Thales debuts accessories for Liberty radios, seeks reps

Thales is debuting this week at IWCE 2010 in Las Vegas a AA clamshell battery pack for its Liberty multiband radios that is designed for use by wildland firefighters, who often find themselves in remote areas, which prevents charging of the radios. In addition, the company is showing a new mobile battery charger that is designed to go into vehicle consoles.

Also, the company is conducting training sessions during IWCE to teach people how to use its new PC Programmer software, which lets users program their Liberty radios. The training sessions — which are by appointment only; attendees can stop by Thales’ booth to get additional information — also will cover how to access the company’s FTP site in order to obtain firmware upgrades for the Liberty radios, a service that will save the company’s customers a lot of time and money, said Steve Nichols, Thales’ director of homeland security and public safety.

“You don’t have to send the radio back or have one of our technicians come out and do something — you can do it yourself,” he said. “Literally, you can be anywhere in the world and upgrade your radios without having to send them back to us.”

Nichols added that Thales is seeking individuals to represent the company’s radio line. The approach the company is taking is different than the traditional approach to product sales and distribution, in which independent dealers take possession of the product and then resell it. “We’re looking for people who want to support and sell the product and make a commission,” Nichols said. “We’re coming out of the DOD space, and we’re building distribution brick by brick.” He added that ideal candidates already will be working with public-safety entities. Anyone interested should stop by Thales’ booth at IWCE.