According to Wikipedia, “perfect storm” is an expression that describes an event where a rare combination of circumstances will aggravate a situation drastically.  We believe that there is a perfect storm brewing in the two-way radio business that can benefit users and dealers alike.  The combination of circumstances are as follows:

1. FCC narrowbanding mandate.  Organizations, big and small, have failed to meet the January 1, 2013 deadline to cease operating using 25 kHz efficiency technology.  Many counties in Virginia, such as Caroline County, are not yet using 12.5 kHz efficiency technology. Add to this many smaller organizations, such as weekend racers, that are not yet using 12.5 kHz efficiency technology, and you will come to recognize that the opportunity for the two-way radio dealers has seldom been better.
2. Rise of standards.  In the early years, analog was THE standard for radio communications.  Then, digital came into the marketplace; this created confusion for users and profit for manufacturers, because each manufacturer stated that you need to buy their digital radios to work on their digital systems.  But, as the digital marketplace has matured, so have the standards.  For example, today, it is possible for an inexpensive radio from China to work on a MOTOTRBO system; this is possible because of the DMR standard.  Standards are driving down pricing for users and increasing the need for manufacturers to prove the value of their solutions.
3. Rise of competition.  We recently had the privilege of attending the 2013 IWCE event in Las Vegas.  It was full of great exhibitors from all over the world.  Many of the exhibitors have names that you would recognize, such as Harris and Motorola.  Some of the exhibitors have names that you might recognize, such as EF Johnson, Icom, Kenwood, and Tait.  Some of the exhibitors, you might never have heard of before.  Looking at our local marketplace, we realized that there are only two (2) radio dealers in Richmond and both of them only provide solutions by a single large manufacturer.  We wish to bring some competition to the Central Virginia marketplace by offering solutions from more than one manufacturer.
4. Rise of Radio over IP (RoIP).  In our opinion, Radio over IP has the potential to revolutionize interoperability in the two-way radio marketplace.  RoIP can extend a two-way radio system to the entire Internet.  Today, there are already solutions what will enable users to connect analog systems to digital systems.  Bridging systems in Alaska and Hawaii is now a reality.  Being able to dispatch calls from anywhere is no longer a dream.  Applications like this show the power of IP (Internet Protocol) and can surely benefit users.

We are ready to take advantage of this “perfect storm” with you.  If you are still using 25 kHz efficiency technology, are looking to move to a standards-based radio solution, want to consider competitive alternatives, or are looking to take advantage of Radio over IP, please contact us at (804) 625-4233 or sales AT richmondrf DOT com.

As a side note, although 25 kHz efficiency radios can no longer be used in the United States, they can be used in other parts of the world.  So, please make sure to ask us about our trade-in program.

It's only fair to share...

Twitter

Facebook