AT&T announced yesterday that it's testing a new push-to-talk (PTT) solution powered by Kodiak Networks' InstaPoC technology. The IP-based PTT charter program will enlist select AT&T business customers across a range of industries, including transportation, utilities and manufacturing, among others.
In a statement, AT&T said it will provide charter members with "powerful , state of the art smartphones" to test the technology.
"Our customers are looking for a holistic PTT service – one that supports instant calls, numerous devices, dispatch applications and Application Programming Interfaces for developers,"said Chris Hill, vice president of advanced mobility solutions and AT&T business solutions, in a statement. "Our goal is to meet and exceed those expectations. What's more, we want to combine enhanced PTT services with an array of advanced mobility applications to build truly comprehensive solutions."
AT&T said it is working to integrate traditional private mobile radio (PMR) systems with this enhanced PTT service trial and will demonstrate the functionality with Raytheon JPS at the 2012 International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE).
AT&T and Raytheon expect that push-to-talk interoperability across different networks will extend coverage of existing PMR systems and facilitate better communications for field dispatch and operations.
AT&T did not say when it expects the new service to be available or how much it will cost.