FOR DESIGNING A SUPERIOR SOLUTION

Paul Steinberg

SVP of technology, Motorola Solutions

When first responders call for backup, they don’t use a smartphone, and for good reason. They need knobs they can turn using muscle memory and radio connections that work when cell towers go down. Motorola’s new APX Next, launched in October 2019 and available to public safety workers, is a hybrid of a classic, tactile walkie-talkie and a touchscreen Android device with a voice-operated virtual assistant. Paul Steinberg began working on APX Next three years ago, shortly after he led Motorola’s prescient investment in natural language processing. To get the details right, such as the location for the button that activates voice commands, Steinbergs team didn’t just interview first responders; they went on ride-alongs with cops and trained with incoming firefighters. “When