Motorola Solutions recently unveiled new innovations across its safety and security ecosystem during the Critical Communications World 2024 (CCW). In line with this, Telecom Review conducted an exclusive interview with Olatunde Williams, International Marketing Director, Motorola Solutions, to gain insight into the trends and investments within the critical communications industry as well as its significance within the technological landscape.
Longstanding Presence and Continued Investment in the Middle East
Williams emphasized that they have been present in the Middle East region since the 1990s. The company supports a number of industries and vertical markets by creating a robust technology portfolio spanning mission-critical communications, video security and access control and command center solutions.
“The core of what we do—safety and security—applies to a whole host of verticals such as hospitals, stadiums, and schools as well as other key industrial markets such as oil and gas, mining, utilities, and power generation,” he explained.
Within this scope, industries can benefit from Motorola Solutions’ safety and security ecosystem. During CCW 2024, the company unveiled the new DIMETRA™ Connect solution and MXP660 TETRA radio, which allows frontline responders to automatically switch between land mobile radio (LMR) and broadband networks.
‘Solving for Safer’: Trends in Public Safety
In November 2023, the company’s new brand narrative was unveiled, focusing on a safety and security-centered transformation. “We see ourselves at the forefront of the evolution of safety and security, in terms of the problems that we're addressing,” expressed Williams. “We're making very specific investments in those areas, which is one of the reasons why we built this new narrative of ‘Solving for Safer’.”
According to Williams, ‘Solving for Safer’ prioritizes “taking a proactive approach to solving public safety type of incidents.” He added that the “problems our customers are facing continue to evolve and we continue to evolve with those changes.”
Within this narrative, the company aims to “help customers protect people, property, and places.” In pursuit of this goal, Motorola Solutions is dedicated to developing technologies that excel in their respective functions. In addition to that, Williams stated, “we're also connecting technologies, and in doing this, we are helping to essentially streamline workflows that address critical incidents.”
The executive highlighted that two of the most prominent trends are AI-powered video security and critical communications technology and software. Notably recognized for its contributions to public safety communications, Motorola Solutions has invested approximately USD 12 billion in organic R&D and acquisitions over the past nine years.
During the exclusive media briefing conducted on the same day as the interview, Williams emphasized the importance of "the power of connected" scenarios. He highlighted that before an incident, having knowledge is crucial; during an incident, seconds count; and after an incident, facts are essential.
A Solid Ecosystem of Partners, Customers, and Talents
Looking at it from multiple perspectives, Williams elaborated on how the company primarily operates through business-to-business (B2B) channels and, on the direct side, through business-to-government (B2G) interactions.
“We work with a lot of partners within the region, and in working with partners, there is a technology transfer where they help support customers directly,” he noted. Hence, Motorola Solutions provides technology to their partners, and on the other hand, these partners provide value-added services around core technologies.
On the customer end, “one of the things we're trying to do is help those end customers—police, fire fighters, and ambulance—who are frontline emergency responders to focus on what they do, and leave the technology problems to us to solve,” Williams pointed out.
In terms of talent, he believes that it's “crucial” to the company’s success. “I think you also have to recognize that we're in an age where technology is advancing at a very fast pace, and in order to keep up with that, it's very important that we continually attract the best talent in order to support technology development.”
Overall, the interview highlighted Motorola Solutions' unwavering commitment to harnessing cutting-edge technology to bolster safety and security on a global scale. Through innovative solutions and a steadfast dedication to excellence, the company continues to play a pivotal role in safeguarding communities and organizations around the world.
