[TrunkCom] Motorola Introduces New Soft Switch Technology- The fast track to introperability

[Tom Swisher]

TOES1976 at aol.com wrote:

> I'm "Giving Ya  Something to talk  about"
> 
> http://www.motorola.com/businessandgovernment/northamerica/en-us/public/functi
> ons/browseproduct/productdetailpage.aspx?navigationpath=id_804i/id_2553i
> 
> Could this be the end or a new begining to scanning?

Status quo, or maybe a slight addition to the list of things to scan on 
existing systems. This is Motorola jumping on the bandwagon M/A-Com 
already started with their NetworkFirst IP-based linking solution.

What these things do is link various radio systems using VoIP technology 
to allow seamless interoperability between incompatible radio systems.

For example: Ohio, Michigan and Indiana operate statewide Motorola P25 
trunked systems (only Ohio and Michigan are truly statewide at this 
time); Kentucky operates a conventional 450 MHz P25 system; and 
Pennsylvania theoretically operates a statewide OpenSky network.

Except for OH/MI/IN, these systems are completely incompatible. What to 
do? Use Motobridge or NetworkFirst to link them at the network level. 
This allows:

* Common interstate calling talkgroups;
* Common interstate alerting talkgroups for emergency alert broadcasts 
(Amber Alerts, stolen cars, bank robbery suspects and the like);
* Common interstate emergency talkgroups that allow immediate use in the 
event of an emergency, without having to leave one's home system;
* Dedicated on-scene interoperability talkgroups (Command, Tac-1, Tac-2 
etc) for use in the case of a cross-border incident such as wildfires.

The list of possibilities is limited only by imagination and system 
capacity.

It's a pretty good idea; relatively inexpensive and keeps first 
responders from having to carry a multitude of radios. Problem is, if 
the network (read "the Internet", unless one plans to use dedicated T1 
circuits) goes down, so much for the links.

Tom WA8PYR
--
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Tom Swisher, WA8PYR         wa8pyr-scan at sbcglobal.net
  "Restriction of free thought and free speech is the
    most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one
   un-American act that could most easily defeat us."
          Justice William O. Douglas, 1953
        WA8PYR Radio - http://www.wa8pyr.net