Examining the advantage of radio over IP

Many traditional communications services have been enhanced thanks to IP technology in recent years. Radio is just one platform that is more flexible and functional when handled over a digital network connection. So what are the main advantages of RoIP?

Just as VoIP (voice over IP) has become increasingly common in the past decade, so to RoIP (radio over IP) has risen to prominence, achieving most of the same aims while appealing to a significantly different user base.

The idea is to offer radio users the same levels of functionality they would expect to find on standard analogue units, such as push to talk and switching for frequencies and channels, while integrating an IP interface so that communications can be transferred to a variety of other destinations.

RoIP piggybacks on existing internet infrastructures, which helps to keep costs low. It is also less reliant on geographic locations, which gives you much more flexibility when it comes to harnessing radios in an enterprise environment.

Aside from cost, the main reason to adopt RoIP for a business comes from the fact that it endows radio communications with a much wider remit for possible applications.

Push to talk devices can still be used to let team members within a short distance of one another communicate, but if the signals are being relayed via an IP connection then they can also link up with a variety of other operators.

This means radio exchanges can occur across long distances and can even allow for cross-platform communications with those using smartphones and desktop computers. With networked workstations and mobile devices, RoIP can allow them to function as two way radios, greatly increasing the potential of what can be achieved.

Aside from the simple convenience of this, businesses will also be able to take advantage of the ability to link sites which may be geographically distant from one another, since there is no limit on the distance over which RoIP communication can take place.

RoIP can give businesses the ability to bridge the boundaries between systems which would otherwise be incompatible with one another and because the audio is transferred digitally, there is much more that can be done with it.

It is easy to see why so many businesses in different industries are starting to jump on the RoIP bandwagon. From enterprises with operators who need to handle radio dispatching to contractors who require a quick way to communicate with colleagues while they are out in the field, RoIP offers an affordable and flexible platform through which this can be achieved.

RoIP comes in a number of different formats, with various components and services available to modern firms. This means it is necessary to think carefully during the procurement process so that the most satisfactory solution is found.

Radio over IP and VoIP are going to continue to influence the communications market going forwards, so it will be interesting to register the extent of their impact and the changes they motivate. Businesses which adopt early will be in the best position to accumulate the benefits.