Hytera has announced that its Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) solutions provided uninterrupted communications during L’Étape Greece 2026, a cycling race held along the challenging mountainous routes of the Peloponnese. The project was delivered by Greek communications provider Cobra Center, which deployed an LTE-based communication system for race organizers, course marshals, and emergency response teams across the entire course.

The 150-kilometre route passed through forest trails, steep climbs, and remote areas where conventional communication systems often experience coverage limitations. To ensure reliable connectivity, Hytera’s PNC360 and MNC360 PoC radios were deployed, providing stable two-way communications over the nationwide LTE network. According to the company, the solution achieved full coverage of the entire race route without any unplanned technical interruptions, while operational and emergency information was exchanged in real time.

Following the successful implementation of the project, Cobra Center plans to expand the deployment of Hytera’s LTE and PoC solutions to other major sporting and commercial events across Greece. The company believes that unified cellular PoC communications could become the standard logistics and coordination solution for large-scale events that require reliable communications over long distances and in demanding environments.

As of 7 July, all newly registered passenger cars and vans in the European Union must be equipped with additional safety systems under the revised General Safety Regulation. The mandatory features include advanced emergency braking capable of detecting pedestrians and cyclists, a driver distraction warning system, improved driver visibility, stricter requirements for worn tyres, and larger areas of safety glass to better protect pedestrians in the event of a collision. The feature attracting the most attention is the driver monitoring system, which uses an infrared camera pointed at the driver’s face to analyse eye movements, blinking, gaze direction, and signs of fatigue. The aim of the technology is to warn drivers when they become distracted or drowsy, helping to reduce the number of road accidents. The new rules do not apply to vehicles already on the road, but only to passenger cars and vans registered for the first time after the regulation came into force. Vehicles manufactured without the required equipment can no longer be legally registered within the European Union. The EU says the measures are part of its broader strategy to reduce road fatalities, noting that alcohol and driver distraction remain among the leading causes of fatal traffic accidents.

However, some members of the public have raised concerns about privacy, as the camera continuously monitors the driver’s behaviour, with fears that it could eventually be integrated with additional monitoring technologies.

ATEÏS Europe has once again highlighted the capabilities of its MESSENGER PRO platform, developed to deliver outstanding speech intelligibility in acoustically challenging environments such as large halls, airports, railway stations, tunnels, places of worship, and conference centers. The platform combines digitally steerable LYRA and ORISYS line array loudspeakers with advanced DSP signal processing and beam steering technology, ensuring uniform sound coverage and highly intelligible speech reproduction.

The LYRA series is designed for large-scale venues requiring controlled coverage of up to 100 meters, maintaining a consistent sound pressure level of ±3 dB while delivering excellent speech intelligibility even in highly reverberant spaces. For architecturally sensitive projects, ORISYS offers a compact wall-mounted line array system featuring side-lobe-free technology, enabling discreet integration without compromising the aesthetics of the installation.

The entire system is supported by ATEÏS Designer Suite, a software platform that allows users to simulate sound coverage, optimize beam steering and lobe shaping, and validate acoustic performance before installation. This enables system designers to plan public address and voice evacuation systems more accurately while minimizing the need for on-site adjustments.

The MESSENGER PRO platform is designed to ensure consistent speech intelligibility throughout the protected area while providing easier integration and greater flexibility in the design of professional PA/VA systems.

Wearable cameras help deter incidents and positively influence behavior, both for the public and for the wearers. As demand continues to grow across sectors such as retail, healthcare, and transportation, Axis Communications has introduced its latest workplace-ready solution, the AXIS W111 Body Worn Camera.

The lightweight and compact camera weighs just 99 grams and measures 82.5 × 55 × 19 mm, while offering all-day battery performance with up to 16 hours of standby time and between 10 hours (720p) and 7.5 hours (1080p) of continuous recording. An updated magnetic mounting system ensures secure wear, even in fast-paced working environments.

Designed to capture high-quality video and audio for forensic usability and documentation, the camera is also compatible with AXIS Body Worn Live, enabling real-time video streaming when needed. Built on open standards, the AXIS W111 integrates seamlessly with AXIS Camera Station as well as third-party on-premises and cloud-based video management systems (VMS). It supports scalable storage without compromising image quality and enables quick and efficient retrieval of recorded footage.

The camera has also been designed with strong cybersecurity in mind, featuring end-to-end encryption and compliance with data protection and privacy regulations. This makes it suitable for deployment in sensitive environments such as healthcare while ensuring secure handling of recorded evidence.

Ajax Systems has announced that the EN54 Indicator Jeweller, a new wireless addressable remote fire alarm indicator from its EN54 Line, is now available for ordering and distribution. The device is designed to signal alarms from fire detectors installed out of sight, such as behind doors, above suspended ceilings, or inside technical rooms, ensuring timely notification of occupants. The indicator mirrors alarms from hidden detectors through a bright red LED frame and offers a choice between bistable and continuous pulse indication patterns.

Powered by the Jeweller communication protocol, the device provides two-way communication with an Ajax control and indicating equipment (CIE) at distances of up to 1,700 metres in open space, without additional wiring or modules. Once paired with fire detectors, alarm signals are transmitted across the facility in as little as three seconds. Installation is simplified with the SmartBracket mounting panel and QR code pairing via the Ajax app, eliminating the need to disassemble the enclosure. The EN54 Indicator Jeweller is available in black and white and, with its pre-installed batteries, offers up to five years of автономous operation.

The technology embedded inside Adidas’ official match ball has once again demonstrated how important it has become in modern football. The so-called Connected Ball Technology played a decisive role in disallowing Croatia’s late equaliser against Portugal at the FIFA World Cup after confirming that the ball had made contact with Igor Matanović before reaching Mario Pašalić, who was in an offside position.

Although the referee initially awarded the goal, the VAR review, supported by data from the sensor embedded inside the ball, detected an almost imperceptible header. That single piece of evidence was enough to trigger the semi-automated offside system and ultimately deny Croatia an equaliser and extra time, bringing the team’s World Cup campaign to an end—to the disappointment of football fans across the region.

At the heart of the system is an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), a miniature inertial sensor embedded inside Adidas’ Trionda match ball. The sensor records acceleration, rotation, and the ball’s three-dimensional movement 500 times per second—ten times faster than a standard television broadcast, which typically captures around 50 frames per second. This extremely high sampling rate allows officials to determine the exact moment a player touches the ball with exceptional precision.

The sensor data is transmitted in real time to the VAR operations room, where it is combined with information collected by 16 cameras positioned around the stadium. These cameras continuously track the positions of both the ball and the players, recording 29 body reference points for each player. Artificial intelligence algorithms then merge all available data and automatically alert the video officials to potential infringements.

The technology delivers its greatest value in semi-automated offside decisions, as it accurately determines the exact moment the ball is played. It is also used to confirm handball incidents and identify the last player to touch the ball in disputed situations. Despite this advanced level of automation, the final decision always remains with the referee after reviewing the available video footage and system data.

Connected Ball Technology was jointly developed by FIFA and Adidas and was first introduced at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which we covered in greater detail in our magazine HERE. It has since been used at UEFA EURO 2024 and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, demonstrating that sensors, artificial intelligence, and data analytics now play just as important a role in refereeing decisions as traditional video footage.

Zenitel expands the power of Zenitel Connect Pro with cloud-enabled visibility, proactive maintenance, and centralized lifecycle management for the onshore applications.

Zenitel, a global leader in Unified Critical Communication solutions, today announced the introduction of Zenitel Cloud Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM), a cloud-enabled extension to Zenitel Connect Pro designed to simplify the monitoring, maintenance, and lifecycle management of Zenitel’s communication systems across multi-site environments in onshore applications.

As organizations increasingly rely on connected communication infrastructure to support safety, security, and operational continuity, the ability to remotely monitor and maintain these systems has become increasingly important. By extending Zenitel Connect Pro with cloud-based remote monitoring and management capabilities, Zenitel Cloud RMM enables organizations to improve operational assurance while reducing maintenance costs and operational downtime.

Zenitel Connect Pro already unifies intercom, Public Address, Voice Alarm, IP speakers, and related communication technologies into one cohesive operational platform. With the addition of Zenitel Cloud RMM, organizations can now extend this unified approach beyond communication workflows into centralized system oversight, diagnostics, and proactive service management.

“Zenitel Cloud RMM is designed as a natural extension of Zenitel Connect Pro,” said Rory Martin, Product Manager at Zenitel. “With Zenitel Connect Pro and Zenitel Cloud RMM, we are evolving Unified Critical Communication beyond communication itself – enabling organizations to manage, maintain, and optimize critical communication infrastructure more intelligently throughout its lifecycle.”

Designed for multi-site environments, Zenitel Cloud RMM provides centralized visibility and management capabilities across connected Zenitel devices, including:

• Real-time monitoring of device and system health
• Centralized overview across multiple sites
• Proactive alerts and notifications
• Remote diagnostics and troubleshooting
• Firmware and lifecycle management

By reducing the need for on-site interventions and enabling faster issue resolution, Zenitel Cloud RMM helps organizations improve operational efficiency while maintaining continuous system availability.

Built with cybersecurity and operational resilience in mind, Zenitel Cloud RMM uses secure cloud communication principles and is developed in alignment with recognized frameworks and governance practices, including GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27001 principles.

For more information, visit the Zenitel website: https://www.zenitel.com/cloud