Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) phones raise expectations among professional-mobile-radio users to levels that system makers are only now beginning to address. Not long ago, you’d need to be a member of the emergency services or a top executive to make calls from a mobile phone. Now, anyone with $100 to spend can roam most of Europe and enjoy direct access to international communications networks. Consumer models have a lot in common with professional user needs, but there are still compelling reasons why GSM can’t deliver in the professional user market. With dedicated professional-mobile-radio backgrounds, alternative systems compete for private-mobile-radio (PMR) and public-access mobile-radio (PAMR) deployments. Now, professional users can enjoy cellular like telephony and private radio dispatcher services with the same mobile handset. Read the rest of this entry »

Just a few years ago, the term “network” referred to a mainframe in a back room connected to a series of dumb terminals. Today, the network is a worldwide array of computers connected to increasingly more intelligent clients ranging from personal computers to personal digital assistants (PDAs) to cell phones. Traditionally, these clients connect to the worldwide array over wire or some other physical medium, such as a cable or copper twisted pair. Wired connections provide reliable, high-speed information pipelines, but they tie clients to a location. Read the rest of this entry »