Did you or someone you know own a Nextel device?
A conversation could be heard by anyone near when using push-to-talk. They were also often used on jobsites and between employees and managers. They eventually made a quiet exit as smartphones came on the scene. But fortunately, they’re back, thanks to Peak PTT. George Karonis of Peak PTT shares more below.
WHAT IS PEAK PTT, AND WHY SHOULD OUR READERS KNOW ABOUT IT?
KARONIS: We provide businesses with a very fast and efficient way to communicate across the entire workforce. We leverage LTE wireless data, the internet, and purpose-built rugged radios to make this happen. All of our radios are equipped with GPS, which also lets owners, supervisors, and dispatchers easily keep track of all field personnel.
IT SEEMED PUSH TO TALK (PTT) HAD ITS HEYDAY A FEW DECADES AGO. WHY SHOULD CONTRACTORS AND OTHER INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS GIVE IT ANOTHER LOOK?
KARONIS: Yes, Nextel was a great service. The service was abruptly stopped by Sprint in 2015 to re-allocate its resources to modernize its wireless network. When this happened, over 20 million users were left without the service. At the same time, smartphones became the norm. But, smartphones were never meant to be used as a two-way radio. Besides being expensive, they lack features that a purpose-driven PTT device has, such as being extremely rugged and very loud. Not to mention the fact that you can communicate with your entire team in a second or less.
WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF TWO -WAY RADIO COMMUNICATION, THEY MIGHT THINK OF TRADITIONAL TWO-WAY UHF RADIOS. WHAT MAKES PEAK PTT DIFFERENT FROM THOSE DEVICES WE REMEMBER?
KARONIS: Traditionally, two-way UHF and VHF radios for business use require FCC licensing, which requires paperwork and cost. Moreover, a traditional two-way radio system using repeaters and other equipment can be quite expensive. Our radios require no license and provide users with nationwide coverage for a fraction of the cost of a traditional radio system.
JUST ABOUT EVERYONE HAS A CELLPHONE THESE DAYS. WHY IS PEAK PTT A BETTER SOLUTION FOR WORK COMMUNICATION THAN CELLPHONES?
KARONIS: The Peak PTT solution provides businesses with instant, always-on communication across their entire workforce. Unlike a cellphone that requires users to make a call to someone who may not answer, a dedicated PTT radio ensures instant communication. Furthermore, Peak PTT radio can only be used for one thing: work-related communication. Cellphones can be used for a host of other time-wasting, unproductive things, such as social media, surfing the web, and personal business. Another important topic I feel is relevant in regards to cellphones is distracted driving. Our PTT radios can be used while driving and are DOT compliant.
MODERN WORKTRUCK SOLUTIONS COVERS A VARIETY OF WORK TRUCK INDUSTRIES. WHICH INDUSTRIES DO YOU THINK WOULD BENEFIT MOST FROM USING PEAK PTT?
KARONIS: We have clients across a wide variety of industries using our service. Any company with workers in the field can benefit from our service. Whether it’s a driver or field tech communicating with other employees, managers, or even office personnel, communication becomes exponentially more efficient.
CAN YOU SHARE A REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE OF AN INSTANCE WHERE A PEAK PTT DEVICE IMPROVED OPERATIONS OR SAFETY WHILE ON THE JOB?
KARONIS: We’ve heard and continue to hear from multiple customers all the time that one of the biggest improvements they have seen is the responsiveness of their field workers. Prior to using our radios, cellphone calls would many times go unanswered. That isn’t the case anymore using Peak PTT.
Business owners, also really like the 60-second GPS location service that is built in to every radio. This location awareness provides for improved employee productivity as well as a degree of peace of mind.
HOW DOES THE PROCESS OF GETTING A PEAK PTT SYSTEM WORK?
KARONIS: Those interested can contact Peak PTT from our website or over the phone, and we can make recommendations on the products and service that best fits the need. Customers would then purchase—and own—the radios.
Our monthly service is $24.95 per radio, unlimited PTT service, support, and 60-second GPS tracking with no contracts. This includes nationwide talk, unlimited channels, secure and encrypted communications, recorded transmissions with playback, SOS alerts, and cross-talk between companies.
We preconfigure and set up our radios for the customer and ship them ready-to-use out of the box. Customers can have an unlimited number of channels as well as customized names for each channel or radio.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
George Karonis is a manager at Peak PTT. Find out more, visit www.peakptt.com or call 855.600.6161.
