Push-To-Talk (PTT)

An introductory guide for businesses

Sponsored by Samsung Asia

and authored by Tech Research Asia
Introduction

This guide covers the fundamentals of Push-to-Talk (PTT) including the

current state of the market, device characteristics, key players and some of
the common use cases. It is designed as an introduction for people not
familiar with PTT solutions or the market.

In January 2020 TRA conducted a survey of over 1300 businesses in eight

countries (Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) to understand their usage and views of
PTT. Throughout this guide, we will reference relevant data from that survey
to provide additional insights.

Except where otherwise indicated, the information contained in this guide is

based on TRA's research and survey.

02
Table
of Contents

1 Executive Summary 8 How are PTT projects implemented?

Example 1 – Mining Operations

2 What is Push-To-Talk?
Example 2 – Stadium Event Services

3 What is the market context? Example 3 – First Responders

4 What does the PTT vendor landscape look like?

9 What are the outcomes that can be expected?

5 Which market sectors or industries are most 10 What is the future of PTT?
likely to adopt PTT?
11 A checklist for businesses to consider if
6 What are the business drivers for PTT? assessing PTT

7 What are the desired characteristics

of an PTT solution?

03
 1 Executive Summary

Push-to-Talk (PTT) solutions that use contemporary

rugged smartphones and tablets seek to replace Land of companies surveyed across
Mobile Radio (LMR) devices like walkie-talkies. the region say they are currently

59%
using a push-to-talk (PTT)
solution. However, adoption rates
The supply side of the market is evolving quickly with both
in our view are likely much lower
traditional vendors, telco service providers and software
with some misunderstanding of
startups driving awareness and investment.
what PTT entails.

PTT solutions are multi-purpose and offer far more

opportunities to be productive with multimedia, location

44%
tracking and extensibility than traditional LMR systems. would prefer to use a
They work over broadband networks like LTE and WiFi. smartphone for their PTT needs
and 44% plan to adopt further
The most likely adopters are in industries that have high PTT solutions in future.
safety requirements with hazardous environments or with
large campus style environments.

PTT investments are often driven by a desire for improved “In today’s business environment,
safety and while agile approaches to implementation are rugged devices need to be capable of
being sought, projects are often long and hampered by performing more than one dedicated role.”
tender requirements.

The future of the PTT market is bright. We see significant

interest in modern solutions to replace LMR systems. The Totally agree 35%
technology will also evolve further to integrate artificial Mostly agree 33%
intelligence tools and wearable devices. Partly agree 21%
Partly disagree 6%
Mostly disagree 5%
Totally disagree 1%

04
 2 What is PTT?

Push-to-Talk (PTT) is a set of technologies that is used to equip modern mobile devices (and
Personal Computers) with the capabilities of a “walkie-talkie”.

There are important differences between what walkie-talkies can do and what modern PTT can achieve.

For example, with traditional walkie-talkie systems: 1. PTT over cellular or PoC.
2. Broadband PTT.
• Users called talk to each other with a single purpose
3. Mission Critical PTT or MCPTT (However, we will
device like a walkie-talkie, radio, etc using radio
stick to just using PTT).
frequencies (in UHF and VHF bands). This is called a land
mobile radio (LMR) system. • Let anyone with an internet connection anywhere in the
world – with the right permission – to join a PTT group or
• The range of LMR devices is typically limited to private conversation.
around 30 to 50KM from a base station with line of sight.
Although this can be extended with a repeater, dedicated • Differ from walkie-talkies in that they are multi-purpose
infrastructure must be installed to enable a wide enough (video, voice and data) and not single-use voice only
coverage area for the LMR to be useful. However, there devices.
are no additional call or data costs.
• Are most commonly used with rugged mobile devices
• Anyone that isn’t within range is not able to like smartphones or tablets. They will usually have
communicate using the system. programmable quick access buttons and be able to be
used with gloves in wet conditions. These can also be
• Although data can be sent over an LMR with digital complemented by traditional radio devices or clip on
modulation, the vast majority of communications are devices that help with hands-free working.
voice only.

• Frequencies that LMR systems use are typically overseen

by government agencies and some spectrums are
dedicated solely for military or public safety purposes
while others are sold to commercial interests via a
license.

• Interference can happen as a result of unauthorised or

unlicensed use of a frequency.

• Monitoring of communications could also happen by

third parties via “scanners”. Encryption is relatively poor.

In comparison, modern PTT systems:

• Leverage cellular and mobile networks including 4G
LTE, Wi-Fi, Satellite broadband, and Bluetooth to enable
users to communicate with each other. This has led to
other terms that are frequently used in the market:

05
• Are software driven and can be used on any device. • Allow speaking to be one-to-one or one-to-many and is
Indeed, there are many free consumer-grade PTT apps almost immediate (no waiting for a dial tone or call to
on both the Android and iOS platforms. However, connect). The conversation is like a walkie-talkie, meaning
enterprise-class PTT solutions typically require much only one person speaks at a time but modern apps include
more rugged device specifications as they are used queuing and often a hierarchy of speakers where those in
outdoors or in more demanding environments. critical control positions can override a conversation.

• Have standards that have been set by the global • Have multimedia communication where users can share
organisation 3GPP, especially for mission critical PTT. All video and data-heavy information in real-time.
enterprise-level PTT solutions should meet these
standards. • All communication can be encrypted with the highest
standards.
• Changes the end user experience. The way it all works is
they download the nominated PTT app (or have • Include geolocation tracking of multiple assets with
it installed for them by the IT department) to their navigation capabilities.
device (likely a rugged smartphone or tablet). They will
have contacts and groups set up on the app that are • Integrate into existing dispatch systems or newer digital
presented as icons. This allows them to simply “push” (or versions
click) an icon or programmed device button where they
can start talking to the person or group they want to • Integrate into productivity suites like Microsoft Teams
speak to as long as they have an internet connection. application. For example, Samsung’s walkie-talkie
application leverages existing channels in a company’s
Teams site. It allows employees to use a Galaxy XCover
Pro and talk to their existing contacts and groups in
Teams in the same manner as a walkie-talkie.

• Integrate with artificial intelligence (AI) or machine

learning-based workflows and translation.

• Integrate with wearable devices like smartwatches.

• At the back-end will require a server that controls the

flow of traffic over the network. This may be a physical
server that sits in an organisation’s data centre or one
hosted on a cloud computing platform like Amazon Web
Services (AWS) or Azure. Increasingly, organisations do
not need to set this up themselves but instead can take
advantage of a PTT solution “as-a-service” where
everything on the back-end is done for them.

• Offer a Management Console that enables administrators

Figure 2 Samsung Galaxy Pro Active Tab with Orion PTT app to control every aspect of the system: permissions,
security, governance, updates, analytics, etc. This
• The internet connectivity approach means they don’t includes asset tracking of devices along with preventive
have to be physically within the range of an LMR maintenance.
network and it is easier to communicate with people
in other organisations unlike with older walkie talkie • Offer APIs to allow 3rd party applications to be integrated
systems which made this hard to achieve.

06
• Finally, it will also deliver interoperability with existing PTT systems have to be able to bridge between LMR
LMR or PTT solutions. This final point is important as it is devices. Interoperability is often achieved by allowing
highly unlikely that LMR systems will stop being used in a walkie-talkie or radio to connect to a portable base
the near future. They are too valuable (both as a primary station. This then allows the user to communicate over
and secondary option for emergency communications) their LMR network via their rugged device within the
and have too much existing investment in them. Modern modern PTT app.

The characteristics of Land Mobile Radio and Push to Talk

Land Mobile Radio Push-to-Talk

(LMR) (PTT)

Type: Specific Type: Mobile device

Design: Bulky Device Design: Various
PTT Button: Available PTT Button: Depends on device
Single use devices Rugged devices with voice, data
and video capabilities

Type: DedicatedLMR Type: Commercial cellular

Data: Unavailable Network Data: 3G/4G/5G/LTE/Wi-Fi

Area: Limited depends on radio network Area: Wide, depends on cells & Wi-Fi network
Additional costs: Yes (for repeater) Coverage Additional costs: No

Frequently able to be monitored Encryption possible at all levels

by 3rd parties Security

Quantity: Up to 70 Quantity: Almost limitless

Allocation method: Manual or computerized Channel Allocation method: Computerized
& cloud based

Built-in PTT Function Various PTT App Options

Wired & Bluetooth headset

Wired headset Accessories Bluetooth speaker

Location Tracking
N/A Others AI Workflows
Software integregrations with APIs
Custom applications

Source: TRA South East Asia & Oceania Rugged Study, 2020.” To “Source: Tech Research Asia Ruggedized Smartphones & Tablets in Asia Pacific research, April 2020

07
 3  What are the market
trends?

PTT in the form of walkie-talkie systems have been around for a long time and have proven their worth,
especially in industries that need these solutions (more on that later). However, there is now considerable
growth and development happening in modern PTT systems that are tied to rugged devices.

TRA market analysis suggests the global PTT market will • Widespread adoption of smartphones
double in size by 2025, with Asia Pacific expected to be the The widespread adoption of smartphones across the
fastest growing region. SEA markets – excluding region and associated connectivity (eg. WiFi and 4G LTE)
Singapore – will be growing from a very low base so while among business users is leading organisations to see
the growth rate may be high, the actual volume will be low how they can better leverage the technology. Instead of
compared to other places like North America, Europe or an employee having multiple devices (one being a
Japan. walkie- talkie or LMR device) they are considering
integrating everything onto the one rugged device.

But why such strong global forecasts for growth?

• Communication during Emergency
Several trends are driving investment from vendors
There is a perception and some indications that natural
and adoption by users including:
disasters, terrorism and crime rates are increasing.
Responses to this requires cross-agency and
-organisation coordination and communication. In the
past, communication was sub-optimal during times of
crisis. Modern PTT systems can provide a resolution.

• Occupational health and safety

Contemporary technologies like PTT are proving that
higher levels of safety for workers is possible especially
in potentially dangerous situations. This is a focus for
many companies that operate in harsh environments.

Samsung XCover Pro rugged device with PTT

08
• Smart Cities
Smart city initiatives often include budgets for increased
public safety measures and data analytics programs.
The location capabilities of PTT solutions and
multimedia features on devices enable more
opportunities to support such initiatives.

• Productivity
There is an ongoing push to improve employee
productivity and reduce manual interruptions to
workflows in organisations of all types.

• Voice Comms
Voice communication remains a desired part of day-to-
day employee activities. As such, many are looking to
how they can improve the voice experience.

09
 4  What does the PTT vendor
landscape look like?

The supply side of the PTT landscape remains somewhat fragmented with simple apps for consumers
that want a walkie-talkie experience at one end, and full stack solutions for enterprises and
governments at the other end. Leaving aside the consumer portion of the market, most PTT solutions are
actually a combination of different vendor products and services. And modern solutions are evolving
quickly, so there are several startups emerging and acquisitions taking place although little of this is
originating in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

In one corner of the market are the telecom service providers like Telstra and Korea Telecom (along with many in North
America, Japan and Europe). Generally speaking, telcos aim to boost the use of their networks and capture services revenue
from PTT adoption. They will package everything together (devices, software, networks and backend infrastructure)
and offer governments and enterprises an as-a-service solution.

1 Telecom Service Providers

Such as Korea Telecom, Telstra

TabActive2
2 Software
Vendors
Such as Orion Labs,
Zello, Virtual Trunk

3 Hardware Device Manufacturers

Such as Samsung Electronics

10
In another corner are the software application vendors.
The focus of these vendors is typically to be a device and
platform agnostic player that can integrate with older LMR
systems. That said, recent trends are for many of these
players to also offer their own rugged devices and evolve
into a full stack provider. They often target their solutions at
public safety agencies and also companies with hazardous
environments while appealing to the workforce productivity
angle. Examples of the software players include: Orion Labs,
Zello and Virtual Trunk.

The final group of vendors are the device manufacturers or

integrated players. There are a number of vendors in this
space, some offering basic solutions and others (such as
Samsung) that provide an integrated device and software
platform. The survey data suggests that users are looking
to vendors that provide an expansive device range that
blends performance, aesthetics and security integration
with consumer friendly usage.

11
 5  Which market sectors
or industries are most likely
to adopt PTT?

Just as walkie-talkies can be used by any consumer or employee for voice communication in any situation, so
too can PTT be used. However, while some vendors are marketing to both personal and professional situations,
the main adoption of PTT at first will follow the same industries that have used LMR systems. These include:

Public Safety for first responders like police, ambulance, fire brigade

Military potentially in both operational theatres and non-operational

Transportation and logistics for railways, airports, shipping, and automotive (e.g. towing)

Distribution and Warehousing for pickers in warehouses to provide hands-free working

Manufacturing in factories and tied to smart factory projects

Mining, Oil and Gas on project sites

Healthcare especially on large campuses like hospitals

12
Event Services at convention centres and stadiums

particularly on large-scale projects such as infrastructure

Construction
builds or greenfield housing developments

for all types that have plants and in field workers across
Utilities
energy, water, waste management, etc

Field service workers for maintenance or engineering of all types

Retail particularly in large stores

Gaming and Hospitality particularly for casinos and also hotels

Facilities management including shopping centres and other commercial buildings

13
 6  What are the business
drivers for PTT?

LMR systems have been reliable and delivered benefits to users for many years – they are a fundamental
technology for many different types of workers in many industries. So why move to PTT now? It is the
question that many decision makers face today as more and more vendors promote newer solutions.

As with all technology investments there are common triggers that will lead to a PTT project.

The Standard Common Drivers Digital Transformation

These range from a new leader bringing in Other drivers will include, however, digital
a new strategy, an expansion/consolidation transformation programs that include some
of an organisation’s operations or a merger/ form of “Smart X”. Sometimes this will also
acquisition, a productivity and/or cost saving include newer innovation steps like hackathons
drive, through to device end of life refresh or design thinking workshops where ideas of
cycles. All are valid drivers for PTT investments. “how to work in future” are generated.

The Security and Safety Driver Smart Cities and Safer Events
However, in many circumstances PTT solutions Reactions to or planning for an increase in
are not implemented with a view to making natural disaster, terrorism or crime events.
a profit or a financial return on investment Or other large-scale events being held in a
that frequently underpin the common drivers city, for instance the SEA Games.
above. Yes, that is always welcome. But PTT is
often aimed at mission critical environments
Greater visibility and insight that provides
where safety and security via communications
improved levels of management of
are paramount.
operations is another factor that is included in
PTT decision making.
We should note that PTT on smart devices
is able to achieve higher levels of security
Data Privacy and Regulations
with biometric access and encryption of data
compared to LMR systems. This will often be While not necessarily a direct driver there are
the top driver and cannot be understated. also several data and privacy-related
regulations across SEA and ANZ that are
relevant to the adoption of PTT, especially
if the solution includes broader feature sets
like geolocation tracking. Furthermore,
the systems will need to comply with
any regulations regarding recording of
communications.

14
 7 What are the desired
characteristics
of a PTT solution?

We’ve already covered many of the features of PTT solutions above. However, the chart below outlines
some of the factors that users in SEA and ANZ believe are important. Approximately 50% of
respondents say they want it to be useful in a wet environment, have a dedicated button on the device,
be easy to use with gloves on and have on-screen activation.

When using PTT, what factors are important?

56%
54%
51%
49%

42%

26%
23%

Easy to Easy to Dedicated On-screen Wearable Bluetooth Voice-activated

use when use in wet button on activation activation patch /hands-free
wearing environments device activation activation
gloves

16
 And when asked to rank the desired characteristics of
Furthermore, we also asked a PTT device, respondents to our research indicated the
following ranking:
about devices and 44% of
respondents said they would Rank Top 10 PTT device attributes

prefer a smartphone as a 1 Connectivity.

PTT device.
2 Integrated security & device management.
3 IP Ratings.
4 Quick access button.
5 Device design.
6 Wireless charging.
7 Available accessories.
8 Scanning capability.
9 Using screen when wet.
10 Dual SIM.

Other desired characteristics are shown in the following chart:

What are the opportunities for PTT in your company, excluding ‘walkie-talkies’? (Total All)

59% 58%
53%

44% 43%

22%

Intergrating Sharing of Incorporate Cross-border Navigation Language

into business location multiple communication assistance translation
processes solutions on a
single device

17
 8 How are PTT projects
implemented?

Implementation timelines for projects vary of Use Case 1 – Mining Operations

course depending on the use case and size of the
organisation. Due to the varied nature of SEA the This first mini-case study example is based on a global
adoption of PTT will be a mixture of replacement mining giant. They use a rugged device like the Samsung
Galaxy Tab Active Pro with a PTT service that includes
or modernisation endeavours and greenfield
voice-powered automations to automate safety checklists
deployments. In ANZ (and Singapore) it is more
for mine workers. With a lack of communications in some
likely to be the former alone. areas of the site, including in underground locations, they
built out a site-wide WiFi network. Since then, they have
Notably, there are many organisations – been able to use PTT for general voice communications in a
commercial and public and particularly in hazardous environment.
developed markets like Singapore, Australia and
New Zealand – that are going agile with their IT The miners were also able to use a voice-activated trigger to
start a safety checklist. The AI-assistant converses with the
investments. These organisations want fast proof
worker until they are able to complete the checklist. This is
of concepts, that can be quickly turned into a
then logged and distributed to management. This has now
program of dedicated sprints undertaken quarterly. been done for several standard operating procedures. They
have also enabled location tracking to ensure that workers
Implementation timelines however are quite long are kept safe in the field and don’t accidently walk or drive
and can extend longer than one year. Furthermore, into danger. Overall the aim was to improve occupational
PTT projects are frequently subject to slow and health and safety.
bureaucratic official tender processes across SEA
and ANZ. This despite the as-a-service model and
off the shelf solutions being available.

Open Cut Mining PTT

18
 Use Case 2 – Stadium Event Services Other Use Cases

Whenever you have thousands of people attending Field Force Services: Site inspection teams
a sporting or music event, you need a well-tuned or maintenance staff in remote locations, in
communications system in order to coordinate the workers large indoor plants, or other wide areas can
who make these make these events happen. Instead of, communicate immediately at the touch of a
for example, food and beverage staff using loudspeaker button for assistance or to check in. They can
systems or land lines to request additional help or stock also integrate processes with voice activation.
when things get busy, with a PTT solution they could
immediately request assistance by broadcasting to a Transport and Logistics: Users can search for
dedicated group. Managers could also track where their or track the location and quantity of inventory
employees are and dispatch staff to help. The same is via a voice-activated assistant (keeping their
true for security or law enforcement services at a venue. hands-free). They can then be guided to the
By using PTT on a rugged device, the officers can receive right location with the built-in location and
notifications, photos, video and mapping directions to the navigation (indoors or outdoors). Records can
place they are needed most. then be updated automatically, and other
users receive a voice broadcast.

Cross Border Communication: Secure, instant

and hands-free solution capability for
logistics companies that operate fleets across
multiple countries in Asia.

Samsung Public Safety Web Contents

Use Case 3 – First Responders

First responders like firefighters, emergency services,

police and ambulatory services workers need business
critical PTT in order to safely and productively do their jobs.
Even when there are no emergencies, they need to be able
to communicate immediately with dedicated groups and
with each other. In the past, they would sometimes share
different LMR systems and rely on alternate means of
communication. Workers equipped with a rugged
smartphone with PTT, however, can now not only use
walkie-talkie functionality while wearing gloves but they
can also quickly share their location and receive data and
video information that might be critical to their efforts.
Hands-free working is also feasible as is the use of AI-based
assistants and translators.*

[*Regardless of activity, PTT competitors universally

engage this segment with the term “mission critical” and
standards also embrace this phrase.] Samsung Public Safety

19
 9 What are the outcomes
that can be expected?

Over 60% of respondents in our research across SEA and ANZ say they haven’t been able to measure specific
benefits from their use of PTT. One reason this occurs is that PTT isn’t directly tied to revenue generation or
profit. As we have said earlier, it is about safety and security through better voice communications.

As such the expected or desired outcomes are often about reducing incident rates, improving response and
coordination times, enabling cross-agency or -organisation capabilities, greater flexibility to include people not
previously able to use LMR systems, and improving the ability of workers to make decisions and be productive.

Our survey research shows that there were the following perceived benefits:

10%

Improvement in Occupational Health and Safety

performance

7%

Increase in field productivity

10%

Increase in employee productivity overall

10%

Reduction in device service costs when using

a rugged smart device with a PTT solution

20
 10 What is the future
of PTT?

The modern PTT market is still in its infancy and we expect it will take a couple of years before
the technology becomes mainstream. Focus will be on the performance and reliability of PTT as
compared with LMR. That said, we expect many examples of early adopters to be shared widely
and to help accelerate adoption.

There are many opportunities to expand the PTT value proposition by including more API-driven partners,
especially in terms of AI-based tools and services. We also expect a lot more focus on integration of complete
end-to-end systems.

The technology itself will also start to move towards 5G networks and potentially with low-earth orbit satellite
broadband services. Other potential developments include integration with security and video systems (e.g.
body worn cameras) along with wearable devices like smartwatches and other monitoring sensors.

It is easy to see the potential benefits and future upside of PTT as compared to LMR today. We know safety
will continue to be a mission critical aspect for many organisations, so demand will continue strongly and the
market will evolve at a medium pace.

21
 11 A checklist for
businesses
to consider if
assessing PTT

The following is a list of questions that organisations should be asking while considering PTT. It is not
comprehensive, but the intention is to provide a kick-start into a deeper discussion.

 ave you undertaken a process of discovery of PTT

H  o they integrate with the PTT software of your
D
and related solutions with a cross section of your choice?
users?
 o they have a market place of 3rd party providers
D
 hat is the longer-term vision for how you want your
W so you can extend your value?
people to work and communicate?
 ave you spoken with peers that have already piloted
H
 ill LMR systems be enough in future or will newer
W or rolled out PTT and understand the pros and cons?
solutions offer more value and reliability?
Are
 you and your providers compliant with all
How
 well established is the company offering the regulatory requirements?
PTT solution - how long have they been in business?
Are they public or privately owned?  ow fast can you all move together if you need
H
to change?

What devices are they using, are they industry
standard or proprietary?  re you intending to expand the role of your PTT
A
device for other use cases as well?
 an the device work in the conditions required: heat,
C
humidity, vibration, gloves?

 ow are devices offered: Lease, financed or purchased

H
outright?

22
ABOUT SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD. ABOUT TECH RESEARCH ASIA (TRA).

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with TRA is a fast-growing IT analyst, research, and consulting
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To learn more, visit: www.samsung.com and advisory services. We also conduct our own independent
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