The 2016 Motorola Commercial Survey offers revealing insights into unified communication trends in a variety of industries across the U.S. and Canada.
More than 1,200 industry professionals recently weighed in on their business and operations-critical communications needs. Seventy-five percent of responses were based on a blind study where participants were unaware that the survey originated from any specific company or industry. Respondents were primarily decision-makers and influencers of wireless networks, devices, and applications. They included executives, owners, IT, engineering and operations personnel.
Six priorities clearly surfaced as being top of mind for them. Do these trends mirror what you are seeing?
Teams are more dispersed than ever. The variety of users and user equipment in the workplace continues to multiply. Businesses want a way to make communication easier and faster while leveraging the resources they already have in place. These are the top six communications priorities revealed by the 2016 Motorola Commercial Survey.
- Performance
- Ruggedness
- Application Integration
- Voice & Data
- Instant Work Group Communications
- Interoperability
Rugged PTT Devices Are Highly Desired
The need to equip workers with rugged, commercial-grade PTT devices is on the rise. Companies report that breakage and repairs of non-rugged devices in the workplace cost them more than deploying commercial-grade devices from the start.
The 2016 Motorola Commercial Survey confirms this reality. Eighty-three percent of two-way radio users (and 75 percent of all survey respondents) say it is very important or extremely important for their devices to be purpose-built. In fact, ruggedness was the #2 priority for radio users and the and the #3 priority for all survey respondents across all sectors.
Rugged devices are imperative for industries where they are exposed to greater risks, from harsh weather to tough conditions. They are must-have technology for personnel who work outdoors, such as utility crews, or in high-noise environments, such as manufacturing teams.
Devices must be able to take a beating, have tactile and intuitive keypads for accurate and rapid data entry in the field, feature high-resolution, easy-to-read screens for diverse lighting conditions, withstand harsh weather, and be equipped with extended-life batteries.
The Emphasis On Mobile Data is Escalating
Mobile data is transforming the way businesses operate and interact with employees and customers. The 2016 Motorola Commercial Survey confirms this shift to a mobile mindset. Job assignment is the most important and fastest-growing data application included in the survey
Across the board, survey respondents emphasized the importance of integrating workflow applications into their PTT devices or software solution – for staff management, maintenance, driver/vehicle operation, customer service and dispatch.
More than two-thirds want text messaging and alerting applications to be integrated into their PTT device or software solution. Seventy percent of radio users and 67 percent of all surveyed said it would be very valuable or extremely valuable to integrate job assignment applications into their PTT device or software solution; 69 percent of radio users and 65 percent overall underscore the importance of GPS and location tracking.
Instant Group Communications Are In High Demand
Almost 80 percent of radio users and 66 percent of all survey respondents say having fast, immediate group communication is important in their business environment. As enterprises work harder and smarter to connect people, they realize that instant one-to-many communications are an operations-critical tool for improving worker productivity, safety and efficiency.
