If your business has a field workforce, you may already be aware of the concept of Push-to-Talk. Push-to-Talk (PTT) devices have tremendous applications in diverse industries that have a field workforce such as logistics, mining, manufacturing, etc. Frontline workers including firefighters, security agents, etc. also use walkie-talkies that let them communicate with their crew at the push of a button. However, with the ever-evolving corporate landscape, technology is evolving rapidly. The Push-to-Talk that you may know has now been modified to cater to modern-day field communication requirements. In this article, we will highlight some significant aspects of the modern-day PTT that you ought to know.
Push-to-Talk: Then & Now
In older days, when mobile phones were not mainstream, field workers used two-way radios to communicate with their on-site colleagues. This radio connectivity was achieved using special handheld devices such as walkie-talkies or Land Mobile Radios (LMRs). These devices worked on the concept of Push-to-Talk enabling instant connectivity, simply by pressing a button.
Soon after, mobile phones which operate on cellular networks took over corporate communications. Cell phones changed business communications forever since they offered global coverage, better audio quality and scalability. Today, almost every person owns a smartphone. Companies extend various policies to enable their employees to use smartphones such as COPE, BYOD, CYOD, etc.
But smartphones, no matter how slick and functional for the desk workers, do not simplify communication for deskless employees. While the rest of the corporate world communicates via phone calls and emails using their smartphones, these modes of communication are slow and unreliable for the field workforce. This is where Push-to-Talk regains its value.
Businesses that have a field workforce cannot completely rely on modern-day communication methods. Thankfully, Push-to-Talk has evolved to offer connectivity over cellular networks. This modern-day PTT is called Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC).
6 Things You Need To Know About Modern-Day PTT
According to a report, the global Push-To-Talk market size is projected to reach USD 25.22 billion by 2027. The rapid growth of this market is due to the large-scale adoption of Push-to-Talk over cellular (PoC) by several enterprises worldwide.
In light of the high demand for modern-day PTT apps or PoC, here are some crucial things that you must know.
1. Your Smartphones Can Be Turned Into Walkie Talkies
Modern-day PTT technology enables businesses to turn their employees’ smartphones into walkie-talkies. All that is required is a powerful PTT app such as NuovoTeam which can be installed like any other app on Android, iOS, rugged smartphones or custom devices. With this, your employees can leverage cellular PTT connectivity without carrying multiple devices to communicate on-site. Not only can your employees leverage high audio quality but also connect with their team members and line managers from anywhere in the world.
2. You Can Leverage Group-Specific Communication
When communicating with a remote field workforce, time and clarity are of the essence. You can create groups based on your field employees’ locations, departments, etc. to convey business-critical information to multiple people at once. This saves precious minutes spent on calling multiple employees individually and also makes group discussions convenient and fast.
3. Remote Employee Management
For maximum operational efficiency, line managers need to be aware of the whereabouts of their field employees. Modern-day PTT apps allow users to share their current locations to keep their crew members and line managers updated about their positions. Comprehensive PTT solutions like NuovoTeam also enable supervisors to manage their employees remotely by tracking their attendance statuses, as well as daily clock-in and clock-out timings.
4. Cross-Platform Interoperability
The primary aim of modern-day PTT technology is to keep the office staff and the field workforce seamlessly connected. To achieve this goal, PTT apps easily integrate with commercial smartphones such as Android and iOS, as well as rugged smartphones which are generally preferred for field jobs.
NuovoTeam PTT solution offers its users Desktop PTT, in addition to the regular mobile-based PTT. The Desktop PTT feature is especially beneficial for office staff, supervisors and line managers. With Desktop PTT, the employees working from offices can make PTT calls to their field workforce directly from any machine that has a Chrome browser, PCs, macOS or Linux machines. This relieves the office employees from switching frequently between multiple devices just to make a PTT call to their on-field colleagues.
5. Greater Coverage & Secure Communication
Radio frequencies travel in a straight line and cannot pass through solid obstacles. This means that the coverage provided by the traditional two-way radios or walkie-talkies is limited to a particular geographical area. Moreover, radio frequencies are shared by multiple users. It is difficult to say who other than the members of your organization can access the information being relayed via radio devices.
Modern-day PTT apps overcome both these challenges by replacing radio connectivity with cellular networks. Cellular networks offer users an encrypted connection. A typical 4G connectivity offers 128-bit to 256-bit data encryption making it nearly impossible to intercept messages. This acts as a critical factor when exchanging business information remotely.
6. MDM Integration
With enterprise mobility picking pace, a majority of corporate environments are mobile-first in nature. Managing the security and usage aspects of hundreds of devices can create an immense IT load on businesses. Several organizations worldwide have adopted Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to secure and manage their device fleets remotely. Modern-day PTT services like NuovoTeam allow businesses to integrate MDM software of their choice with the dashboard to simplify bulk device management.
Closing Lines
Lack of proper communication is one of the biggest factors that hamper your business’s growth. If you are looking for a communication platform that can simplify field communications for your business, then modern-day PTT is the right way to go. NuovoTeam is a simple and reliable PTT app that offers you ultra-fast push-button connectivity and a powerful feature set to streamline your field communication.
