“Push-to-talk” (PTT) communication is employed by businesses everywhere in order to work efficiently, profitably and safely.
PTT differentiates from other forms of electronic communication by pushing instant, one-way voice messages to one or many devices. The benefit this provides an individual user is the ability to deliver clear and concise communication to either other individuals or groups of colleagues simply with one touch of a button.
But the advantages of PTT for a business as a whole are more far-reaching – so much so that many organisations now rely on it.
Most workers, especially those who work remotely or are considered “mobile workers”, are now reachable by phone. However, often phone calls take a long time to connect and even longer for the recipient to answer.
Use of business messaging apps is also on the rise, with daily Microsoft Teams users estimated to have increased from 75 million to 145 million between April 2020 and April 2021 (source: Statista). But messaging apps like Teams, Slack and WhatsApp don’t deliver critical information fast and effectively enough, and do not provide the necessary accountability for colleagues to respond in a timely fashion.
The two-way radio – benefits and limitations
Even since before the birth of DMR (digital mobile radio), two-way radios are commonplace in many sectors – from retail, hospitality and leisure to security and events.
They are popular because of their rugged build, long battery life and simplicity to use. These factors alone make them perfect for users in certain industries – especially those operating on fixed, smaller sites where environmental conditions are often harsh like construction sites or oil rigs.
However, as many businesses continue to look for an edge over their competitors, the limitations of the traditional two-way radio device are becoming apparent.
EVER-POPULAR BUT WITH LIMITED FEATURES. Although two-way radios are still perfect for lots of users, there are limitations for those needing to communicate over wider areas and to do everything they need from one smart device.
Depending on the specification of the radio system as well as geographical and environmental factors, two-way radio users can achieve good talk range by employing repeaters or IP site connect systems.
What this doesn’t cater for, however, is users who are always on the move and spread out over large and ever-changing geographical areas – the ability to push-to-talk to a colleague wherever they are in the country is hugely beneficial for many businesses.
Another limitation of the two-way radio is that, for many workers, it requires carrying multiple devices which is detrimental to working efficiency. A healthcare worker, for example, could carry up to five devices at one time – a radio, mobile phone, pager, DECT phone and tablet, for example. The more critical tasks can be done from a single device, the more efficient the work.
In the modern world, these two key factors – wide-area push-to-talk communication and one device for all applications – can improve a business’ efficiency and profitability by connecting workers better, making their jobs easier and eliminating geographical barriers.
Area of focus: wide-area push-to-talk
To fill the void of both range and functionality between the traditional two-way radio and a more wide-ranging and feature-rich form of push-to-talk communication, many wide-area push-to-talk solutions have emerged.
Aside from the benefits to a business of connecting a workforce with instant voice communication over wide areas, there are several other reasons why businesses should consider investing in the newer technology.
Most PTT applications run on smart devices – the apps with the greatest compatibility run on Android, iOS smartphones and tablets and Windows 10 PCs, which are also the devices most commonly used by businesses.
This means that the costs of a wide-area PTT application are significantly lower when compared with investing in devices such as two-way radios which are only used for PTT communication. Wide-area PTT also easy to set up – adding the application to an existing business device can be as simple as downloading it from the app store and entering login details.
It also means that a PTT app can be integrated with the business’ overall operation without negatively impacting existing procedures and technology. For example, a courier who relies on their smart device to manage, scan and sign deliveries can keep doing just that on their chosen device but with PTT simply bolted on.
ONE DEVICE FOR EVERYTHING. The fewer devices users carry, the more efficiently they are able to work. And being able to add push-to-talk onto existing devices means minimal interference with existing ways of working without needing to invest in new hardware.
Compared with two-way radio systems, managing a fleet of wide-area PTT devices is also significantly easier. PTT applications are managed and programmed over-the-air, often via intuitive web-based portals.
Any changes to individual, group or fleet-wide settings are pushed to online devices immediately, and offline devices as soon as they are connected. This means that, for the many businesses with teams of people who are spread out across a country or even a continent, central management is easy.
Not having to wait either for devices to return to headquarters for programming or for an engineer to visit the user to carry out updates saves the business valuable time and money. And pushing necessary updates to an entire fleet of devices simultaneously eliminates issues caused by conflicting software versions.
Wide-area PTT is often referred to either as “push-to-talk over cellular”, “broadband push-to-talk” or “network radio” because it works using either public (cellular 3G, 4G or 5G) or private (Wi-Fi) networks.
Using these networks for their communication systems can be beneficial to businesses when compared with two-way radio. By utilizing existing networks – this includes the existing Wi-Fi networks which the majority of businesses have – an organization can reduce the resource they would otherwise need to allocate to maintaining communication infrastructure such as repeaters and IP connection for wider or multiple sites.
And for those using cellular networks for wider-area communication (outside the ‘four walls’), the burden of maintaining networks is completely removed from the user – in this case, the business.
Introducing Zebra Workforce Connect
Zebra Technologies is a world-leading provider of technology solutions to give workers an edge. Their touch computer and scanning devices as well as their software and data solutions are among the best in the world.
Workforce Connect, their wide-area PTT application, is helping workers all around the world to be better connected with their colleagues both inside and outside the four walls of the business, and is our wide-area PTT platform of choice.
The wide-area PTT market is becoming crowded – while all the best apps share common features associated with PTT communication and functions made available to smart device users such as mapping, Zebra Workforce Connect stands out from its competition in several key areas.
It has the power of Zebra behind it. Zebra Workforce Connect is powered by Savanna, Zebra’s own powerful cloud data platform. With the power of secure servers, vast storage and wide-reaching networks, Workforce Connect users are supported by the most powerful infrastructure of any wide-area PTT application on the market.
It is a Google Material Design application. Material Design is Google’s own user interface design standard which aims to optimize user ease and efficiency. This means that Zebra Workforce Connect users need little-to-no training as the app interacts the same way as all mainstream applications that individuals already use on their personal devices.
EASY TO LEARN, EASY TO USE. Because Workforce Connect has a design consistent with mainstream apps on both Android and iOS devices, it’s easy to learn and even easier to use. Less training and more functionality on existing devices results in a more efficient workforce!
It is a device-agnostic application. Workforce Connect runs seamlessly on any Android or iOS smartphone or tablet or Windows 10 PC. As many businesses already own these devices for their employees, it gives them an opportunity like no other to implement a PTT solution without needing to invest in new hardware.
It can integrate with two-way radio systems. Some businesses need both broadband and narrowband communications, but until now linking the two has been hard (if not impossible). With Workforce Connect this is easily achievable either via a simple IP gateway or via the SMC gateway, a leading solution for integrating two-way radios with other applications.
Buying Zebra Workforce Connect – FAQs
Companies who are either investing in a PTT solution for the first time or have only ever used traditional two-way radio rightly have questions – here are some we get frequently.
“I need to know the best way for my business to account for the ongoing costs of Workforce Connect – how do I manage this?”
Answer: Workforce Connect licences are available over 1, 3 or 5 year terms so that businesses can account for the cost of their PTT solution in line with other business costs. You can pay for Workforce Connect on a monthly, quarterly, annual or full, one-off basis – whichever way is best for your business.
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“How much will Workforce Connect cost my business?”
Answer: The suggested list price for Workforce Connect is £7.99 per month per user per month.
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“How do I deploy licences, manage users’ settings and add, change and delete groups and users?”
Answer: Workforce Connect is administered using a web-based portal. From here, any management to the fleet can be done on a user, group or fleet-wide level which includes changing names, re-allocating licences to new users, stunning and activating licences, creating and adding to groups, viewing historical location data and much more.
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“My business doesn’t currently equip employees with smartphones because we are worried about constant repair costs – what would you recommend?”
Answer: We would recommend Samsung’s comprehensive range of rugged devices for businesses, which strike the perfect balance between ruggedness and usability – click here to learn more.
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“Do I need a SIM card in my device to use Workforce Connect?”
Answer: Workforce Connect will work on any device which is connected to either a cellular (3G/4G/5G) or Wi-Fi network. Therefore your device will need a SIM card to work if you are either temporarily or permanently out of range of an available Wi-Fi network.
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“Why would I invest in this instead of just telling my workers to communicate using their mobile phones?”
Answer: Collaboration is improved with communication – this is a fact. So instead of employees having to find individual contacts in their address book, make a call, wait for a call to connect and wait for their colleague to answer, they could save huge amounts of time by using Workforce Connect. And the ability to communicate to groups instantly at the touch of a button, for example to a national sales force or a group of drivers in a certain area, makes Workforce Connect a far more flexible way for teams to communicate.
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“Where can I purchase Workforce Connect for my business?”
Answer: You can purchase Workforce Connect from an authorised Syndico reseller partner – click here to be connected with a partner in your area.
Want to learn more?
Via our network of reseller partners, we have helped many businesses to better connect their workforce regardless of where they are, what they are doing or which devices they use.
To learn more, speak to our Enterprise Mobility Brand Manager Matthew Lovering today on 01489 287 287 or via matthew.lovering@syndico.net.
