Land mobile radio (LMR) system management has come a long way since the days of analog-only radios and manual support services. Maintaining today’s software-centric LMR system requires a new set of tools and expertise. This paradigm shift brings its own set of challenges, benefits, and considerations.
To understand how LMR system management trends are evolving, we conducted an inaugural study on the way systems are managed across the globe.
We received 120 respondents from 24 countries, representing public safety, government agencies, and enterprise organizations in a range of business- and mission-critical industries. Our research uncovered some interesting trends, especially about network monitoring.
It is widely understood that network monitoring is crucial for a healthy LMR system and the results from our survey support this. But what was especially eye-opening is just how critical network monitoring really is. Our research reveals that organizations that monitor their systems 24x7x365 have had nearly 50 percent fewer outages in the past year than those that do not.
And yet, networking monitoring is not a given. In fact, almost a third of survey respondents do not monitor their LMR systems 24x7x365. Like similar communication environments, LMR networks generate thousands of system alarms on a daily basis. And while leading networking monitoring software allows system managers to pinpoint critical alarms faster, these resources require a large investment in tools and staff, including a sophisticated network operations center (NOC).
Almost 20 percent of organizations that do not monitor their network 24x7x365 say their internal IT support staff is simply too small to provide around-the-clock service. Half cited budget constraints as the main impediment to robust monitoring.
For both, partnering with an outside service provider can provide the necessary support. Along with delivering the skills that may be hard to hire in-house, outside providers can often offer partnerships that take smaller budgets into account with manageable monthly payments.
For more insights, check out the full 2018 Motorola Solutions LMR System Management Benchmark Survey.
