AUTOMATING PUSH-TOTALK FOR BETTER, SAFER FRONTLINE COLLABORATION: THE FUTURE IS NOW HOW IS THE TRADITIONAL TWO-WAY RADIO EVOLVING WITH THE ONSET OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY?
Q&A with the CEO of Instant Connect Software regarding the future of PTT.
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raditional two-way push-to-talk for deskless/frontline workers is entering a new era of performance and innovation for organisations worldwide. Mining, energy, utilities, first responders, sports/ event management, logistics, aviation, rail, military/defence: whatever the operation, decision-makers are empowering their frontline teams with a new wave of ‘dynamic frontline communications’ that combine the best of traditional push-to-talk with new automated capabilities. Automation is changing how frontline teams collaborate and stay safe. Forrest Claypool, CEO of Instant Connect Software LLC, recently sat down to discuss the upside for today’s fast-moving enterprises.
30 Critical Comms - March/April 2022
Why so much buzz about these new automated push-to-talk capabilities? FC: It’s about the new level of teamwork and worker safety now available. Frontline workers tend to work in teams sharing common tasks, missions and deliverables, whether it’s to execute a scheduled task or respond to an emergency. Dynamic frontline communications software intuitively understands this and automatically creates “dynamic talk groups” connecting the workers essential to the mission. Traditional push-to-talk is congested with chatter as people vie for attention and communications are blasted to everyone. Dynamic frontline communications, on the other hand, tailors talk channels to specific teams based on their roles and tasks,
excluding anyone who isn’t needed. No clutter or distraction that can lead to mistakes or delays. The improvements in productivity and accelerated situational awareness are quantifiable. And these dynamic talk groups can instantly connect teams across any device or network — radio, mobile, IP and even telephony — so workers can freely share voice and data without technology or terrain getting in the way. No frontline workers left behind by gaps in communication. Everyone who needs to be is connected and collaborating.
How do you define a dynamic talk group? A dynamic talk group is a team of frontline workers automatically assembled in a voice channel pursuant to the business rules set by the enterprise. The software automatically
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