Tait Radio Communications

Tait Radio Communications

Type	Trust Structure
Industry	Technology
Founded	1969
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Frank Owen (CEO)
Products	Two-way radios Network Systems Public Safety solutions Utility solutions Urban Transport solutions
Employees	869 (Worldwide 2011)
Website	Tait Radio Communications

Tait Radio Communications is a multinational radio communications company with headquarters based in Christchurch, New Zealand. The company has offices in 17 countries and employs 869 staff (2011). Tait develops voice and data radio technologies, exporting about 95% of products from its Christchurch manufacturing base.^[1] Competitors include Motorola, Harris Corporation, E.F. Johnson Company, Raytheon, HYT, and Selex. Customers include London Buses,^[2] Country Fire Authority ^[3] and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.^[4]

Contents 1 History 2 Technologies and solutions 3 Corporate affairs 3.1 CEO 3.2 Structure 3.3 Quality and environmental ratings 3.4 Corporate recognition 3.5 Offices by location 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links 7 Video

History

Tait Electronics Ltd (trading as Tait Radio Communications) was founded in 1969 by New Zealand electronics innovator and businessman Sir Angus Tait, KNZM, OBE. The company's founding staff of 12 radio technologists ^[5] produced the first generation of all-transistor mobile radios in New Zealand.^[6]

• In 1973, Tait released the Mini-phone series of mobile radios, which were adopted as the industry standard in New Zealand.^[7]

• In 1979, Tait launched a range of portable radios and base stations, exporting over 25% of its production. The first wholly owned subsidiary was opened in Huntingdon, UK.

• In 1982, Tait opened facilities in Houston, USA.

• In 1988, Tait opened facilities in Brisbane, Australia.

• In the mid-1980s Tait moved into developing trunking technology. Substantial investment followed in a broad range of trunked products and TaitNet systems based on the open MPT 1327 standard.

• In 1990, the T800 series of modular base station and repeater equipment was on the market. The T700 series also appeared.

• In 1992, the T2000 series of mobile radios was released.

• In 1993, additional offshore subsidiaries were opened and the T3000 series of hand-portables and the Quasi-Sync base station/repeater systems were introduced.

• In 1994, the first in a series of mobile data despatch products for use with the T2000 radios was launched.

• In 1996, the T3000 Series II, an enhanced version of the portable series, went to market.

• In 1997, Tait's T2000 range was updated with the launch of the T2000 Series II.

• In 1998, Tait released the Orca series of portable radios. Additional base-station and system enhancements followed, including the T1810 single-site trunked channel controller, before the release of Tait's portable radio range, the Tait Orca 5000.

• In 2003, the release of the 8000 tier of base stations and mobiles replaced the T800 base station and T2000 mobile.

• In May 2005, Tait launched P25 (Project 25) products based on open standards and open interfaces.

• In 2008, the TP8100 replaced the Orca portable radio.

• In 2010, Tait opened facilities in Vienna, Austria.^[8]

• In 2011, Tait opened facilities in Melbourne, Australia^[9] and expanded in Beijing, China.^[10]

Technologies and solutions

• P25 (Project 25)
• DMR (Digital Mobile Radio)
• MPT 1327
• MPT-IP
• Distribution Automation
• Network Management

Corporate affairs

CEO

Frank Owen is the current CEO of Tait Radio Communications. Owen’s tenure at Tait began in March 2009. Previously he was the CEO at privately owned Australian company GPC Electronics.^[11]

Structure

Sir Angus Tait (founder) established a trust structure for the company to be held in. The company is owned by three trusts: the Contel Charitable Trust, The Tait Foundation, and the Lady Tait Charitable Trust. Tait is financially independent and audited annually by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Quality and environmental ratings

Tait is ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 accredited and all shipments from the Tait manufacturing facility into the European Union and China are Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliant. Tait’s factory material supply chain is also compliant with RoHS requirements.^[12]

The company is compliant with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations.

Corporate recognition

Tait Radio Communications has received the following awards:

• Prince Philip Designers Prize for T500 (1985)
• NZ Industrial Design Council Design Award (1985)
• NEDA Award for Excellence in Electronic Design and Manufacture (1986)
• Governor General’s Supreme Award for Exporting (1986, 1994)
• Air New Zealand Award for Overall Excellence in Exporting (1994)
• Canterbury Champion Supreme Award (2003) ^[13]

Tait partners with the following associations and groups in their industry:

• Funding and oversight of globally acclaimed Wireless Research Centre, located at the NZi3 Innovation Institute, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand ^[14]
• Founding member of the DMR Association ^[15]
• Member of International Association of Public Transport^[16]
• Associate Member of the Utilities Telecom Council

Offices by location

• Asia Pacific – Brisbane, Melbourne
• Austria – Vienna
• New Zealand – Christchurch
• UK – Huntingdon
• USA – Houston

References

Further reading

The Best is Yet to Come, Tait Radio Communications, by Dave Wilson, et al, 2004

Radio Fidelity – The Story of Angus Tait and an Industry Sparked by Loyalty, by Virginia Green. ISBN 978-0476015081

External links

Official site for Tait Radio Communications

• Tait Public Safety mini-site
• Tait Utilities mini-site
• Tait Public Transport mini-site

Video

• Tait Radio Communications Corporate Video