Motorola Solutions Dealer Program Reports Positive 2011

Motorola Solutions channel partners, including two-way radio vendors, reported year-over-year growth for 2011 of 26 percent, which tops the growth reported for year-over-year in 2010. The Motorola Solutions Channel Partner Expo, Feb. 20 and 21 in Las Vegas, focused on the market positives and future opportunities.

“In my opinion, I think it’s our best year ever,” said Hal Herron, Motorola Sales and Service Inc. (MSSI) vice president North American channels. “2011’s goal was to get to our highest point ever. We thought it would take us to the end of 2012 but it didn’t have to.”

A lot of the growth can be attributed to the VHF and UHF narrowbanding mandate as well as the digital migration, said Jerry Denham, president and CEO of Bearcom, a Motorola partner. “We’ve outperformed the economy, with some government help with narrowbanding.”

Motorola executives and several of the dealer program members touted the Motorola corporate split as a large contributor to the recent successes. Motorola broke into Motorola Mobility, which includes the cell-phone business and its planned acquisition by Google, and Motorola Solutions, which comprises the government and enterprise businesses including two-way radio sales. Motorola Solutions as a separate company offers improved access to top executives, improved organization, less bureaucracy and politics, and greater accessibility and focus, Denham said. “Our relationship has never been better,” he said. “It seems more focused and nimble.”

Motorola Solutions’ role in the Long Term Evolution (LTE) future is yet to be determined, but Motorola plans to play heavily in public-safety buildouts, Herron said.

In the meantime, dealers plan to focus on narrowbanding. “It’s going to be a busy 10 months,” Denham said.

“The future has never been more vibrant,” Herron said. “And what is in front of us is more than what’s behind us.”

Source: Radioresourcemag