The Hidden Costs of an Outdated Two-Way Radio Setup

Attention - your old two-way radio system can be losing you money! When considering whether or not to upgrade your organization's internal communications system, consider the hidden costs in not updating those old walkie-talkie radios. With how far two-way radio communications have come over the past 10 years, if you're not taking advantage of the latest improvements in power, convenience and reliability, you're missing out on making a big difference in your daily business operations. You might be surprised to learn how investing in a newer, more robust two-way radio system can actually save your company money in a short period of time, by making communications more reliable and business operations more efficient.

Advanced Technology in Today's Two-Way Radios Two-way radio technology has exploded in recent years, with capabilities that make prior models obsolete. Today's radios have features like voice-activated hands-free operation, interference eliminator codes, privacy codes, removable antennas and repeater capability. Certain models are built to military specifications, resistant to water, dust, shock, vibration and withstanding the harshest environments. There are other features such as auto-scan, voice-inversion scrambling, easy cloning of settings to multiple units and customer programmable software. As of 2013, all public safety and business industrial land mobile radio systems that operate in the 150-512 MHz radio bands must begin to use the more efficient 12.5 kHz technology (referred to as Narrowbanding). Certain newer models of two-way radios support this FCC requirement.

The Benefits of Digital Two-Way Radios Digital radios are available that give you the same range of 4-watt radios with a single watt of power and 14.5 hours of battery life, making them the most efficient two-way radios on the market. They let you speak to users individually as well as in groups or the entire team. These digital two-way radios have the same features as your cell phone, such as caller ID, call forwarding, call logs and SMS text messaging, and are built to military specifications for extreme durability. These next generation walkie-talkies give you the flexibility and convenience of cellular communications without service costs, dead zones in remote areas or security concerns. Digital two-way radios do not require an FCC license to operate, saving you even more money and eliminating time-consuming paperwork. VHF two-way radios that operate on the MURS (Multi-Use Radio Service) band also do not require an operator's license.

Today's Discreet and Compact Walkie-Talkies For restaurant staff and hospitality workers, salespeople, nurses and others for whom it is important to be attentive and maintain a professional appearance, the small and compact two-way radios that are available are ideal. Imagine a waiter in a 5-star restaurant attending to several tables of customers, and the kitchen suddenly runs out of a popular dish. He can either fumble around with a bulky, outdated and heavy two-way radio to hear this urgent message from the kitchen manager, or he can hear it discretely over the low-profile earpiece attached to a small, compact unit hidden from sight on his uniform. There are even radios that use Bluetooth technology for completely wireless communications. Instead of appearing unprofessional while taking orders and serving his customers, he can privately hear the latest updates from the kitchen and restaurant manager and not lose a step. Satisfied customers lead to increased business and greater profits.

Dispatchers and Two-Way Radio Technology Companies that make their money from dispatching drivers, such as taxi services, utility companies, contractors and towing services can streamline their operations with the latest in two-way radio base stations and repeaters that can connect an entire fleet over a large distance. A radio system's reliability and power is crucial for any organization, especially in the case of police departments, emergency crews, campus security and rescue workers, where efficiency is not just a matter of good business practices, but it can also potentially save lives.

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