WEST OCEAN CITY – The myth about evolving technologies is that it tends to kill older businesses. This is patently untrue. Emerging technologies are only a danger to businesses that refuse to acknowledge them. Companies with business models that treasure stasis above all else are often the ones first dispatched by innovation and market shift.

So when cellular technology supposedly moved to put a significant dent in the two-way radio business, Milt Warren, president of Delmarva Two Way Radio, adapted. By understanding the service his company provided better than anyone else, Warren was able to take advantage of opportunities, rather than clinging to an obviously changing model.

The first and most important thing he realized was that if there would indeed be a transition away from the two-way radio, it would be a glacial process. Construction sites, EMS, and other businesses where central communication was critical would still require superior products and services. In many of these industries, getting in touch with an area quickly is more critical than getting in touch with an individual. Finding the correct cell phone number isn’t as convenient as pressing a button and getting in touch with the person in a section that can help you.

But Warren and the other folks at Delmarva Two Way Radio also recognized that the communications business was changing and would continue to change so they began to adapt to the new and future market demands that would be put on their industry.

Among their most innovative changes was the decision to begin providing cellular amplifiers. The selling point of two way radios is that they’re significantly more reliable than cell phones, but as amplifiers began to emerge it was clear that the technology-change was continuing. Cellular amplifiers are kind of like antennae, improving the cellular signal strength in places where it tends to be weak.

Warren said they’ve installed a significant number of these amplifiers not only in area homes where the cellular coverage is spotty but also in pre-fabricated metal buildings, which tend to have terrible interference problems.

Delmarva Two Way Radio has also been dealing in cellphones and cellphone plans for years but recently took that aspect of the business to a mostly online experience. They are certified purveyors of plans and phones from all of the major providers and can provide service both via a toll-free help line as well as online or in their store.

In addition to finding ways to keep their communications expertise relevant in changing times, they’ve also adopted an approach that finds new uses for two way radios. As the only locally-owned Motorola dealer in the region, Delmarva Two Way Radio now offers SafetyCare a personal communication medallion. 

Although there are several different plans for which a person can register, the basic premise is that if a person is having any trouble — from being locked out of their home to a full-blown medical emergency — they can use the medallion for one-touch communication with people who can help.

One of the more popular plans can be set to dial through a list of potential numbers before dialing 911, although a plan is available that just dials 911 immediately. As Warren explained, what makes this particular service superior to the other medallion-type person safety communications devices is the direct connection to people who can help. Rather than have to explain through an intermediary what the problem is, or just setting off an alarm that tells authorities there is some kind of nondescript problem in your home, the SafetyCare puts its wearer in direct contact with whomever the settings dial.

With the range of communication products and services they offer, Delmarva Two Way Radio is poised to remain a strong player in the area’s communications industry well into the future.