next generation of push-to-talk · in 2011, oma officially approved poc v.2.0 as a new standard....

Why PTT?

In numerous industries, using push-to-talk is a technology that has become irreplaceable. PTT

customers value the convenience and productivity of being able to set up individual or group calls

with the push of a button and instantly communicate over the speaker of the recipient’s handset

(vs. taking the time to dial, answer, go through greetings, etc., all before getting down to business).

For example, a dispatcher can communicate location and delivery instructions over PTT faster than it

would take most drivers to answer a ringing phone. For a construction worker, hearing messages burst

out of a speaker on their handset is more convenient than putting down tools and removing gloves

to answer a standard phone call. Since PTT calls are half-duplex, they are typically more informal,

sporadic, and business-focused than a standard phone call.

Next Generation of Push-to-Talk

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For more information call ITS today 805-520-7020 or 800-876-4ITS

Why PTT?In numerous industries, using push-to-talk is a technology that has become irreplaceable. PTT customers value the convenience and productivity of being able to set up individual or group calls with the push of a button and instantly communicate over the speaker of the recipient’s handset (vs. taking the time to dial, answer, go through greetings, etc., all before getting down to business). For example, a dispatcher can communicate location and delivery instructions over PTT faster than it would take most drivers to answer a ringing phone. For a construction worker, hearing messages burst out of a speaker on their handset is more convenient than putting down tools and removing gloves to answer a standard phone call. Since PTT calls are half-duplex, they are typically more informal, sporadic, and business-focused than a standard phone call.

Since PTT became a proven communications tool to industries in the mid-late 80’s, it has been primarily delivered through three types of networks:

• PrivateLandMobileRadio(LMR.)

• TheiDENnetwork(builtoutbyNextelasacommercialPTTnetwork, shut down by Sprint, June, 2013.

• CommercialcellularnetworkswithPTTaddedasanewservice(PTToverCellular,orPoC.)

Below are examples of industries and business types that have been usingcommercialPTTandLMR-basedservices.

Next Generation of Push-to-Talk ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2

Characteristics of a PTT Service

Frequent PTT users share the key characteristics of the service:

SpeedSub-second latency (the time it takes for users to volley back and forth)

SimplicityEasy to understand, access and use, as simple as pushing a button to initiate a call

Call BurstsLess than a minute in talk time on average, allowing users to ‘get things done’ quickly without taking the time that is common for typical phone calls

Group Calls Ability to pull multiple people together into a voice call instantly and simultaneously, without the inefficiencies of scheduling calls, reserving conference bridges, and waiting for participants to join

Handsets and Accessories Rugged PTT handsets built with military-grade specifications to ensure durability, coupled with special accessories for ease of operation (e.g., Remote Speaker Microphone)

Manufacturing/Logistics Transportation Field Services

• Manufacturingplants

• Warehousingfacilities

• Supplychain/logisticsmanagementorganizations

• Shipping,delivery,andfreight

• Airportpassengerfacilities,securityandtarmac operations

• Marineterminalsandportoperations

• HVACservicing

• Automobiletowingandheavyequipmentrecovery companies

• Facilitiesmaintenanceservices

Government/Public Services Hospitality Construction

• Governmentandpublicsafety

• Trash,refuse,andrecyclingservices

• Schools/universities

• Utilities

• Hotels

• Conventioncenters

• Coliseums,sportsarenas&stadiums

• Restaurants

• Engineeringanddesign

• Contractors

• Electricians,roofers,plumbingandsafetycoordinators

• Landscapers

Industry Developments Making PTT More Relevant Today and TomorrowOver the past few years, several key industry developments have changed the dynamics of PTT and made the service even more useful. Suchdevelopmentsincludetheemergenceof3G/4Gnetworks,thedevelopment and adoption of industry standards for PTT over cellular, the abundance and versatility of smartphones, rapid market adoption of broadband mobile data, and efficiency of integrated business applications.

3G/4G Networks Mobilenetworkshavebeengoingthrougharapidevolution.Withinlessthantenyears,mobilenetworkhaveadvancedfrom2Gto4G.AT&Thasinvestedbillionsofdollarseveryyeartoupgradeitsmobilenetwork and make mobile broadband a reality.

Today,AT&TistheonlyU.S.carrierdeployingtwocompatible4Gtechnologies(4GLTEand4GHSPA+),andithascreatedthenation’slargest4Gnetwork.Virtually 100percentofAT&T’smobiledatatrafficalreadyrunsoverenhancedbackhaulthatsupportsbothHSPA+and4GLTEdatatraffic.EvenasAT&Tcontinuestoexpandits4GLTEcoverage,customerscanget4Gspeedsinmostareasoutsideof4GLTEareaswith4GHSPA+,unlikecompetitorswhosecustomersfallbacktoslower3Gtechnologieswhenoutside ofLTEcoverage.2

Push-to-TalkoverCellular(PoC)isaservicethatallowssubscribersusing a commercial cellular network to turn their handset into a two-way radio transceiver but without the range limitation and high cost ofprivateLMRsystems.IP-basedPoCtransmitsvoiceasdatapacketsover the data channel of a mobile network.

Withtheavailabilityofbroadbandwirelessnetworksusingadvanced3Gand4Gtechnologies,PTTcannowbecomeahigh-performanceandbusiness-gradeapplication.3G/4Gtechnologiesdelivermuchmorebandwidththan2GandalsoprovidesuperiorqualityofserviceforIP-basedapplications.WiththerightPTTtechnologyplatform,IP-basedPoCoverhigh-bandwidth3G/4Gnetworkscandeliver the following:

• Sub-secondcallset-up.

• Multimediaandotheradvancedmobilebroadbanddataapplications.

Inadditionto having built-out thenation’slargest 4Gnetwork,itisnoteworthythat AT&Tisalsothenation’slargestWi-Fiprovider,withmorethan32,000Wi-FiHotSpotsintheU.S.AT&TEnhancedPTTincludesWi-Fisupport.

Development of Industry StandardsTraditionalPTTsystemsareproprietary.AT&T,however,isthefirstU.S.carriertoofferaPTTservicebasedonindustrystandards.In2005,theOpenMobileAlliance(OMA)firstdefinedPoCaspartoftheIPMultimediaSubsystemanddevelopedthefirstOMAPoCstandard.In2011,OMAofficiallyapprovedPoCv.2.0asanewstandard.TheOMAreleaseofPoCv.2.0iswellalignedwithoperators’deploymentof advanced mobile networks that enable high performance of IP-basedPoC.

ThegoalofOMA-PoCistoprovideinteroperabilityamongequipmentand software manufacturers and avoid market fragmentation by developingthePoCserviceinawidelystandardizedmanner.

AT&T’sEnhancedPTTisalignedwithOMA’sPoCV2.0standard.PoCV2.0enablesaudio(speech,music),video,stillimage,text,andfile sharing with a single recipient (one-to-one) or among multiple recipients, as in a group session (one-to-many).

SmartphonesSmartphones not only support regular voice communication and text messaging but also provide advanced computing capabilities (such as e-mailandWebbrowsing),aportablemediaplayer,GPSnavigation,abuilt-incamera,andnetworkconnectivityviabothcellularandWi-Fi.Variousbusinessapplicationsthatonceweresupportedbyseparatetechnologies are now rapidly moving to the smartphone.

AT&ToffersthemostextensiveportfolioofsmartphonesamongallcarriersintheU.S.inthefourthquarterof2013,thepercentofpostpaidsubscribersusingasmartphoneroseto77%.

The positive impact of smartphones on PTT is very significant. Below is a summary of how smartphones make PTT more relevant today and tomorrow.

• WiderhandsetchoicesviaadownloadablePTTclient:nowPTTusers can use a downloadable PTT client for smartphones. Thus,PTT handset choices include not only feature phones but alsosmartphonesthatruniOS,Android,BlackBerry,andWindowsMobile/WindowsPhoneoperatingsystems.Today,AT&TprovidesthewidestchoicesofsmartphonescompatiblewithAT&TEnhancedPTT.


• IntegrationofGPS-basedlocationtrackinginPTThandsets:withGPSbuiltintosmartphones,dispatcherscantrackwheremobileworkers are and can allocate resources much more efficiently.Fleetmanagementsystems,whichtraditionallyrequireavarietyofspecialdevices,cannowleveragesmartphones.AT&TanticipatesofferinganavailabledispatchconsolethatintegratesGPStrackingfunctionality.

• ApplicationconsolidationintoonePTT-enableddevice:mobileworkers no longer have to carry a PTT phone for instant voice andasmartphonefordataapplications.WithAT&TEnhancedPTT,theycan use a single device for both purposes, which reduces handsetcost and increases productivity.

Inaddition,AT&TenablesselectLMRradiostointeroperatewithitsEnhancedPTTservice,providingfurtherconvenienceandcostsavingsforcustomersbyextendingtheusefullifeoftheirlegacyequipment.LMRinteroperabilityalsoallowsnewlyinstalledLMRsystemsrunningonanarrowbandfrequencytobeconvenientlysupplementedbythebroadbandcapabilitiesofAT&T’s4Gnetwork.3

Meeting LMR Users’ Growing Need for Mobile BroadbandLandMobileRadio(LMR),alsocalledpubliclandmobileradioorprivatelandmobileradio(PMR),isatermthatdenotestwo-wayradiosystems used by commercial entities, government agencies, and other organizationstofillawiderangeofcommunicationrequirements,includinglogisticalcoordination,quickcommunication,emergencyresponse,andsecurity.AccordingtoIMSResearch,thereareabout 12millionLMRusersinNorthAmerica,andworldwideinstalledbaseoflicensedmobileradioisabout36million.

LMRusershaveastrongneedformobiledataapplications.However,notalltraditionalLMRnetworkscansupportdatacommunications,orcan only offer very limited data rates, restricting the applications that canbeutilizedbyendusers.ArecentIMSResearchstudyshows the following4:

• 90%oforganizationswithLMRsystemsareusingmobiledata.

• Only39%ofsuchorganizationsareusingtheirownLMRnetworksfor data applications (with the rest using commercial cellularnetworks.)

• Thebestlong-termsolutiontomeetLMRusers’dataneedsisLTE.

AT&T’snext-generationEnhancedPTTserviceprovidesanidealsolutionfororganizationsseeking to take advantage of today’s cell phone features while still havingPTTthatprovidesthereliability,speed,andfeaturesofLMR.AT&T’sEnhancedPTTisdesignedtodeliverthreekeybenefitsto LMRusers:

Costsavings:InsteadofpurchasingexpensiveLMRradios,whichtypicallyrunbetween$300and$5,000+apiece,organizationscansimplyaddAT&TEnhancedPTTservicetoanexistingAT&Tcellphoneplan at a low incremental cost.

Convenience:Amobileworkercancarryjustonemobiledevice(e.g.,anEnhancedPTT-enabledsmartphonethatsupportsbothinstantvoice communication and data applications).

Advanceddatacapabilities:AT&T’s3G/4GnetworkprovideshundredsoftimesmoredatacapacitythancurrentLMRsystems.

Asnotedabove,AT&T’sEnhancedPTTsupportsinteroperabilitywithLMR.Therefore,forLMRbasedorganizationsthatwanttoretaintheirownprivateradionetworks,AT&TEnhancedPTTcanhelptheseorganizations’fieldworkforcemeettheirdiversecommunicationneedsseamlessly.

Evolving Field Force Management and Next Generation of PTTAkeycomponentoffieldforcemanagementiscommunication.Whilemobile technologies have continuously evolved, so has the need forfieldforcemanagement.Today,organizationsthathaveamobileworkforce face the following challenges:

• Demandforreal-timeintelligenceorinformation,suchasfieldworkers’ status and location.

• Fragmentationofcommunicationtechnologies(e.g.,LMR,2G/3G/4Gcellular,Wi-Fi,wireline,etc.)

• Proliferationofnewmobiledevicesandapplications(two-wayradio, smartphones, tablets, etc.)

• Pressuretoreducecommunicationcostsandincreaseefficiencies.

• Diverseneedsfunctionsoftheworkforce.

• Changingorganizationalstructure,duetostreamlinedoperations,increasingly matrixed environment, closer cooperation withpartners, etc.



Challenges of Field Force Management How AT&T’s Enhanced PTT Can Help Meet the Challenges

Demand for real-time intelligence or information PTT-enabledsmartphoneswithbuilt-inGPS

Integration of voice and data on mobile devices

Fragmentation of communication technologies Integration of communication applications

InteroperabilitywithLMR

PTToverbothcellularandWi-Fi

PTTonadesktopPC

Proliferation of new mobile devices and applications ConsolidationofmobiledevicesintoasinglesmartphoneortabletthatcansupportbothPTTand other applications

Pressure to reduce communication costs and increase communication efficiencies

Fast voice and group communication

Future-proof PTT service

Leverageofexistingcommercialcellularnetwork

Diverse needs of different functions of the mobile workforce Versatilityof3G/4GnetworksandPTT-enabledsmartphones

Changing organizational structure Centralizedmanagementofinternal/externalcontactsandreal-timesynchronizationwithmobile workers’ PTT handsets

Increaseofcontacts/groupsonthePTThandset

AT&T’sEnhancedPTTretainsthetraditionalstrengthsofPTTandoffersnumerousnewcapabilities.ThetablebelowsummarizeshowAT&T’sEnhancedPTTcanhelporganizationsoptimizefieldforcemanagement.

Enhanced PTT Offering from AT&TAT&T’sEnhancedPTThassettheutmoststandardforPTTandprovidesnumerous features and benefits not available from alternative services.

Key Features of AT&T Enhanced PTTAT&TEnhancedPTTleveragesthelatestadvancesofmobilecommunication technologies and delivers an unprecedented user experienceofPTT.AT&Thasre-definedPTTinthefollowingkeyareas:

• SupportsPTToverboth3Gand4GLTE networkstoprovidethefastestspeed,bestvoicequality,andintegrationofnumerousmobile communication applications.

• AllowscustomerstousePTTovernotonlycellularnetworksbutalsoWi-Fi,providingeffectivein-buildingcoveragethroughmorethan32,000Wi-FihotspotsofferedbyAT&TandalsoWi-Fiaccesspointsinstalledbyorganizationsthemselves.

• ProvidesPTTclientonadesktopPC,enablingeasyintegrationintoexistingcomputing/communicationinfrastructureandworkflowswithinorganizations.

• SupportsthewidestportfolioofPTT-compatiblehandsetclientsinthe industry, including all smartphone operating systems as wellaslow-costfeaturephones,givingorganizationsgreathandsetflexibility that meets their specific communication needs andbudgetrequirements.

• Alignedwithindustrystandards,whicheliminateslock-intooldtechnology and the reduces the cost of being forced to switch tonew handsets and service plans in the future.

• Enablessimplified,efficient,cost-effective,andfeature-richcommunications service for the mobile work force through a singledevice for both PTT and mobile broadband data.

• Offersbest-of-breedPTTperformanceandproductfeatures.

The following two tables provide a summary of the key differentiators, features,andbenefitsofAT&T’sEnhancedPTT.


AT&T Enhanced PTT Nextel iDEN LMR AT&T’s Competitors Offering PTT

3G and 4G support Yes No(2Gonly) No No(3Gonly)

PTT over Wi-Fi Yes No No No

PTT on a desktop PC Yes No No No

Handset choices Allsmartphoneoperatingsystems and feature phones*

Feature phones only LMRradioonly Limiteddevicechoice

Single device for both PTT and mobile data

Yes No Minimaldatacapability Limiteddevicechoice

Standards-based Yes No Partially No

Future-proof Yes No No No

*SmartphoneoperatingsystemssupportedbyAT&TEnhancedPTTincludeiOS,Android,BlackBerry,WindowsMobile.

AT&T Enhanced PTT Is NOT the PTT You May Think You Know

Feature Benefit

Call set-up Sub-second ComparabletoorbetterthanotherPTTsolutions

# of contacts Upto1,000 LargerthananyotherexistingPoCplatform

# of groups (pre-defined) Upto100 LargerthananyotherexistingPoCplatform

Members per group Upto250 LargerthananyotherexistingPoCplatform

Ad hoc group calls Supported Convenientforcallinganon-pre-definedgroup(upto10membersperadhocgroup)

Centralized& Web-based contact and group management

Feature-rich tool Contact/groupmanagementbyacorporateadministratorandreal-timesynchronizationwithPTT users’ devices wirelessly

Voice quality HighMOSscore:~3.6 Betterthanaregularcellularcall(GSMMOSscore:~2.33)

Presence Real-timepresence Mostrobustintheindustry.PresencestatusincludesAvailability,DoNotDisturb(DND),and Offline

Late join/Re-join Yes Allowsaparticipanttoconvenientlyjoinorrejoinagroupcallafterithasalreadystarted

Supervisory override Yes Allowsasupervisortotakeovertheflooranytimeduringagroupcall,evenwhensomeoneelseisspeaking.Supervisorsareassignedbyacorporateadministratorthroughacentralizedcontact management tool

PTT/cellular call interaction Yes AllowsaPTTsubscribertoputaPTTcallonholdtoansweranin-comingcellularcall

Speaker identification Yes Usefulforidentifyingwhohasthefloor

Instant personal alert Yes Convenientfeatureforrequestingacall-back

Encryption Yes UsesAdvancedEncryptionStandard(AES)256forvoiceandsignalingencryption

Cellular/LMR interoperability Yes AllowsAT&TEnhancedPTTsubscriberstocommunicatewithLMRradios

Application integration Yes AllowsuserstoaccessAT&T-deployedproductivityapplicationsintegratedonPTT-enableddevices

AT&T Enhanced PTT Sets a New Standard for PTT Features and Performance

Corporate Administrator Tool (CAT)AT&T’sEnhancedPTTcomeswithafeature-rich,Web-basedCorporateAdministratorTool.Withthistool,acorporateadministratorcanperformthefollowingcentralizedmanagementfunctions:

• Create/manageinternalandexternalcontacts,andtalkgroupsforcorporate employees using PTT, providing very efficient contact andgroupmanagementforPTTsubscriberswithintheorganization.

• SynchronizecontactsandgroupswithPTTsubscribers’handsetsover the air, in real time.

• Assign/managesupervisoroverride,,anddesktopPTTusers(anorganizationcanhavemultipleCATAdministrators,dependingonorganizationsize/need.)

• Easeadministrationworkloadthroughpowerfulorganizationalmanagement tools.

AT&T Integrated DispatchAT&T’sintegrateddispatchconsolewillbeWindows-basedandwillprovide an intuitive user interface. The console will allow one or more dispatcherstooperatefromacentralizedlocationenablingthemtomanage, command, and control activities for PTT subscribers working in the field. This product will provide the following key capabilities to the dispatcher:

• Managethecorporation’sPTTcontactsandgroupsfordispatchingpurposes.

• Seepresencestatusofallcontactsandgetpresenceupdatesinreal time.

• InitiateaPTTcalltoanindividual,apre-definedgroup,oranadhoc group.

• Usesupervisoryoverridetotakeoverthefloorofatanytimeduring a PTT call by pre-empting the talker.

• Monitorvarioustalkgroupsandjoinorleaveactivegroupsessions.

• LocateanindividualorgroupmembersthroughGoogleMapsandmake calls or send alerts by selecting members from the map.

• Managealertsreceivedfromtheworkforceinthefield.

• Recordvoicecallsandviewcallhistory.

SummaryCommercialCellarPTTisaprovenandcriticalcommunicationstoolfornumerous industry verticals due to its core capability to deliver instant voice and enable group communication with the push of a button. PTT is now becoming even more relevant due to the combination of the following industry developments:

• Availabilityofhigh-bandwidth3Gand4Gtechnologiesthatenablehigh-performancePoC.

• DevelopmentofPoCindustrystandardsthatcanensureinteroperabilityandfuture-proofPoCservice.

• VersatilityofsmartphonesthatcanconsolidatePTTandmultipleother applications into a single device.

• LMRusers’needtoleveragecommercialcellularnetworksformobile broadband data, leading to fragmented communicationnetworks and devices, an issue addressable by next-generation PTT.

• Evolvingneedsofmobileworkforcemanagement,whichcallformore effective and efficient mobile communications.

AT&T’sEnhancedPTTisbuiltonthelatestmobilecommunicationtechnologies and addresses customer needs in a continuously changingbusinessenvironment.AT&ThastakenPTTtothenextgeneration of push-to-talk through the following:

• ThefirstU.S.PTTserviceovera4Gnetwork.

• CompliancewithPoCindustrystandards.

• DeliveryofPTTthroughbothcellularnetworksandWi-Fi.

• WidestmobileclientportfolioforPTT,includingsmartphonesaswell as low-cost feature phones.

• SupportforPTTonadesktopPC.

• SuperiorPTTperformanceandfeatures.

• Productivityapplicationintegrationonthesamedevice.


In summary, there is a strong resurgence of PTT due to advances of mobile networks, changes in the business environment, and new capabilitiesofnextgenerationofPTT.AT&T’sEnhancedPTTprovidesthe most compelling value proposition to industry verticals seeking to leverage the power of PTT to improve business operations.

Notes1. Limited4GLTEavailabilityinselectmarkets.LTEisatrademarkof

ETSI.4Gspeedsnotavailableeverywhere.

2. EnhancedPTTisdesignedtoworkoveranAT&TcellularwirelessdatanetworkconnectionorWi-Ficonnectionwhereavailable.Wirelessdatacoverageisnotavailableinallareas.EnhancedPTTisnotcompatiblewithInternationalRoaming.EnhancedPTTperformancemaybelimitedin2Gcoverageareas.Availability,security, speed, timeliness, accuracy and reliability of service are notguaranteedbyAT&T.

3. LMRInteroperabilitywithAT&TEnhancedPTTrequiresequipmentnotavailablefromAT&T.

4. Source:IMSResearchAnalystBlog-TheFutureofBroadbandforMobileRadio.http://imsresearch.com/blog/The_Future_of_Broadband_fo_Mobile_Radio/165


02/20/14

© 2014 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other AT&T marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property

and/or AT&T affiliated companies. The information contained herein is not an offer, commitment, representation or warranty by AT&T and is subject to change.

For more information call ITS today 805-520-7020 or 800-876-4ITS

next generation of push-to-talk · in 2011, oma officially approved poc v.2.0 as a new standard....

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