Push-to-talk with priority: Flash Smart Com

Flash Smart Com is a secured push-to-talk service for smart devices with guaranteed availability and priority on Odido (previously called T-Mobile) Mobile's 4G network. With the push of a button, communication is possible with all employees, no matter where they are. Combined with our additional services and (emergency) applications, this makes Flash Smart Com a reliable and flexible solution for business and mission-critical communications.

Would you like to be able to reach all of your employees in- and outside your company at the touch of a button? Do you wish you could manage your drivers nationwide? Do you organise short events where direct communication is a must for security? Do you want to equip regionally working home-care employees with an app on their smartphones enabling them to communicate directly? Do your conservancy dike inspectors need to be able to contact you in remote areas at the touch of a button, too? In short, do your employees need to be able to work safely and to consistently be able to rely on communication in critical situations?

End-to-end push-to-talk solution

Flash Smart Com is an end-to-end push-to-talk solution. It includes not only robust (ATEX) devices with accessories and a SIM card that has both priority on the network and guaranteed availability. Our customers can also purchase additional applications and services, such as the LoneWorker Protect, Flash Smart Alert and Alarm Center applications and a mobile device management environment.

What is push-to-talk?

Push-to-talk (PTT) is a method of communicating by voice, familiar primarily from walkie-talkies and mobile phones. The principle is simple: by pressing the button, you can send a message directly to a person or group. Push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) uses the 4G (and soon 5G) network. Compared to traditional PTT, PoC has some important advantages, such as nationwide coverage, unlimited voice and video calling groups as well as the ability to send, for example, photos and text messages. Regardless of the form, the idea behind PTT is always the same: everyone is aware of the current situation and can act based on the same information.

Functionalities Flash Smart Com

Flash Smart Com’s push-to-talk application offers the following functionalities:

  • One-touch communication
  • Unlimited number of call groups
  • Sending and receiving images and (data) messages
  • GPS positioning (e.g. for immediate on-site assistance)
  • Emergency button for emergency calls

Smart Com also includes the ability to make voice recordings, make calls to the control room, facilitate real-time video and you can retrieve map information.

The result?

Guaranteed communication – especially in critical situations – so employees can work safely 24/7. Flash Smart Com also means maximum flexibility and complete peace of mind.

Wherever critical communication is required

Flash Smart Com lends itself to a wide range of situations, which fall roughly into three categories:

Business Critical Communication

Mission Critical Communication

Communication in a large geographical area

Business-critical communications

We speak of business-critical communications when communications are essential to the business process and communications failure can result in damage. Examples include security, emergency services, water boards, city guards, large event organizations and public utilities.

Mission-critical communications

Mission-critical communications means that communications are essential to the safety of people: communications failure can have fatal consequences. In the field of mission-critical communications, our solution is often deployed within transport and transshipment, industry, (petro)chemicals and public order and safety (OOV). Customers often supplement the solution with mobile device management software for securing mobile devices and integrate it with the Control Room application for alarm monitoring.

Communication within a large geographical area

Finally, we have customers who use Flash Smart Com for communication within such a large geographical area that local resources are no longer sufficient.

In these situations Flash Smart Com offers a solution

In the following situations, Flash Smart Com is an ideal communication solution:

  1. Reach all employees inside and outside the company at the touch of a button.
  2. Managing drivers nationwide.
  3. Short-term events where direct communication is needed for security.
  4. Providing regionally working home care workers with a smartphone app that allows them to communicate with a single tap.
  5. Field service workers who can communicate and alert in remote areas at the touch of a button.

The three main advantages of our PTT solution

1. Security: always a good connection

With Flash Smart Com, you have guaranteed network access with priority on Odido’s network, which is the best network in the Netherlands in most independent tests. The network priority ensures flawless communication, even when the network is busy, for example.

Almost 100 percent availability

Thanks in part to the large number of sites (>5000), the Odido network has national coverage of nearly 100 percent, a large data capacity and both high availability and speed. Because the network has multiple overlapping base stations, if one base station fails, coverage is taken over by another. In addition, T-Mobile has a backup power supply of at least three hours per site. Result? Nearly 100 percent availability of (data) connections.

Advantages over traditional walkie-talkies

Mission-critical push-to-talk has significant advantages over traditional walkie-talk: you can use many more (data-based) functionalities and you do not have to deal with geographical limitations.

User levels

We also offer security through user levels, which can be defined and managed at the customer level. An emergency room operator, for example, has a higher user level so that he can override ongoing calls to ensure that messages always get through.

Fallback: second provider

Do you want even more security? Then you can opt for our fallback service, which gives you a second network provider for maximum availability.

2. Flexibility: move with your needs

Flash Smart Com exudes flexibility in everything. For example, it is a complete service with no restrictions on the number of users or groups. As a system integrator, Flash Private Mobile Networks (Flash PMN) also provides a large number of services, which you can purchase modularly. For example, we can link existing systems, including walkie-talkie networks and paging and alarm systems, to our push-to-talk service.

3. Full service: from device to on-site support

As a complete service, Flash Smart Com includes mobile devices (including accessories) with push-to-talk application, SIM cards with priority, network connections and other applications if required. Flash PMN installs the applications as well as configures, manages and maintains the devices. Thanks to mobile device management, we can do a lot remotely, minimizing the management burden for you, the customer. We also offer customization and on-site support. Are you taking the plunge with us? Then you are not just taking on a service partner. On the contrary: we also like to think along – proactively or not – about the optimal implementation of all your communication wishes.

"If there is ever a problem or malfunction, someone will come look at it right away. Even at night and on weekends."

Wesley Lelieveld - Senior meldkamer bij Waternet

"If there is ever a problem or malfunction, someone will come look at it right away. Even at night and on weekends."

Wesley Lelieveld - Senior meldkamer bij Waternet

Applications

The main application within Flash Smart Com is the push-to-talk app, which is designed and built to industry standards. The solution can be expanded to include the following three applications:

LoneWorker Protect

The LoneWorker Protect mobile application provides protection for lone workers performing high-risk work. With the emergency button, immediate alarms can be triggered, with the position automatically transmitted to the monitoring center. Adjustable sensors allow you to set up automatic alarms, such as fall detection (“man down”) and inactivity. After an alert, both the alarm center and any colleagues are immediately notified so that quick action can be taken.

Flash Smart Alert

With the Flash Smart Alert app, employees can send notifications directly to the Flash Smart Alert dashboard from any location. And vice versa. Because it efficiently and effectively informs the right people about an incident, it is a suitable FAFS app. The application includes functionalities such as emergency calls with location indication, setting presence, a chat function, displaying procedures, and anywhere, anytime insight into alarms.

Control room application

The Control Room application is dispatcher software for PCs that allows you to remotely monitor and control all walkie-talkie users and groups from a central point. Functionalities such as dynamic groups, GPS location of users on the map and geographical sector classification guarantee effective emergency communication and ensure that you act quickly and effectively in the event of an emergency. The application also allows devices to be managed remotely.

Own applications

As a Flash Smart Com customer, you can also use your own applications on the devices. Examples include apps for event information, user instructions or mobile payments. Flash PMN facilitates maximum availability of the applications on the devices, including by (remotely) rolling out operating system updates.

Modular services

Not only Flash Smart Com, but the entire service spectrum of Flash PMN is modular. You decide what you purchase, and scaling up or down is always possible. Within Flash Smart Com you can choose from the following modules:

  • The mobile applications LoneWorker Protect and Flash Smart Alert.
  • The Control Room application for PCs
  • Mobile device management, or a management environment for mobile devices
  • Management reports

 

Flash Smart Com in a nutshell

  • Push-to-talk application, SIM card with guaranteed network access, network connection and devices (with accessories)
  • Unlimited number of users
  • Unlimited number of groups
  • Nationwide coverage through Odido’s network
  • Local and regional communications also possible
  • GPS for location determination
  • Fast call set-up of up to 0.5 seconds
  • Built according to 3GPP standard
  • Ready for connection to both existing (walkie-talkie) networks and new private LTE systems and for migration from 4G to 5G

Rent radios (and accessories)

Part of the flexibility of Flash Smart Com is the ability to rent (smart) devices and other accessories. Flash PMN has a rental fleet of more than 26,000 (ATEX) walkie-talkies, mobile phones, base stations, smartphones and tablets. Renting is a particularly attractive option for events, maintenance stops or (construction) projects, for example. We take care of everything: from pre-charging and checking the devices and providing the correct programming to issuing the devices and 24/7 support in case of malfunctions.

Read more about mobile phone rental

FAFS app: Flash Smart Alert

Flash Smart Alert is a mobile application that ensures that your FAFS organization is quickly alerted to emergencies and can act appropriately. Alarms can be raised manually or automatically, for example through the fire alarm system. The alarm messages arrive as push messages to the emergency response workers. The alarm sounds at a fixed volume (ignoring the phone profile) and stops only after the user has read and dealt with the message. The central dashboard provides overview and facilitates tight direction during emergencies. Finally, geofence ensures automatic registration of FAFS officers.

All about Smart Alert

Knowledge Platform Flash Forward

Even the very best equipment becomes worthless when used incorrectly. Things like not charging the battery properly, not turning on the walkie-talkie or not activating the man-down function can even lead to incidents (fatal or otherwise). This is why we have developed Flash Forward. With this platform, we want to transfer and exchange knowledge via informative content, workshops, user training, an electronic learning environment, internal training courses and our annual partner event, among other things.

What is Flash Forward?

About Flash

Flash has over 25 years of experience in mission-critical communication solutions. We like short lines of communication and provide optimal support. We listen carefully to your needs, deliver what we promise and are happy to go the extra mile. Because of this trinity of expertise, experience and customer focus, we have grown from pioneer to market leader and can offer stable, customized solutions that are trusted by companies such as Shell, Waternet, Bayer and various universities and municipalities.