Push-to-talk communication has been around since two-way radio came into use more than 70 years ago. Now, AT&T is putting a new spin on the sub-second communication feature with an enhanced push-to-talk service that can instantly reach up to 250 people simultaneously. It uses Internet Protocol as the conduit instead of radio frequencies.
Steve Colkitt, IT director at CourierNet, which beta-tested the service, compares it to Motorola's pioneering iDEN (integrated digital enhanced network) service, which combined two-way radio capabilities with other features, such as pagers and fax/modem. "It's damn near iDEN quality, which no one's been able to duplicate," he says.