Two considerations that organizations face when switching from analog to digital are: one, the potential loss of investment by decommissioning analog radios that still have a use-value; and two, the potential interruption to normal operations during the transition period.

To address these concerns, radio manufacturers engineered their new radios to provide both analog and digital voice communication in the same unit. This dual operation capability allows companies to keep their legacy analog radios in use along side of the new analog/digital radios. They can also continue to use their existing analog infrastructure with the new radios until the company is ready to switch over to a fully-digital system.

In Part Three of this series on Digital Migration, we cover Voice and Data. 

Part Three: Voice and Data  

Today’s digital two way radios have enhanced voice and data capabilities. This gives radio users the ability to run productivity-enhancing applications directly from their hand held radios.

Current applications include messaging, location based services, bar code reading, and form applications. And according to radio manufacturer information, the growth potential for new application development looks very promising as third-party developers report interest in developing more applications for the industry.