Search Result: Harris Corp.

Like all other Android smartphones, the InTouch can also run apps, including Harris' BeOn push-to-talk app. Unlike other smartphones, the InTouch is designed to survive rough duty.

Many experts say the smartphone will not become a truly viable law enforcement tool until a new high-speed data (LTE) system for public safety is in place. But even with the current commercial cellular data system smartphones are playing a major role in law enforcement operations.

Harris Corp.'s BeOn software app, which was demonstrated at this year's Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO) conference in Philadelphia, inexpensively converts an Android smartphone into a push-to-talk (PTT) Project 25 radio.

Today, bandwidth is so precious that Congress and the FCC recently dictated the conversion of analog TV transmission to digital in order to free up the 700 MHz band for other uses, including 4G cellphones and public safety communications.

The National Broadband Plan will be released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in March, and is expected to include a request for congressional funding to create a public safety communications network for police and fire agencies. Who will pay for the building out of this network is still an open question. To help explain how this topic relates to officers, POLICE Magazine spoke with Harris Corp., one of the leading suppliers of two-way radios to LE.

Here's a quick look at some of the latest and greatest products that caught the eyes of our staff as they walked the aisles of the show.

Columbine is a vivid example of what happens during a tactical operation when communications break down. It and 9/11 are also strong examples of why first responders need radios that can talk to personnel from other agencies.