The South Korean tech giant, Samsung Electronics, has announced an effective demonstration of what it terms the world’s first video call on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud platform using Mission Critical Push-to-Talk, Data and Video (MCPTX, also known as Mission Critical Communications), the communications functionality designed specifically for first responders. Based on 3GPP Release 14 specifications, this implementation was enabled by the successful onboarding, integration and deployment on AWS cloud. Wonil Roh, Senior Vice President and Head of Product Strategy, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics, said, “This demonstration showcases how Samsung’s Mission Critical Communications solutions can manage public crises and be readily deployed on public cloud platforms. It also enables us to learn and adapt to the evolving needs of service providers and end-users alike. This brings a new level of broad coverage, scalability and reliability to mission critical service deployments, and we look forward to continuing our journey…
Motorola Solutions has announced the acquisition of Avtec Inc., the top U.S. provider of advanced dispatch products for public safety and commercial customers. Additional details of the transaction, which closed on the 11th of March, were not released. Based in South Carolina, Avtec specializes in voice over internet protocol (VoIP) dispatch services using land mobile radio (LMR) and broadband networks. The company offers solutions and products that enable customers, including airlines, railroads and energy companies, to connect their personnel in operations centers with workers in the field using two-way radios. Motorola Solutions, a global leader in mission-critical communications, has been reselling the Avtec consoles to its MOTOTRBO customers. Accordingly, such an acquisition will provide Motorola with a complete product portfolio for handling the communications that are vital to Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) users. Motorola currently offers its own MCC line of dispatch consoles to its Project 25 (P25)…