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Banking on radio

The physical operation of two-way radios, in mechanical terms, is highly dependent on the reliability of the push-to-talk (PTT) buttons. Repeated testing of the buttons on the Kenwood NX1000 range of two-way radios indicates a PTT reliability of 100 000 activations. This allows these Kenwood radios to be deployed to areas where radio communication is ongoing and regular, without concerns over push button failure.

Communicating between built-up and remote areas is often not possible using cellular technology since signals may be poor or non-existent. This is where two-way radios come to the fore. However, technicians in the field need to know that when they push a button to talk on a two-way radio, the radio will relay their message without issue.

“Ensuring consistent and continuous communication between base stations or control rooms and remotely situated employees is a critical element in both the health and safety of the employees, and the sustainable operation of a business. The selected models in the Kenwood NX1000 range are ideally suited to applications where reliable two-way communication can be guaranteed,” says Sean Mervitz, executive manager at Global Communications, Kenwood’s distributor for sub-Saharan Africa.

This PTT reliability is one of the factors that led to Global Communications (an Elvey Group company and part of the Hudaco Group of companies) offering an unprecedented five-year warranty on select models within the Kenwood NX1000 range of two-way radios. “Naturally, this warranty is subject to our standard terms and conditions, but it is a perfect example of the high-quality nature of the products we are prepared to endorse and support,” says Mervitz.

A NEXEDGE NXDN network, supplied by Global Communications, was deployed across sixteen sites for the commercial banking arm of a major Southern African bank.

The individual sites are linked to each other using the bank’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) to ensure the security integrity of the network and fail-safe availability of operations-critical communications between key members of the bank’s maintenance, surveillance, emergency and security teams.

The NXDN Digital Conventional trunked network consists of 1+1 repeaters at each site providing in-building communications between teams and the capability to communicate between individual sites and across all sites to maximise both safety and security of personnel and assets.

In addition, Kenwood KAS-10 AVL & Dispatch software is used to monitor and track guarding personnel across all sites and makes good use of the built-in GPS and advanced lone-worker and man-down features of the hand-portable radios.

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