Push

Oct 25, 2023

How to get everyone on the same page instantly

Last Edited: June 1, 2023

John Flood

The handheld walkie-talkie has been a vital tool for organizations that need immediate and urgent two-way communication.

Since its debut in World War II for infantry operations, the walkie-talkie has supported fire departments, police, first responders, and hospital staff who relied on its portability, reliability and effectiveness.

But, along the way, smartphones arrived, and with that came cloud-based Push-to-Talk (PTT) capabilities. Suddenly, the walkie-talkie found a new home with improved abilities – on the smartphone.

It’s your ‘grandfather’s’ walkie-talkie – only better. Compared to the walkie-talkie, PTT is a simpler, less expensive way to communicate with employees who need in-the-moment updates.

Better still, unlike traditional walkie-talkies, PTT communications aren’t obstructed by walls or confined spaces with dense impedances like elevators.

Make no mistake. The walkie-talkie remains a viable tool for many. But PTT has emerged as a more powerful, simpler, less expensive alternative for first responders, hospital staff and field workers.

With the ease of a smartphone, caller and responder interact instantly over cell signals and Wi-Fi with all the benefits of cloud-based control and security. Gone are range limits.

So, it’s no surprise that PTT continues to gain acceptance beyond its traditional user base.

“In every industry today, immediate communication is a constant need,” said David Liu, Founder and CEO of Deltapath. “In the post-pandemic world with hybrid employees, how do you contact a team simultaneously? Push-to-Talk makes that happen. It gets people on the same page simultaneously,” he explained.

A report issued by Fortune Business Insights states that the global market size of PTT was $12 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow 10 percent every year to $25 billion in 2027.

The growth and acceptance of PTT reveal that its value goes well beyond deskless workers.

“Whether it’s healthcare, manufacturing, education, or government, PTT has a vital place,” Liu said.

A major shopping mall with 100 personnel who monitor mall operations, uses Deltapath’s Push-to-Talk within an integrated building management system.

“A shopping mall demands rapid response to incidents,” Liu said. “Our PTT solution delivers on our mission to get the right information to the right person at the right time.”

The integrations include sensors and alarms for fire, safety, building equipment and burglary detection systems. Alarm and emergency notifications are routed through the Deltapath’s UC platform and pushes to personnel’s Deltapath Mobile with alarm details and a siren to different teams depending on the type of alarm.

A crucial aspect of the system is the need for each employee to acknowledge receipt of the notification. Deltapath can monitor who received the message and when.

Deltapath’s Push-To-Talk has been well received by the general business community as well as the healthcare industry, Liu confirmed.

Click here for a free demo or to learn more about Deltapath’s Push-to-Talk solution.