Unifying First
Responders
with Unique
Push-to-Talk
Application
By David Simon, Product Manager,
Applications, Harris Corporation
While LMR (Land Mobile Radio) is the proven technology for first responder
communications, radio coverage is inherently limited to the geography covered by the
radio sites. With an emphasis on providing constant connectivity for senior leadership,
regardless of their physical location, the combination of LMR and LTE (Long Term
Evolution) PTT (push-to-talk) applications provides connectivity never before possible.
The Harris PTT solution, BeOn®, is available on Android™, Windows® PC and iOS™
platforms, and is the first application to support managed group and push-to-talk
communications utilizing most consumer smart phones. Public safety users have
begun to take advantage of the increased range offered by PTT.
BeOn – The Secret Weapon
BeOn provides a connection between
existing, traditional radio systems and
other IP networks, including commercial
cellular 3G, 4G and LTE networks, and
WiFi or LANs. It enables push-to-talk
voice, presence and situational awareness via smartphone, whether personal,
consumer or agency issued. With BeOn,
senior staff and commanders are able to
participate in incident communications or
monitor situations even outside of their
traditional radio service area, significantly
bolstering the any mission-critical system.
The application consists of a server with
its own firewall that is linked to the radio
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