App Turns PCs, Tablets, and Phones Into ‘Virtual Radios’

Arms developer Raytheon Company developed a new mobile application for PCs, tablets, and smartphones that can turn these devices into “virtual radios.” The application is intended for first responders, and can be used in place of land mobile radios (LMRs) when a user is otherwise out of range.

“This versatile mobile application allows first responders to communicate over the data network when they are out of LMR coverage range or when a redundant form of voice communication is needed,” said TJ Kennedy, director of public safety and security for Raytheon’s Network Centric Systems, in a press release.

With better communication at the heart of the new app, it also lets staff in charge listen in on conversations going through the system, or join in to talk with a responding unit. 

“Responding officers can now establish direct voice communications with officials and experts who aren’t on the public safety radio system, thereby providing valuable, real-time collaboration,” Kennedy said. 

The application is part of Raytheon’s Interoperability Communications Suite, which is a package of communication systems that let users communicate across different systems, such as landlines to VoIP phones. Raytheon will show off the suite at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) conference and exposition from Aug. 20 to 22 in Minneapolis.

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