Voxer intros ‘Walkie Talkie’ push-to-talk mode on smart devices for enterprise use
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Voxer intros ‘Walkie Talkie’ push-to-talk mode on smart devices for enterprise use
Because Voxer is an “over-the-top” application that relies on IP connectivity, the potential coverage and flexibility of the push-to-talk capability is much greater than in a traditional LMR system, Remedio said. But this dependence on IP connectivity means that Voxer cannot provide direct-mode communications when a network is unavailable, which is why Voxer is not viewed as a full replacement for many private radio networks, he said.
“It isn’t the intention for Voxer to remove a need for two-way radios; in an emergency situation, you may need a two-way radio,” Remedios said. “But that doesn’t mean that, for all of the communication that companies are using Voxer for, that they need a two-way radio. Perhaps it is a situation where a lot of people don’t need a two-way radio—don’t need the expense of it, don’t need to maintain it, don’t need to fix them, etc.—and can use Voxer as their main communication tool and still have two-way radio there as a backup for emergency protocol.
“We’re seeing companies wanting to transition to smartphones—or already have transitioned to smartphones—and wanting that reliable push-to-talk on their smartphone that’s easy to use. They’re not necessarily doing away with all of their two-way radios, but I think that they’re finding that Voxer can replace the main communication for many people who are on smartphones today.”
Voxer currently does not offer interface capability that would allow a user with IP connectivity to engage in push-to-talk communications with someone on an LMR network, but the company is in the process of developing such capability, Remedios said.