Motorola Solutions integrates Wi-Fi, low-power Bluetooth in next-generation MOTOTRBO portfolio

Motorola Solutions today announced its next-generation portfolio of MOTOTRBO digital radios that include Wi-Fi connectivity, extended battery life and low-power Bluetooth that can enable indoor-location tracking that are designed to improve enterprise productivity and efficiency.

In addition to new subscribers, MOTOTRBO offerings are being enhanced with the introduction of Capacity Max—a flexible, high-capacity trunking solution—and the SLR 8000 high-power repeater that lets enterprise customers extend their network coverage.

Motorola Solutions’ next-generation MOTOTRBO portfolio should be attractive to a wide variety of enterprises, from critical-infrastructure entities and government/educational institutions to logistics and hospitality enterprises, according to Randy Helm, Motorola Solutions’ director of product management for Americas commercial markets.

“It really fits all verticals,” Helm said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications.  “This really takes our subscriber, systems and infrastructure portfolio to the next level, ahead of what we’re seeing from our competitors right now. So we’re really excited about the investments and taking this space forward successfully.”

A key focus of the next-generation MOTOTRBO portfolio is to make it easier for end users to update the software in their subscriber units and to recharge their radios—necessary processes that can result in a loss of productivity while they are happening.

To address the software-update challenge, the new MOTOTRBO radios have integrated Wi-Fi functionality—a feature that Motorola Solutions introduced last year to some of its P25 radios—to enable high-speed firmware updates, Helm said.

“The primary purpose of Wi-Fi at launch is to enable much quicker updates to the firmware over the air,” he said. “One of the pain points for many of our customers has been that we can do code plugs—some of the basic radio capabilities updates—over the air, but the challenge has always been that the firmware files are just too large. That means that everybody has to gather radios, bring them in, and that means down time.

“Now, this is really is Step 1 toward making our dealers and end customers a lot more efficient and able to benefit from the new features and capabilities that we continue to bring in our firmware. We believe Wi-Fi is a clear differentiator from competition.”

In addition, the new MOTOTRBO radios feature battery life that is more than 50% longer than in previous MOTOTRBO devices, so end users can continue to be productive longer, according to Helm.

“Our battery life on this product now will exceed 29 hours,” he said. “So, you’re looking at almost a doubling [in battery life] compared to some of our competitors out there.

“When people are trying to run multiple applications and system environments, the need to have to bring in and charge radios is costly and not efficient.”

Another key feature of the next-generation MOTOTRBO radios is the integration of low-energy Bluetooth 4.0, which can be leveraged to provide a user’s indoor location in areas where a GPS signal will not work, such as inside a multi-story building, Helm said.