Motorola has some 'splainin to do

[jwgjr]

WASHINGTON: With friends in government, Motorola beats a path to telecom supremacy | Economy | McClatchy DC
McClatchey Newspapers published the attached investigative report which give a hard look at Motorola's near monopoly in the public safety communications business. Very interesting

 

[w2xq]

Wirelessly posted (Moto Droid Bionic: Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.2; en-us; UPC300-2.2 Build/FRF91) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

MSI makes its money by recurring cash flow of service and support. And I like the dividend...

 

[ff-medic]

Read more here:

They set their sights on a new digital two-way radio system so that all of their first responders could talk to each other.

Do you really need "Digital" to talk to each other? Analog with a primary, secondary, tac channels and other designated frequencies. Or be smart....and as I have said many - many times before......DES or AES encryption. Beware of land mobile radio communications that goes through a PBX system, it is open to many faults and problems.

However, a seven-month McClatchy investigation found that, in one region after another, city, county and state officials also have favored Motorola, helping the firm secure an estimated 80 percent of all the emergency telecommunications business in America.

I have been to a lot of locations all over America. In one place where my family has friends in Virginia, 95% or more of the trucks are Chevy.

One location, where we have family in Ohio, Most of the residents drive Fords. Both the Virginia and the Ohio locations have Ford, Mopar and Chevy dealerships. How the opposing businesses stay up and running ( may be out of state sales ) - I do not know.

It is not totally inconceivable that one agency, government or county likes a particular radio system. Some people have had Motorola since the dark ages.......and having never had another radio system, they do not change. Some people like Kenwood, and having not other radio system...they don't change. Some people like other brands.......cutting down the "Premier" radio systems, because they cannot afford it - and due to the problem of money......discredit Kenwood and Motorola.

I have no doubt that with Motorola...there have been times of "questionable practices". Some people send out a request for bids......knowing full well that Motorola will get the deal. "The bidder reserves the right to reject any and all bids". Stipulations, contract language, or they detail the bid......so that only Motorola can get it. I have been in public safety too long to know better.

The company’s contract wins have been clouded by irregularities or allegations of government favoritism in Chicago, Dallas, the San Francisco Bay Area and on statewide systems in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Washington, to name a few. Losing bidders often have been left chafing with the belief that they weren’t playing on a level field.

This all depends on the law in the locality , or state....and how the "request for bids" is detailed. Legal language can be funny sometimes.......and in my experience.....an attorney ( Accountant / Attorney - Law Firm with CPA's and accountants on the payroll ) reviews everything before the project is started - thus saving a legal hassle for the agency and Motorola. I am not a Motorola fan....at all - I prefer Vertex, and secondarily.....Kenwood ( I have used Kenwood - Vertex and Motorola ). But because Motorola is "raking in the money" with consumers and Public Safety agencies...does not mean they have a court case, and their jealousy should be set aside. There are other markets other than Public Safety......try to "Corner those".

(A) - Yes...I know that Motorola owns Vertex. But Vertex for now....is essentially...the same product it has always been.
(B) - What do you think some of the reasons are, what the possibilities may be...for Motorola buying Vertex?


FF - Medic !!!

 

[ElroyJetson]

The fact is that Motorola (arguably) makes better radios and better systems than their competition, and (not so arguably) enjoys a better overall reputation than their competition in the public safety market.

None of these things are in any way improper.

It's easy to argue that Motorola's dominance in the public safety communications field is no more or less improper than Microsoft's dominance in software applications used by government entities.

The fact is that YES, you do have alternatives and YES you can buy them if you choose to do so, so there is no monopoly. You can choose Harris, or if you're really a risktaker, a 2nd or third tier provider like the Japanese brands I shall not name. Or, when it comes to your computer, you have the Apple alternatives and the many Linux alternatives.

 

[FFPM571]

Who ever wrote that has a hard on against Motorola.. Even the picture with it is misleading. One Motorola mic, an old GE mic, a CB mic and a PA mic.. Hardly multiple systems...

 

[NorCalrescue]

The fact is that Motorola (arguably) makes better radios and better systems than their competition, and (not so arguably) enjoys a better overall reputation than their competition in the public safety market.

None of these things are in any way improper.

It's easy to argue that Motorola's dominance in the public safety communications field is no more or less improper than Microsoft's dominance in software applications used by government entities.

The fact is that YES, you do have alternatives and YES you can buy them if you choose to do so, so there is no monopoly. You can choose Harris, or if you're really a risktaker, a 2nd or third tier provider like the Japanese brands I shall not name. Or, when it comes to your computer, you have the Apple alternatives and the many Linux alternatives.

LIKE!

 

[productionguy85]

Motorola does NOT have any explainin' to do

I don't think Motorola has done anything wrong. They know what to do, and they do it well. There will ALWAYS be haters out there and to you I say. (H)aving (A)nger (T)owards (E)veryone (R)eaching (S)uccess

 

[ff-medic]

The fact is that Motorola (arguably) makes better radios and better systems than their competition, and (not so arguably) enjoys a better overall reputation than their competition in the public safety market.

When you have been around since the "Dark Ages" it is hard to argue, and some people who have been using Motorolas since then beginning simply do not like change.

None of these things are in any way improper.

It's easy to argue that Motorola's dominance in the public safety communications field is no more or less improper than Microsoft's dominance in software applications used by government entities.

It is called marketing, for a large part I believe. R&D not only takes care of the internal workings, they work on the outside of the radio also to make it appealing.

The Armed Forces market themselves and adverise often. The Federal Agencies do what they can to pick the "creme of the crop" - ATF, FBI - Marshals Service all want those people with psychology, law, business, and computer degrees ; Criminal Justice is gradually becoming a degree of the past. Ford - Chevy - Dodge and other do what they can to "Corner the market" in auto sales. Audi, BMW and Volvo are in a class of their own, designing SUV's and All-Wheel Drive vehicles to get those upper class customers. In a sense, it boils down to marketing

The fact is that YES, you do have alternatives and YES you can buy them if you choose to do so......

The benefits of a free country, and being a consumer.

FF - Medic !!!