Zebra Technologies discusses the latest technology trends in the public safety sector

Oliver, having recently attended Critical Communications World in Helsinki, what were your main takeaways from the event?

These sorts of events are great for re-connecting with current customers and partners, meeting new people, and seeing what’s new in the industry, as well as telling delegates what’s new from Zebra Technologies in the public safety space. It’s a valuable opportunity to listen to what customers and organisations in the sector are facing and the sorts of help they need to move forward.

In your opinion, what’s been some of the most interesting technology coming out of the public safety sector in the last year or so?

I think the whole area of critical communications networks and technology is high on my list and in the minds of public safety leaders.

This is being driven by the need to have secure, reliable communications between public safety professionals on the ground and with central command, whether that’s day-to-day work or facing a major disaster or security threat. Alongside that is the opportunity presented by 5G, and we’re seeing different public safety organisations and countries investing to pilot and launch 5G-enabled critical communications networks, and of course, investing in the hardware and mobile devices to tap into 5G networks wherever and whenever. With 5G networks, devices can now smoothly play online games such as 핑카지노.

Can you tell us a little bit more about what Zebra Technologies has been up to recently within the sector? 

We’ve naturally been focused on working with customers in the public safety sector on a range of ongoing and new projects across Europe, as different organisations move forward with digitisation. We help with the mission critical challenges of connectivity, accuracy, empowerment, situational awareness and community safety – alongside an understanding of TCO needs and measurable ROI.

We’ve also been engaging with the industry to explain Zebra’s offering across three key areas: critical communications, mobile digitisation with rugged devices, and asset tracking and management. Each of these pillars aligns with the sorts of challenges facing the public safety sector today.

This year, we were out in force at BAPCO in the UK, the European Police Congress in Germany, TecnoSec and FeinDef in Spain, and Critical Communications World in Finland. I’m also happy to say that one of team, Oliver Horrell, was a recipient of the inaugural Ian Thompson Bursary Award, which will support his career network and knowledge of the sector.

Which areas of the sector do you see Zebra Technologies being involved with the most over the coming years?

We’re investing in working with police services across Europe around critical communications, for example, at recent industry event we demonstrated a mobile broadband critical communications solution with rugged handheld computers and Airbus’ Agnet software which can be used on the UK’s Emergency Services Network Programme.

Asset tracking and management will be key in terms of budget efficiencies and improved responsiveness, and providing rugged handheld devices to give officers the mobile digitisation they need – accessing 5G, the cloud, and sharing data requires reliable devices. A colleague describes it as giving front-line workers a ‘digital desk.’

We know public safety services are under pressure and face public scrutiny around budgets, response times, cyber security, managing the growing volume of data associated with police work, and the need to keep the public safe and confident about the service police provide. And for leaders, whether they’re leading the entire service, in charge of a whole station, or heading up a team of officers, detectives, or support specialists, the role can feel like a constant balancing act. Not only do they need to juggle the priorities of the public, but they also have to meet the demands of the government of the day, as well as regionally elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

So, we want our solutions to support the goals of police visibility and a ‘seamless citizen experience’, of connected information in tackling complex crimes, and of ensuring safety in volatile times.

We’re working with the public safety sector as technology partners helping emergency responders like the police make informed safety and efficiency decisions with real time data in unpredictable situations. We build solutions for today and for the long haul, grounded in real world needs and born from listening to our specific customer needs. We understand the importance of cyber security, of dependable products, of communication speed and integration, accuracy and of measurable success.

What are some of the most notable/biggest trends you’re seeing within the space currently?

Increased digitisation across operations and in the hands of front-line officers, the cloud, improved readiness and efficiency with better asset tracking and management, and the rollout of 5G are some of the key trends. The cloud has a huge role to play, too.

When policing and IT leaderships are developing their roadmap, it must ensure devices and software applications are compatible with each other, and work seamlessly with internal networks and with other services around the country.

The technology must be as secure as possible, with interfaces and features that are simple for officers on the ground to use and understand. Any device must also be “police proof”, given the likelihood of breakages and losses in such fast-paced and volatile environments.

The biggest technology trends will really prove their worth if they can answer some essential questions that police leaders have: how much time will it return to my officers and support staff and how will it improve their day-to-day working conditions, mental health, and results? Will this implementation survive at least three years of change – and can it be easily updated or added to in order to last even longer? What can it allow us to do more of, but with less resources? Has it been designed specifically for policing, with access to all of the right systems? The biggest trends will ultimately be those that can combine the most appropriate technology and deliver ROI.

What are your predictions for the public safety sector over the next year or so?

Zebra brings over 50 years of experience and I’ve been in the industry nearly 25 years, and the nature of crime and security threats is that they can often be unpredictable. What we can say is that we’re clear on the challenges facing the public safety sector today, and we’ve a vision for how those challenges can be solved and opportunities leveraged, and it’s rewarding to see how it makes a difference to professionals in the field and those they serve. We don’t stand still as their world doesn’t stand still. 

Oliver Ledgard is Government and Public Safety Strategy Director, EMEA, Zebra Technologies. You can reach out to him here.