Knowledge base
Push-to-talk questions, answered
Everything buyers ask us about managed push-to-talk: how it works, what it covers, what it costs to run, and where the honest limits are.
Short answer
What is managed push-to-talk?
Managed push-to-talk is a complete service rather than a hardware purchase. The provider supplies the push-to-talk platform, rugged devices, cellular connectivity and SIMs, device management and provisioning, then administers users, talk groups, changes and support on an ongoing basis. Integrated Radio delivers this through two platforms: Managed PTToC and Managed Zello.
The basics
Getting started
Are these just walkie-talkies?
Essentially, yes, that is the experience your team gets. Press the button, speak, and everyone on the channel hears you right away. The difference is range. Ordinary walkie-talkies reach a few miles at best. Ours send the audio over the cell network, so they work anywhere there is cell service, the next building, the next county, or the other side of the country.
How is this different from buying radios?
Buying radios leaves you to source software, SIMs, device management and support separately, then administer it all. A managed service bundles those into one accountable provider who also runs the day-to-day administration.
Do we need a license or an antenna on the roof?
No. That is the main thing we take off your plate. Traditional radio systems need a license and an antenna installed somewhere high up, which costs money and takes time. Because ours work over the cell network, there is nothing to install and nothing to license.
How quickly can we get them?
Usually within a few business days once we have checked coverage for your sites. The radios arrive charged, labeled and already set up with your channels, so there is nothing to configure when the box lands.
How small a team is worth doing this for?
There is no minimum. We supply single-digit teams and fleets in the hundreds on the same terms, and you pay per radio per month either way.
Coverage and connectivity
Coverage, networks and limits
How far will the radios work?
They work wherever supported cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity is available, so the working area follows network availability rather than the range of a tower you own. We confirm coverage against your specific sites and routes before deployment.
Does it work over Wi-Fi?
Yes. Supported devices use Wi-Fi as well as cellular data, which helps inside warehouses, hotels and other buildings with strong wireless coverage.
What happens if there is no coverage?
Where there is no supported cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity, a PTToC device cannot pass traffic. For sites with known gaps we review options during design, including Wi-Fi coverage and interoperability with an existing local radio system.
Is coverage really nationwide?
Coverage follows the carrier network, so it is wide-area rather than universal. We do not claim it works everywhere, and we check your actual sites before quoting.
Which carrier do you use?
The wireless service is defined as part of the plan. Carrier and device qualification is confirmed during sales engineering rather than promised up front.
Radios
The radio-first platform
What is Managed PTToC?
An Integrated Radio managed service built on rugged IR-series radios, wide-area cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity, web-based dispatch, GPS and safety workflows, with the whole fleet administered by us.
Can I see radio locations?
Yes. Supported radios report GPS position to the dispatch and management environment, with location history and geofence alerts available where configured.
Can dispatch talk to one person?
Yes. A dispatcher can place a private call to an individual radio as well as talk to a full group.
Can we create groups for departments or sites?
Yes. Talk groups are designed around your departments, sites, job functions or shifts, and we maintain that structure as the organization changes.
Is there a radio that is safe around fuel and gas?
An intrinsically safe PTToC radio is available for approved hazardous-location applications. Suitability must be confirmed against the exact device certification, environment classification and accessories before deployment.
Can we add radios later?
Yes. Adding users and radios is a routine change request. New radios are provisioned, assigned and shipped configured, and billing adjusts with the fleet.
Managed Zello
The Zello Work platform
What is Managed Zello?
Zello Work delivered as a complete service: licensing, network and channel design, rugged Sonim devices, data SIMs, MDM and provisioning, plus ongoing administration by Integrated Radio.
Why not just buy Zello directly?
You can. Managed Zello adds the device supply, SIMs and data service, MDM enrollment, app and PTT configuration, channel architecture and ongoing user administration, so one provider is accountable for the whole deployment.
What Sonim devices do you support?
The Sonim XP5plus for teams that primarily need voice, and the Sonim XP10 for users who need Zello alongside other Android business applications.
Can Zello record or archive communications?
Message history and replay are part of the core product. Longer-term cloud archival with search, playback and export is Message Vault, an available add-on.
Are all the premium features included?
No. Message Vault, Premium Maps, Emergency Alerts, transcriptions and translations are plan-dependent options. We confirm what your selected plan covers before you buy.
Can users run Zello on their own phones?
Yes. Zello Work runs on Android and iOS, so office staff or supervisors can join the same network from their own devices.
Safety and emergency
Where the limits are
Can we use this for emergency communications?
It supports internal safety workflows such as SOS alerts, lone worker and man down on supported devices. It is not a replacement for 911, public-safety land mobile radio, or code-required life-safety systems.
What safety features are available?
SOS and emergency alerting with user identity and location, lone-worker check-ins, man down on supported hardware, and patrol workflows where configured. Availability depends on device and plan.
Is location accurate enough for safety use?
Location depends on device capability, GPS conditions and network availability. It is useful context for a dispatcher, but we do not claim guaranteed precision, particularly indoors.
Commercial
Pricing, terms and support
How long is the contract?
Service is month to month as standard. There is no minimum term and no line minimum, so if it stops working for your team you stop paying for it. If you would rather commit, preferred pricing and equipment discounts apply on 12, 24 and 36 month agreements. A longer term lowers what you pay rather than being a condition of getting the service.
What do we get for signing a longer agreement?
Preferred pricing on the monthly service and discounts on equipment. Agreements run for 12, 24 or 36 months. Month to month stays available at standard pricing if you would rather keep the flexibility, and plenty of customers do.
How much does it cost?
Service starts at $29.95 per radio per month, or $14.95 per user per month for the app on a phone. It is month to month with no line minimum. Radios are quoted separately from the monthly service so you can see what each part costs, and preferred pricing applies if you take a 12, 24 or 36 month agreement.
Do I pay for the radios separately?
Yes, and we do that deliberately. Hardware is quoted separately from the monthly service so you can see what you are paying for the device and what you are paying for the service, rather than having it bundled into one number.
What happens if a radio breaks?
You call us and we deal with it, rather than you filing a warranty claim with a manufacturer. Replacement is handled as part of the managed service. If being a radio down for any length of time is a problem, next-day advanced replacement is available as a subscription, so a working unit is on its way before the failed one comes back. We price that with your quote.
Is there a trial?
No, and the reason is that you should not need one. Service is month to month, so there is nothing to be locked into: if it does not suit your team, you stop. That is a better position than a fixed trial window. If you want radios for a defined period rather than an ongoing account, short-term and event rental is a separate option.
Can we keep the radios we already own?
Often, yes. If you have a working radio system, we can usually connect it to the new one so both sets of people end up on the same channels. That means you extend your range without throwing away equipment that still does its job. We confirm what is possible against your specific system before quoting.
Get started
Still have a question?
Ask us directly. We would rather tell you honestly whether this fits than sell you something that does not.