Mobile Communication is changing. Now, mobile applications can share information, video and text between workers and the back office, often simultaneously sharing with multiple operatives. And a new generation of field workers (and greater ICT influence) demand a choice of devices to gain immediate access to this information.

While quality DMR voice communications remain vital, often we find they no longer meet every communication need for our clients, however thanks to advancements it is highly compatible with the latest ICT architectures, making it the ideal radio platform for your Unified Critical Communications (UCC) solution. In this article TAIT Communications shares ten ways unified critical communication can benefit your organisation.

So how can you address and support all of these needs?

• you could commit resource to multiple networks, but this approach merely multiplies the technical disadvantages and overheads,
• you could choose a single network type, leaving you vulnerable to the disadvantages of your chosen technology, and reducing your interoperability options,
• you could specify an uber-device to use across multiple networks, but unfortunately, attempts to develop a single platform for multiple networks remain elusive,

OR,

• you could integrate several technologies to coexist seamlessly, and deliver the maximum benefit and value of each technology.

Benefits of unifying your critical communications

1. Increase operating efficiency – A Unified Critical Communications network can be configured to select the appropriate bearer for each communication, based on your criteria. You establish the priority – reliability, cost, power usage, timing, or availability – to meet your business requirements.

2. Increase productivity – No longer are you restricted to communicating with your workers via status messages or voice. Unified voice and data across multiple networks means you can share information with the right people, by the fastest and most reliable method.

3. Enhance interoperability – With a choice of bearer always available, you can communicate dynamically with contractors and other agencies and organisations, across any network you have in common. You can even implement a secure BYOD policy for your workers.

4. Reduce overheads – Without the overhead of a single, all-encompassing network across your entire coverage area, you are free to choose the quality and cost criteria for any group, situation or function.

5. Increase coverage – No single technology can provide communication across the diverse terrain, variable demand and proliferating data that your organisation needs. Designed to your exact requirements, a unified critical communications system minimizes coverage “black spots”.

6. Keep workers safe  – Workers who understand and trust their communication networks feel safer, and more confident. They know that should an accident, injury or emergency occur, they are not alone. Worker safety features, location data and alerts can operate across different networks and provide real time visibility, so you know instantly when and where help is needed.

7. Tailor solutions to your needs – Different industries and regulations, different operating processes, different environments, and the availability of different network types will all influence your choices.

8. Future-proof your investments – What’s available today is just the beginning. The right technology choice can mean the difference between stranded investments, and communications that continue to take advantage of open standards and future developments.

9. Scale your solution – A unified approach to communication means you can keep your options open. You can start small today, then add more network bearers, new developments and applications as your organisation grows, your options expand, or your requirements change.

10. Safeguard communications resilience – Loss of communication at any level can be costly – even life-threatening. Building redundancy into a typical single-bearer solution carries a high capital overhead too. A unified solution gives you multiple levels of redundancy, avoiding any single point of failure automatically.With a choice of bearer always available, you can communicate dynamically with contractors and other agencies and organisations, across any network you have in common. You can even implement a secure BYOD policy for your workers.

How does UCC work?

The current explosion of emerging digital technologies is giving access to more information than we’ve ever had at our fingertips. Unified Communications connects individual devices across across PMR/DMR, LMR, LTE and WiFi, creating a seamless “network of networks”. For each communication, the system automatically selects the best network, with no user input required. So, no matter which device you choose, your message — voice, text, video, images, applications, or any combination — will be transferred efficiently, securely, reliably, seamlessly and in real time, across a unified critical communications network.

Comparing the relative strengths of common bearers, we can see that no single wireless network can connect mobile staff, vehicles, users and applications to meet your business needs. Find out how you can create your own UCC –  Download the full guide here >