For public safety personnel, any given day can quickly become volatile and chaotic. It’s during these high-stress and sometimes dire circumstances that being able to call for help becomes critical. For first responders on the front lines, their radio is the lifeline that keeps them connected in the moments that matter most.
That’s why we turned to responders, dispatchers and technicians to help us design APX NEXT – and to make it radically smarter and more intuitive than any other radio. Bringing together more than 2,000 hours of extensive field research and insights from numerous law enforcement agencies, APX NEXT is the first smart radio for public safety – and it’s made with public safety.
It began with a concept. A radio that redefines what a radio can do – taking officers’ “first-instinct tool” and introducing new features and interactivity for the future. A radio that cuts through the “noise” and distractions that threaten first responders’ focus. Ultimately, a radio that redefines public safety communication.
This concept was then shared with five law enforcement agencies representing a cross-section of customers across a variety of jurisdictions including urban cities, rural towns and state-wide systems. These customers defined the radio from the ground up – sharing their insights, their pain points, their wants and needs. The process quickly evolved to wood blocks, 3D-printed models and, finally, an engineered product – with first responders providing their input along the way.
At the beta product testing stage, first responders took pre-production APX NEXT units out into the field. Does the device stand up to the challenging conditions faced on the front lines? Are the interfaces intuitive and easy to use when under stress?
Participants were enthusiastic about the process – inviting designers and engineers into their daily lives to see the device in action and to truly understand their needs. George Barlow Brown, an IT Manager with the Real Time Crime Center in New Orleans remarked:
“The sessions segued into a more hands-on and more involved approach with Motorola Solutions taking our genuine feedback into product iterations and future development to figure out exactly what public safety wanted in their overall design process. We really started to take a path where we could advise them.”
No detail was too small to ensure seamless practicality and usability. Because for technology to truly be there when you need it, it has to be more than just operational – it needs to be effortless to use in even the most chaotic situations.
The result is a pivotal advancement to the public safety lifeline. It integrates mission-critical voice and devices with purpose-built software and applications – from call-taking and dispatch, to investigation and analytics, to evidence and records. Ultimately, APX NEXT provides first responders with improved situational awareness, streamlined interfaces and accelerated workflows – so they can remain focused when it matters most.
