Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Rik Rasmussen On The "One-to--Many" Communication Benefits Of Real Radio.

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 12:31:15 -0500

Rik Rasmussen On The "One-to--Many" Communication Benefits Of Real Radio.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two-way is the ticket
Source: Sanitary Maintenance
Publication date: 2003-02-01
Arrival time: 2003-03-25

Tech Central

Distributors everywhere are opting for two-way radios to communicate with
their delivery drivers

Effective communication is the key to every good relationship, right? Public
relations specialists, human resources managers and marriage counselors
all bank on this time-tested philosophy. Admittedly, they have the
fact-based research to back it up.

Good employer-to-employee communication is also crucial, but what
happens when an employee's job title isn't conducive to "face time?" How do
employers deal with employees who are on the road throughout the day,
travelling routes and delivering supplies to customers?

Distributors have long realized the communication efficiency that cellular
phones provide their staffs; cellular is still the most popular method of
communication between delivery truck drivers and the main office. But there
is another communication medium that's creeping in to more distributor
businesses: two-way radio communication, and cell-phone/two-way radio
combos.

Two-way communication is becoming a popular choice among managers for
a number of reasons. First, employers can track drivers' whereabouts.
Secondly, managers and drivers can coordinate drop- offs, emergency
deliveries, and reroute drivers based on highway conditions. Finally, two-way
radios have advantages over cell phones, including safety and cost.

"A lot of [businesses] will initially start with cell-phone products, but as they
grow and get more and more people, employees may begin to abuse cell
phones, or [managers] are having a harder time keeping track of everyone,"
says Brian Baxter, president and owner of Action Communications, a
mobile communications provider based in Tucson, Ariz.

Two Good To Be True?

Two main types of services fall under the category of two-way
communication: basic, two-way radios and radio/cellular phone
combinations. While a large number of companies and service providers
offer two-way radios, Nextel is the only service provider to currently offer the
combination phone/radios (called Direct Connect).

Two-way radio communication is nothing new (they have been used ip in
police cars, for instance, since the 1930s), but it has grown more popular for
business use in the past two decades, even after cellular phones became
mainstream.

In fact, two-way radios offer many benefits over cellular communication,
says Wake Forest, N.C.-- based Rik Rasmussen, owner of the website
Twowayradiodirectory.com, and a 35-year veteran of the mobile
communications industry.

"One of the biggest advantages that exists is that in cellular communication
situations, you're speaking one to one, but with a two- way radio system,
the dispatcher speaks and everybody hears it; when somebody responds,
you all hear it," he says. "With service- oriented companies, this can be a
tremendous benefit."

Employees can use the network communication to help each other answer
questions - finding a customer's location, for example.

"It's like an intercom rather than a private phone," Rasmussen adds.

Another advantage is that many two-way radio providers have fewer "holes"
in their service areas, meaning that drivers will experience more consistent
coverage throughout the given delivery territory. Cellular phone and PCS
companies often concentrate on covering metropolitan areas and highways,
Rasmussen explains. In most cases, two-way radio providers have a single
larger tower that provides a greater coverage area, while cellular and PCS
providers rely on a network of smaller, multiple towers, often with areas that
don't have complete coverage.

Two-way radios are also a manager's dream. Drivers are just a button's push
away, and in most cases there isn't a voicemail option. Instead, the
employer can activate a beeping signal if the radio isn't answered, telling the
driver to call back as soon as possible.

"You can track the progress of their run," says Bill Nourse, president of
Brookmeade Hardware and Supply Co., Nashville, Tenn. "We keep a run
sheet for each stop they have. We know where the heavy part of the load
comes off and we know where they are if they have four stops ahead. We're
able to figure in our mind when they should be done," he says.

Rave reviews aside, potential buyers should keep in mind that individual
companies require specific capabilities for their trucks and drivers. Each
business owner must decide which option best matches his or her
company's needs. "Each user has to look at what [a system] can do, what
they need it to do and where they can get the best match," Rasmussen
says.

Radio and Cell Combos

Nextel's Direct Connect, with its twoway radio/cellular phone combos, was
designed to enhance the industry's current offerings. While the option is
ideal for some businesses, there are drawbacks, says Rasmussen. Though
the company offers the ability for "one-to-- many" group communication, the
cost for that service can be high. "They literally charge by the minute for
every mobile participating," he explains.

Nextel may be good choice for businesses who value the concept of two
products rolled into one. With these units, users can make and receive
regular cellular calls. They use the two-way capability by simply scrolling
down to the person they wish to call, then dialing them with the push of a
button much like speed dialing, Rasmussen explains.

Nextel radio/phones are the product of choice for ABC Corp., an Waipahu,
Oahu-based distributor. Trying to communicate with employees operating on
every one of the Hawaiian islands posed many challenges until three years
ago when the company scrapped its cellular plan and brought Nextel
capabilities to its workforce, says Emily Kuraoka, the company's executive
vice president.

The two-way function is especially valuable in reaching drivers all over the
islands, she says. "I can get an immediate response, rather than letting it
ring. If a customer is waiting for a delivery or there is an accident, we can
radio (the driver]."

Kuraoka also appreciates the managerial ease created by the immediacy of
two-way radios. "It doesn't allow our employees the option of taking the
phone call later."

Changing to Nextel is also saving ABC about $500 a month in the
long-distance charges they paid their cellular provider, though Kuraoka
admits that cost was not the biggest factor in the choice - it was the ability
to get in touch with anyone, at any time.

And it is literally all the time for some ABC service technicians. They're
required to keep their phone/two-way radio on 24 hours a day in case of
customer emergencies. In fact, certain customers are given the phone
numbers, a customer-service perk that few companies can match. Still,
Kuraoka says employees appreciate that the company pays for their cell
phone - ABC allows each employee a certain number of personal minutes
each month.

"They also like it because they can help each other out on the road," says
Kuraoka. "I think it enables good communication."

Nourse couldn't agree more. His company has used two-way radios for more
than seven years. There was a hiccup at one point, however, when the
company did away with the two-ways to curtail expenses.

"We decided it was just not working without them. We were missing out on
too many communicatons," he says. Brookmeade lasted a year without the
two-way radios.

"Over the course of the year we monitored the problems that came up and
how we could have solved them with better communication. We realized we
shot ourselves in the foot," Nourse admits.

a For Brookmeade, the two-way radios also make driving safer for
employees, and the company's liabiility in accidents is lessened.

"We have a company policy that drivers can't use cell phones. There's a
rising awareness that using a phone while driving can significantly contribute
to the possibility of an accident," he says. With the two-way function,
dialing is eliminated, and drivers aren't tempted to carry on a conversation -
a brief two-way exchange is less distracting, says Nourse.

Coverage Is the Key

Coverage and air-time should be the biggest considerations when
distributoys research two-way systems to buy, Rasmussen says.

"If your trucks travel in a particular geographic area 90 percent of the time,
determine what that work area is, then choose a provider of mobile
communications that can cover that area," he adds.

Unlike cellular conglomerates such as Nextel, Cingular or Sprint, two-way
providers are often smaller, privately owned companies. Local vendors and
their higher towers often provide better coverage than national cellular
providers.

Distributors must also be sure that traffic is not so heavy on a particular
provider's two-way network that they're not able to access it when needed.

You can ask potential providers, says Rasmussen, but they may not be
entirely honest. "Get them to give you a list of other users of the system
and check out some of their references," he suggests.

When looking into purchasing a two-- way radio system, Rasmussen also
recommends requesting training, installation and ongoing service from local
vendors. "You want to work with a two-way vendor who is familiar with the
coverage needed in the area," he adds.

While cost is an important factor in any purchase, Rasmussen says the two
types of mobile communications are competitively priced. It's easy to be
deceived, however, by the way a plan is explained, he warns. Cellular plans
often have very little up-front cost -- revenue is derived f\rom the monthly bill.
In contrast, two-way radios, often require a larger initial investment, but cost
less each month.

Two-way radios generally range in cost from $12 to $19 and up per month
after the initial investment of $500 or so, Baxter says. "Our biggest hurdle is
trying to get people to put more money out there for equipment first."

The Power of Choice

Two-way radios provide another alternative to cellular phones for
communicating with employees on the road.

"The main benefit is low cost and instant communication," says Nourse.
"You don't have to dial and go through a switchboard or anything like that.
All you have to do is hit a button and speak."

They're required to keep their phone/two-way on 24 hours a day in case of
customer emergencies

http://cnniw.yellowbrix.com/pages/cnniw/Story.nsp?story_id=37599404&ID=cnniw&scategory=Business+and+Finance&

--
    "NEXTEL-1 IT'S NOT JUST NEXTEL"
  Note The New address
Subscribe to Nextel-1: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL-1

  "NEXTEL2 FOR iDEN SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS"
Subscribe to Nextel2: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL2

  "WIRELESS FORUM HOMELAND SECURITY GROUP"
     The Complete Resource for Wireless Homeland Security.
Subscribe to WFHSG:  http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/WFHSG

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Your own Online Store Selling our Overstock.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/rZll0B/4ftFAA/46VHAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/