The Top 5 Stories from 2018

As the 2018 year comes to a close, we look back on some of the highlights for Tait and the critical communications industry.  Ranging from monumental contracts, product releases, insights, and green innovations, 2018 has been busy and exciting across the board.  We would like to share these moments with you, and revisit some of your favorite stories from this year.

 

Tait DMR: A Smart Investment, Made to Evolve 

Tait has long been regarded as a trusted supplier of DMR Tier 3 networks and solutions.  We were among the first to take Tier 3 solutions to market, and we are still considered a market leader.  This is because, in a nutshell, the Tait DMR platform gives organizations – small and large – more flexibility, control, and freedom of choice for their critical communications solutions.

Recently we looked back at our journey since launching Tier 3, talked to some of our customers, and have identified the top advantages of investing in Tait DMR:

  • Data services beyond voice and DMR
  • Industry-leading network performance
  • Decades of experience and knowledge
  • Simple, secure configuration and management
  • Flexibility, control and freedom of choice
  • True partnership – global, trusted, proven
  • Easy, future-proof evolution options

Tom de Rooy is the head organizer of the Kaikoura longboard festival.  He explained that previously, organizers and event staff had a mix of radios of which most lacked interoperability and could not provide the coverage and range necessary across the race track.  After introducing DMR this year, “The event organizers had seamless communication throughout the whole hill, which is so valuable,” de Rooy said.  “We couldn’t go back to running an event like this without that communication, for safety and practicality.  It’s just awesome to know that riders are going to get down and be safe.”

You can read more about Tait DMR here.

 

Transport for London chooses Tait to upgrade 10,000-strong London bus fleet 

In March Tait Communications signed a contract with Transport for London (TfL) to replace the British capital city’s radio communications system with a new digital mobile radio system.  Tait is responsible for manufacturing and installing the communications infrastructure that provides coverage across greater London, as well as the terminal equipment on London’s fleet of almost 10,000 busses.

Garry Diack, Chief Executive of Tait Communications, says TfL’s decision is a strong vote of confidence in Tait’s technology development.  “This award was strongly contested through a rigorous process, and winning it against the major manufacturers in our industry worldwide is very gratifying.”

Tait Communications has designed the upgraded system to be resilient for today’s every-day needs as well as a digital platform for future health and safety effectiveness and operational efficiency.  The on-bus equipment is based on the Tait Unified Vehicle platform, which gives access to multiple carrier networks in addition to mobile radio (ie. next-generation cellular and WiFi), and the ability to run custom applications to improve operational efficiency and the service provided to travelers.

“We have been careful to choose a solution that provides a low risk transition from the existing analog technology, and also integrates well with the future vision of TfL with open standards based DMR technology and ease of integration with an ITxPT (IT for Public Transport) Principal Member.”                        – Simon Reed, Head of Technology and Data: Surface Transport, Transport for London

 

Rugged Smartphones for tough jobs – keeping users connected

Tait partnered with Sonim to supply the Rugged Smartphone – a phone that unifies critical communications and enables users to choose devices that best suit them, while remaining in constant contact across the radio network.

Produced for the modern workforce, these devices give access to data and applications that keep employees better connected, safe, and productive in the field.  It also unifies access to all critical communications networks, meaning there is now a bridge between users on LMR and LTE networks, ensuring they are constantly in contact.

Since launch, the rugged smartphone has been well-received by customers as well as the Tait TeampPTT application.   What is so attractive is the integration of many forms of communication technologies into one compact and rugged device.

In partnership with Sonim, we have created durable, rugged, hardware that is tough enough for all your jobs.  Watch here.

 

The latest simulcast innovations from Tait: DMR, P25 and Analog 

Tait has been innovating and delivering analog and digital simulcast networks for decades. We therefore now have a huge range of expertise and flexibility to ensure the best fit for your present needs with future flexibility.

As the most adaptive digital radio platform available, simulcast provides greater coverage with fewer frequencies, can fill coverage dead-spots in challenging terrain, and delivers a cost effective and easy-to-use all-informed solution.

Tait simulcast solutions can be stand-alone, or integrated into a larger non-simulcast Tait network – for example, for tunnel coverage. As Tait simulcast networks use the same hardware as Tait non-simulcast networks, they can be partially or fully upgraded to simulcast later should this be required, and provides easy maintenance and spares management.

The latest simulcast also provides the additional benefits of simplifying the user experience by reducing channel change activities in conventional systems and reduces the number of re-registrations on a trunking network.

 

“Before you had to look for places where you could talk on a portable.  Now I’m trying to look for places where I can’t, and I haven’t found any yet.”                                  – Matthew Gay, Maintenance Manager, Madison County Fire

 

Read more about the Madison County Fire Department’s experience with simulcast innovations here.

 

 

Tait Engineer’s Initiative Leads to Greener Packaging

A well-received innovation at Tait this year was a sustainable packaging solution created by design engineer Malcolm Falconer.

Falconer has created a molded structure made from recycled paper fibers to package and safely ship our equipment.  His innovative design sees the packaging in two halves, interlocking around the product for protection throughout rough transport situations.

“I was thinking there must be a more environmentally friendly way to package our base station products as opposed to the current solution of using a foam insert,” Malcolm says.  As Tait constantly strives to find ways to reduce our impact on the environment, Falconer’s innovation and actions are exemplary of Tait values and vision of environmental responsibility.

Testing has showed the new packaging provides more protection than the previous solution, as well as being completely recyclable.  All Tait TB7300 and TB7100 base stations are currently wrapped and shipped in this sustainable protective packaging and looking to the future, more and more Tait products will receive this innovative and recyclable packaging.

To read about other green solutions Tait is turning into everyday practice, click here for a post on lead-free infrastructure assembly.

 

This year we have celebrated increasingly sustainable and integrated solutions that are flexible and resilient.  We have formed more relationships with our customers to really understand their needs, and we continue to work at pace to provide products and services that save lives around the world.  In 2019, innovation will be driving us forward as we are already seeing unique products like Tait Unified really show their capabilities for modern needs.  We believe there are some exciting opportunities out there, and as Sir Angus Tait always said ‘The best is yet to come.’

 


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