"The APX is in fact a half-dozen devices in one, including a cell phone,
a PDA, GPS receiver, and a number of traditional radios. Software
inside the APX automatically detects which frequencies are being used
by emergency personnel to enable communication. Today, first responders
routinely carry two radios in order to communicate with one another.
Motorola says this device is also backwards compatible with even
decades-old technologies in use by police and fire departments around
the country, including the company's last generation of P25 products.
Motorola also designed the radio to be upgradable, either through a built-in hardware expansion slot, or software updates available for download. Potential new applications include GPS-enabled location tracking or the ability to upload mug shots of, say, potential suspects directly from the radio. Says Bob Schassler, corporate vice-president for Motorola's government and public safety division: "these devices have life spans of between 10 and 15 years, so we're trying to make the APX as future-compatible as possible."
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