorola's most famous products, including the first DynaTAC cell phone.

Nearly five months after the FCC's narrowbanding deadline, people are still talking about the mandate for users of two way radios to convert to 12.5 kHz technology. Among them is Al Ittner, Senior Manager of Spectrum Strategy for Motorola Solutions. Ittner was in Houston last week to speak at the Utilities Telecom Council's annual conference. His topic was "Narrowbanding: I Missed the Deadline.

Some executives shy away from social media networks or leave the tweeting to other professionals on their staffs. But Motorola Solutions Chairman & CEO Greg Brown sure doesn't appear to be one of them. Brown's Twitter feed (@GregBrownMoto) shows that he is a leader, is interested in politics, and loves his sports teams. "One of the most unbelievable Bulls games ever. One for the ages!" he said after a triple-overtime Chicago win on April 27.

The latest public notice from the Federal Communications (FCC) on its narrowbanding mandate confirms two points that should be of interest to organizations that depend on two-way radio communication. First, the FCC intends to go ahead with plans to verify compliance with the mandate, and second, users who have yet to make the technology switch can still avoid the promised penalties.

BearCom has announced that Paul Moore is the company's new Eastern Regional Director and that Rick Watson will replace Paul as General Manager of our branch office in Atlanta. I met Paul last June, when he spoke to me for our article on the Atlanta branch. In his new role, Paul will be responsible for all the branches in BearCom's Eastern Region, which stretches from New England to South Florida.

Read part one... As we look back on BearCom and its history as a company, we see it had its first successes in two-way radio rentals.

BearCom's wireless communications recent recognition as Motorola Solutions' top-volume dealer worldwide highlights again the amazing growth the company has enjoyed on its way to becoming the only nationwide dealer and integrator of wireless communications equipment. BearCom has been shaped by entrepreneurial leadership, a timely merger, and its association with some of the biggest events in the world.