First European Hytera Summit

The scent of the azure sea, the rustle of pine needles, and the taste of bronze wind — a synesthesia of senses that rendered us timeless, motionless listeners. It was, in fact, the perfect backdrop for the stirring of an ancient story, the one in which we all find ourselves: the story of creation, from a mere idea into something that astonishes with its body, meaning, and purpose.

Piše: Damir Muharemović; E-mail: redakcija@asadria.com

The exclusive ambiance of the Bluesun Hotel on the island of Brač hosted the third Hytera Global Partner Summit (HGPS) on June 16. It was, in fact, the first such event organized in Europe, confirming Hytera’s long-term commitment to partners with whom it jointly achieves double-digit growth. The event was enriched by the presence of 100 people  from 20 countries.

Three Steps

“There are three key messages I want to convey to you here today: we are committed to the European market, we grow with our partners, and we innovate together,” began Yelin Jiang, CEO of Hytera Group, as he outlined the pillars underpinning the success of the world’s second-largest manufacturer of professional communication technologies.

Although Hytera has been present in the European market for two decades and has experienced steady growth, recent  years have brought a series of challenges, including component shortages, supply chain disruptions, and the US-China trade war. Nevertheless, Jiang expressed confidence that the worst is behind us. “Hytera confirms this with concrete products and technological advances — but also thanks to the effort and work of our European partners,” he added.

The company records stable annual growth of 10 to 15% globally, with a similar trend expected in the coming period. It is precisely for this reason that a new development plan for the region and a rich solution portfolio were presented. With this intention, a showroom with advanced devices was also organized, including those that, although not yet available on the market, demonstrate the breadth of the company’s technological capabilities. “We want to show that we can respond to the needs of different verticals, regardless of the complexity of requirements,” Jiang concluded.

Successes from China to Latin America

The past year, 2024, was marked by significant developments and the expansion of Hytera’s global presence. “This year was marked by growth, technological advancement, and key projects on all continents,” said Sophia Yin, General Manager of Hytera’s European Channel Business.

Among key projects, Hytera’s dominance in China’s National Emergency Response project stands out, where it covers as much as 65% of public service systems. In Thailand, it supplied thousands of body-worn cameras for police. . Command and control systems have been implemented in Iraq, where Hytera’s system is used to manage the work of one hundred thousand calls per day, and in Jordan, where the first national PMR network was developed. On the African continent, the company leads with delivering dual-mode TETRA+LTE devices provided to South Africa police, and in Latin America, Hytera has implemented TETRA, LTE, command and control systems in different countries.

Strong Innovation Potential in Critical Communications

Hytera has launched 71 new products in the last three years, of which 33 are from the narrowband and 38 from the broadband segment, confirming its status as a technology leader in the professional communication industry. “In the retail segment, Hytera has successfully entered this previously unexplored channel with new S1 units – including S1 Mini, S1, and S1 Pro. PoC solutions (Push-to-Talk over Cellular) gained additional momentum with the P50, a new entry-level model that has an exceptionally positive market feedback,” Yin highlighted.

In the field of TETRA communications, standout models include the PT590, high-end model for public safety users like ministries of interior, as well as the intrinsically safe two-way radio PT890Ex for Oil & Gas users, while in digital systems, new generation DMR Cube base station the company records the installation of more than 4,000 BTS base stations, capable of supporting up to 9,000 channels, within China’s national security project, riding the tide of establishing nationwide PPDR network in China.

Special attention was focused on the new generation of E-Pack ad hoc repeater solutions, intended for fire and rescue services, land border and se border, whose capacity has been significantly improved. In the past year alone, more than 4,000 units were distributed worldwide. In the field of body-worn cameras, Hytera presented AI powered 5G cameras SC880, currently available in China, as well as GC550, which represent part of the strategic expansion into thise field surveillance segment.

Broadband communications are experiencing strong growth -– such as the PNC4, PNC5 ,PNC6 Series and PDC series devices. Infrastructure-wise, Hytera is has developeding its own private 5G systems through the third generation of its broadband technology. In the past years, tens of thousands base stations were installed in China, with an additional tens of thousands globally, making it a key supplier for Chinese telecoms. Finally, General Manager for Europe Sophia Yin also presented the advanced HySEIS platform – Hytera Secure Efficient Intelligent System – a multimedia laboratory based on artificial intelligence that integrates security, communications, energy, LBS, and management functions for the needs of different verticals, and announced the new Hytera Europe website, which along with new Hytera Purchase Portal, will be launched in the third quarter. “What if possibilities are limited by our imagination? Challenge inspires innovation. We want to exchange our ideas and create new values together,” Yin concluded.

Hytera’s solutions are also present at major international events and specific sectors – from the World Cup in Qatar to aquaculture monitoring networks in Norway.

Branding is a Continuum of Living the Story

Dylan Liu, Global Marketing Director of Hytera, enriched the conference with a personal approach, emphasizing that user stories are the heart of the brand and the most powerful form of connecting with the community. “My goal is to collect stories and share them – because storytelling is part of our human nature, present for thousands of years,” Liu said. In that spirit, he shared a series of inspiring anecdotes from practice. One of them comes from the UK, where he once noticed a bartender with a body-worn camera – not Hytera’s – which intrigued him. He later discovered that it was a local government project that promotes safety in hospitality venues. “Such stories change the perception of body-worn cameras and show how technology can have a positive social impact,” Liu said. In another example, he showed how insurance companies use Hytera body-worn cameras for claim verification, ensuring transparency and accuracy while protecting clients and agents. Through numerous practical examples – such as volunteer firefighters in Poland, the Red Cross in Croatia, and Italy – Liu showed how Hytera technology empowers communities and enables users to be safer, more efficient, and more connected.

“Grow together” is not just a marketing slogan but, as Liu says, “an obligation to listen, support, and grow with our users around the world.”

Easy to Find, Easy to Buy, Easy to Service

“While maintaining investment inthe traditional PMR segment, Hytera has been stepping up PoC solutions, which was once hard to imagine, but now becomes a reality in the field,” said Eoin Foy, Sales Director for the European market at Hytera Europe. Hytera’s European Channel team has been expanding in recent years. Within this, specialized teams operate for broadband, system solutions (SE), two logistics warehouses, and four service centers.

In line with the “Easy to Find, Easy to Buy, Easy to Service” philosophy, Foy presented a new sales model that facilitates the entire process, from searching for products to their delivery and technical support. Special focus was placed on sales digitalization and integration through the partner portal. The new ordering system, which will be launched in July 2025, will allow partners to automatically create lists of products, personalize the home page, and track equipment availability – all through a single application. Along with the upgraded portal, improved user support, and more promotions, the third pillar of Hytera’s approach – Easy to Service – includes technical, sales, and service training. During 2025, more than 30 educational sessions have already been held, both online and live, through Hytera training centers across Europe. “You can’t sell something if you don’t know what it is – education is the foundation of our business,” Foy concluded.

Transition from Voice to Data

Ildefonso de la Cruz, Senior Principal Analyst at Omdia, in his presentation highlighted key trends and figures shaping the critical communications market – an industry whose main goal is to enable reliable, secure, and resilient communication, especially in high-risk conditions. Although this technology is often associated with police, firefighters, and emergency services, research shows that as much as 63% of global deliveries go to other sectors, including transport, industry, retail, healthcare, and utilities. The global critical communications market is currently worth about 11 billion dollars, with devices and systems that have a long-life cycle and a continuous need for upgrades.

Today, there are 61 million active critical radio devices in the world, of which 74% are digital. The European PMR market is mature and the most digitized in the world. The industry clearly feels a shift from traditional voice communication to data-centric approaches, with a focus on video surveillance, situational awareness, sensors, and artificial intelligence applications. Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) subscriptions will triple in the next five years, and Hytera is one of the top suppliers in this segment.

Hunger for Data

Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) is the next step in the evolution of communication technologies, stated Tim Allerton, CEO of Push-to-Talk International. “PoC solutions are already used by more than five million people, especially in the transport and security sectors. Clients today demand more than voice – everything is moving toward hunger for data,” Allerton said. Testing numerous devices, Allerton highlights Hytera as a standout, “[Hyetera] software is designed for hardware and vice versa – which is a rarely seen synergy.” New devices like the P50 and P50 Pro bring more than classic communication – they offer LTE connectivity, asset control, support for security services, and voice functions with performance at the level of TETRA systems. HALO PTX was particularly emphasized, a subscription-based managed service for nationwide push-to-talk and multi-evidence management.

How CRONECT Grew with Hytera Radios

Finally, several successfully implemented case studies were presented. Adam Alićajić, Senior Broadcast Systems Specialist at the Croatian company “Odašiljači i veze,” points out that Croatia has been dedicated to traditional radio and TV broadcasting for 99 years but has been intensively expanding its portfolio in the last decade. Through CRONECT – the national PMR network – they offer voice, text, and data communication on protected UHF spectrum, with 88% territorial coverage. “It all started in 2014 with a small DMR Tier2 Hytera network with four repeaters and several radios. It was the first DMR installation in Croatia. Already in 2017, we moved to Tier3 trunking PRO solution with DS-6210 base stations, and in 2018, we introduced the first DMR+LTE hybrid. Recently, we upgraded the system with DS-6250 base stations,” says Alićajić. Today, the network is fully redundant, with control centers located on two tectonic plates for earthquake resistance.

Advanced Communication for a Norwegian Fish Farm

Norwegian company eButikken, which delivers about a thousand radio devices annually, has developed a convergent communication solution for protecting workers at fish farms. Remco Kuiken, CTO of the company, points out that they focused on devices such as the LTE+DMR dual mode devices and latest DMR radios, as well as Hytera SmartOne and HyTalk applications. Fish farms in fjords contain barges with eight cages each and about 200,000 salmon per cage. Worker safety is a priority.

“Our magic thing is the water sensor – it triggers an alarm if the user with a radio falls into water. The alarm is triggered, then transmitted to others, location is tracked via GPS, sent to emergency services, and then a call is initiated via GSM or SIP,” Kuiken said. Hytera dual mode devices devices are specially customized, including firmware changes and HyTalk application adaptation.