Video:What Is Push To Talk Technology?
with Pelpina TripLearn about push to talk technology on cell phones: how it works for business and personal use, and how similar services to push to talk are offered through smartphone applications and web services.See Transcript
Transcript:What Is Push To Talk Technology?
Hi! I’m Pelpina for About.com, and today I’ll explain push to talk technology on cell phones. Wouldn't it be great if you could just press a button on your cell phone and broadcast a message to all your friends, family members, or to colleagues? Well, that’s what push-to-talk technology does.
Push to Talk Technology is Similar to Walkie Talkies
Push to talk, or PTT is walkie-talkie style communication. It works best for quick, short messages because communication doesn’t happen at the same time. So, here’s how it works. The speaker pushes a button when talking, and releases it when done. The listener receives the audio message, listens to it, and also pushes a button to respond.
Because you can’t interrupt each other, push to talk communication usually leads to very quick exchanges -- perfect for business, BUT - push to talk can also be very interesting to communicate with friends and family. Several phones come with icons that show who is available before you call. You can tell who’s phone is on vibrate, who doesn’t want to be disturbed, and whose phone is off at the moment. Pretty handy when you’re trying to get a hold of someone.
Smartphone Apps Offer Push to Talk Technology
Smart phones that don’t have push to talk technology can still offer something similar, through applications or web services.Apps like HeyTell have push-to-talk features with a digital ‘hold and speak’ button, to make similar walkie-talkie like messages. Technically speaking, these types of apps are cross-platform voice messengers. They work over 3G and WiFi networks.
Web Services like Wave Connections need to be downloaded, and offer similar instant push-to-talk access with individuals or groups. And Sprint services like Group Connect and TeamDC let you Communicate with many people at the same time, and NextMail lets you send a recorded message by email via text message, using a direct connect button.
As you can see, push to talk technology is still evolving. You can find a lot more information on cellphones and technology at cellphones.about.com. Thanks for watching!