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Can The Oil & Gas Industry Invigorate Existing Workforce Communications?

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Oliver Zuber
Oliver Zuber
01/07/2016

The oil and gas sector has always been an early adaptor of innovations in mobile communications. Teams operating in the harshest of remote working environments have embraced DMR and TETRA radio networks but are now looking to extend their capabilities.

Mobility is now a key issue for the industry. This is because the concept of mobile working has moved beyond just specialist, remote-working teams. We are all mobile workers now, equipped with smartphones, tablets and, increasingly, LTE/4G broadband connectivity.

The question is, what does this mean technically and operationally for oil and gas enterprises? There is a vast choice of mobile devices, networks and operating systems, and many users want to use these devices to enhance the workplace.

With such diversity, and the continuing evolution of the technology, standardisation is not a realistic option. Instead, oil and gas companies want a scenario in which each user has the best technology for their needs, and all users can communicate seamlessly with radio-like Push-to-Talk (PTT), in real-time, regardless of the device or network they use.

Motorola Solutions’ WAVE Work Group Communications delivers just this. It allows you to extend your workforce communications beyond radio to include devices connected across broadband networks for seamless communications in any location. WAVE is an interoperable, broadband PTT solution that delivers real-time voice and data securely over any network, using any device.

Two-way radios, smartphones, tablets, laptops or landlines; people can use the devices they already have and the networks they already subscribe to and communicate with other teams and individuals.

By overcoming traditional communication silos, WAVE unlocks vast new possibilities for productivity, efficiency and cost reduction.

Extreme situations are often used to set out the key benefits of solutions like these. In emergencies, the benefits of being able to patch everyone in and out as they are needed are obvious. But the implications of an integrated communications and collaboration infrastructure for the oil and gas industry go far beyond the worst-case scenarios.

When project managers can speak routinely with geographically dispersed teams, each user working with their preferred device, all kinds of irritating barriers to the smooth execution of a project can be overcome.

Conference calls no longer require everyone to gather round a single device, connected to a particular wireless standard. Everyone can participate on a shared PTT channel – no matter where they are or what technology they use – over a secure communications network.

Radio communications has proven itself over and over as a key tool for oil and gas industries. WAVE does not replace the need for specialist communications, it rather enhances everything you do in a very natural manner.

If the time-savings and improvements in decision-making are aggregated over the life of a project – and then over multiple projects and thousands of people – the transformation is significant.

With profit and revenue under relentless pressure for oil and gas companies, the efficiencies enabled by effortless cross-platform communication and collaboration can make a difference both operationally and strategically.

Better communication can accelerate return on investment and create competitive advantage by bringing in new revenue sources ahead of the competition.

The world of apps, smartphones and touch screens has much to offer the sector. WAVE gives you an integrated extension of the traditional two-way radio systems that has been proven and will continue to be so for years.

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