IWCE: Kenwood launches NEXEDGE suite 

By Mary Rose Roberts

LAS VEGAS--Kenwood USA unveiled the NEXEDGE product line of multimode conventional and trunked mobiles, portables and repeaters. Joe Watts, the company’s product manager, said the suite was developed in part to address the FCC’s narrowbanding requirements...

IWCE: Motorola introduces new two-way radios 

By Donny Jackson

LAS VEGAS--Motorola this week is debuting a low-band mobile radio and an analog portable radio that operates in the UHF and VHF bands at the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) at the Las Vegas Convention Center...

Twisted Pair announces general availability of WAVE 3.0 

By Donny Jackson

Seattle-based unified communications technology provider Twisted Pair this week announced the general availability of WAVE 3.0, the latest version of its unified group communications platform that is designed to work in mission-critical environments for the military, public safety and high-priority enterprises...

First-responder survey generates a few surprises 

By Glenn Bischoff

A recent survey of 200 public safety communications officials and responders conducted by Motorola—in conjunction with the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO)—indicated they were much more concerned about their ability to respond to natural disasters than to terrorist attacks or crime. ...

Harris unveils multiband portable radio for first responders 

By Glenn Bischoff

Harris Corp. yesterday introduced a multiband portable radio for the first-responder sector that operates in both VHF (low- and high-band) and UHF (low- and high-band) modes. The company is targeting the federal level first, but said it expects to eventually introduce models for state and local agencies...

Sprint Nextel, Motorola announce LMR interoperability solution 

By Donny Jackson

Sprint Nextel and Motorola yesterday announced the availability of a Motobridge gateway that will allow Direct Connect users on Sprint Nextel’s iDEN network to have push-to-talk communications with users on land-mobile-radio (LMR) systems...

Speaker to public safety: Don’t wait to make funding push 

By Donny Jackson

ORLANDO--National economic concerns should not discourage public-safety agencies from pursuing the funding necessary to make their plans for interoperable communications a reality, a speaker said yesterday during the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Winter Summit...

Clarity announces independent P2T over cellular application 

By Donny Jackson

Clarity Communications Systems -- bought earlier this month by ISCO International -- this week announced that its software-based, push-to-talk (P2T) inTouch solution can be used on any cell phone with Qualcomm’s BREW application programming interface, version 3.1 or later...

Sprint Nextel to cut 4000 jobs after reporting more subscriber losses 

By Donny Jackson

Sprint Nextel today announced about 4000 job cuts and retail-outlet closures in the wake of more subscriber losses during the fourth quarter of 2007...

SquareLoop, Sprint partner on emergency alerts 

By Glenn Bischoff

Sprint Nextel and Reston, Va.-based location-based services vendor SquareLoop jointly announced this week that the wireless carrier will deploy SquareLoop’s Mobile Alert Network in Contra Costa County, Calif. ...

Sprint Nextel names new CEO 

By Donny Jackson

Sprint Nextel yesterday named Dan Hesse, former chairman and CEO of local wireline carrier Embarq, as its president and CEO, ending the company’s two-month search for a successor to Gary Forsee...

Rivada wins contract from Louisiana National Guard 

By Glenn Bischoff

The Louisiana Army National Guard recently awarded a contract to Crystal City, Va.-based Rivada Networks for an interoperable wireless broadband communications network that leverages existing cellular infrastructure for day-to-day operations but can quickly be made more robust in times of emergency...

Cisco IPICS deployed to enhance interoperability in Massachusetts 

By Donny Jackson

Four Massachusetts fire control centers have deployed Cisco Systems’ IP Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS) to provide interoperable voice communications between the entities today and serve as the foundation for new levels of data interoperability in the future...

Vanu announces 700 MHz prototype, dual-mode SDR deployment 

By Donny Jackson

Software-defined radio (SDR) technology provider Vanu this week announced it has demonstrated a 700 MHz Femtocell prototype developed with transceiver chipmaker BitWave and has deployed the first commercial wireless network to operate using both CDMA and GSM standards on a single system...

Motorola makes offer for control of Vertex Standard 

By Donny Jackson

Motorola this week announced it would launch a $108 million tender offer to acquire a controlling interest in two-way-radio manufacturer Vertex Standard, which will operate as a joint venture...