Cost effective radio communication for security at Manor Royal BID
CSE Crosscom has provided retailers and Business Rangers at Manor Royal BID in Sussex with a cost-effective solution to communication for security using Motorola Solutions WAVE PTX™.
The Client
Manor Royal Business District near Gatwick in the southeast of England is one of the UK’s biggest business parks with over 700 businesses, from global brands to local enterprises. The Manor Royal BID (Business Improvement District) enables these businesses to create a joint fund and to attract additional investment to improve the area.
The Requirement
Manor Royal BID required a communication solution to connect the twenty retailers in the area and the Business Ranger team who look after it. Initially a two-way radio system was considered but this raised two issues: Firstly, as the Rangers cover a large area this would have required investment in multiple repeaters. Secondly, obtaining two-way radio frequencies in the Gatwick area can be difficult due to the significant requirements of the airport, and interference is a potential issue due to the volume of radio traffic in the area.
The Solution
CSE Crosscom recommended Motorola Solutions WAVE PTX™ to Manor Royal BID, a push to talk over cellular (PoC) app that enables users to communicate between different devices – smartphones, radios, computers or landlines – in different locations, wherever there is a mobile signal. Like two-way radio, WAVE PTX™ offers one-to-many communication, so information can be relayed to large groups simply and quickly, but one-to-one communication is also possible for discreet conversations. Users can share texts, photos, videos and file attachments, so whatever needs to be communicated can be done so quickly and effectively, whether it is information about suspicious activity or a vehicle causing an obstruction.
“We needed a system that was affordable, easy to use, quick to deploy and simple to scale. CSE Crosscom provided the ideal solution in the Motorola Solutions WAVE PTX PoC system now being used by our businesses, primarily our retail members.
As a result, businesses are better connected to one another and to our Business Ranger security team wherever they are on the park. The system is reliable, and businesses are able to collaborate more effectively to protect themselves and each other.”
Steve Sawyer, Executive Director Manor Royal BID
WAVE PTX™ does not require a dedicated device but CSE Chatterbox recommended Motorola Solutions WAVE™ TLK100 two-way radios for Manor Royal BID, which are robust devices with a dedicated push-to-talk button designed specifically for use with WAVE PTX in applications like this. The two-way radios at Manor Royal BID are fitted with roaming SIMs, which are not dedicated to any of the four Major Network Operators (MNOs) but use whichever offers the strongest signal, switching between providers as the user moves around to give the best possible user experience. Though not as robust as two-way radios for critical communications, roaming SIMs provide more robust coverage than that provided by a standard SIM.
Because WAVE PTX™ uses the mobile networks, and does not require any infrastructure to achieve coverage, it is quick and easy to deploy. Surveying the required area to ensure coverage can be done with one device set up with the app and a roaming SIM.
Because WAVE PTX™ uses the mobile networks it offers a cost-effective alternative to two-way radios in large areas where coverage is costly to achieve. It provides coverage anywhere a mobile signal is available, so effectively nationwide. WAVE PTX™ is a subscription-based service so it is also readily scaleable and Manor Royal BID can add users if required.
WAVE PTX™ has provided a quick, cost effective, robust solution to security communication for the retailers at Manor Royal BID, with the potential to increase the number of subscriptions on the system and to add location monitoring and despatcher to map this information if required. It is an ideal solution for now with potential for the future.
To find out how WAVE PTX™ could benefit your organisation please get in touch.
Thanks to Steve Sawyer for his permission for this article and his assistance in creating it.
