What is Tait GeoFencing? | Tait Communications Blog

Did you know that Tait mobiles and portables are now capable of automated location controlled behavior through GeoFencing?  This is a powerful, unique capability that increases efficiency and worker safety – geographic areas and boundaries can be programmed for your Tait radio to automatically take certain actions based on its location.  This is independent of the network, dispatch, or any other software applications!

GeoFencing: Automated Location Controlled Behavior

Organizations are always looking for ways to be proactive about improving safety, something that Tait GeoFencing can help with. Tait mobile and portable radios can be programmed to independently and automatically use their own location data to trigger pre-configured actions, such as alerting the driver of a vehicle to a hazardous area, telling them to slow down or turn on the vehicle’s lights.  This automation makes the radio easier to operate by reducing complexity for users, minimizing the amount of training required, and has been designed with mission critical applications in mind.

How does GeoFencing work?

The first step is defining your various geographic zones – where will something need to happen/stop happening?  These are programmed into the radios, and from then on the radios operate independently.  Connection to a network or location software application is not required, nor are the radios constrained by system polling rate reporting limitations, as they utilize higher polling rates within the radio.

Setup is done through configuration options in the radio, and is tailored to suit specific customer needs.  For example, if you’re in a large operation with many different talk groups, it is possible to have a particular talk group appearing at the top of the list as you pass from region to region.  This means that rather than having to spend time thinking about how or who to call, you can simply press a button to talk to the right people.  The whole system is also Tait EnableFleet compatible, including GeoFencing configuration updates over-the-air on DMR or P25 trunked networks, or over WiFi for TAIT AXIOM Mobiles, TP9500 or TP9600.

What can GeoFencing do?

Automatic responses which can be triggered by passing in/out of geographic zones include mode changes, messages, audio alerts, activation of features such as Lone Worker, and other digital inputs and outputs.

Mode Changes

These mode change features are great for supporting system migrations.

• When a 9300 or 9500 radio passes in and out of the predefined zones, it can be set to automatically switch between conventional analog, MPT, DMR Tier 2 and Tier 3 networks.
• The radio can also change channels automatically on DMR Tier 2, or change talkgroups automatically on DMR Tier 3.  This means there is less user involvement, leaving workers free to concentrate on other tasks, improving their safety.

Messages

There are many cases in which an organization may want to trigger an automated message.  For example:

• Notifying that a worker has reached home safely
• Displaying a Safe Operational Procedure, triggered when staff enter hazardous areas
• Notifying of a contractor entering a specific zone for pick-up or drop off (simple job management)
• Notifying that a security guard has arrived/exited specific locations
• Alerting that the signal is close to the edge of coverage
• In digital mode, all current 9000 series mobiles and portables can send status messages based on location.

Other Functions

GeoFencing isn’t only used to trigger alerts and actions when radios cross geographic zones. Other functions that can make use of GeoFencing include:

• Emergency action – can be assigned to a variety of groups or individuals based on location, and accessed when the user simply pushes the function key assigned to “Emergency”. This emergency call can be sent out to all radios within a defined radius, rather than being restricted to a preset talk group zone.
• Homegroup – this is a zone and workgroup pair around which there is special user functionality.
• Location Manual Send Button – sends the radio’s location at the moment the key is pressed to a configured zone and workgroup.
• Location-based calls – supported only by Tait DMR Trunking Networks, location-based calls are made by the network sending proprietary UDT immediately before the channel grant for an emergency call.
• TM9000 mobiles can use location data to activate/deactivate external devices such as audible alarms.
• 9000 series radios can use location data to automatically select a channel / site / votegroup / scangroup to ensure workers in particular areas can talk and listen to other users in that area.

Tait GeoFencing is available for all 9300/9400 mobiles and portables, and 9500/9600 portables.

For detailed advice on which features are supported in which modes, contact a Tait expert today!