A push-to-talk system that puts phones, PCs and the dispatch screen on the same channel
TalkAge PTT lets teams talk like on a two-way radio over mobile data or Wi-Fi. From a browser, dispatchers see the team on a map, talk, send messages and follow emergency alerts. The system is installed on your organization's own server.
Group push-to-talkOne person talks on a channel at a time. By default a transmission lasts at most 60 seconds, then the channel frees up automatically.
One-to-one callsTalk to one person without leaving your channel. On Android, calls ring through even when the app is closed.
All-channel announcementThe dispatcher talks to every channel at once.
Group regroupThe dispatcher moves selected users (up to 500 at a time) to a shared channel.
Replay last transmissionOn Android, the last message you missed plays again.
Bluetooth PTT and hardware keysBluetooth PTT buttons, plus the PTT, channel and SOS keys on rugged devices.
Location and field tracking
Live mapEach person's last reported location, online status and channel.
Route historyReplay a person's route up to 7 days back on the map.
Zone alertsCircular zones (radius 25 m to 500 km) with alerts on entry, exit or both.
NFC patrol checksWhen an NFC tag stuck on a checkpoint is tapped with a phone, the person and time are logged. Requires an Android phone with NFC.
PrivacyLocation tracking can be turned off for the whole organization or per person.
Messaging
Direct and channel messagesDelivered and read receipts, a typing indicator, and search across messages.
Files and photosImages, PDFs, Office documents and audio files up to 10 MB.
Recording and reporting
Call recordingEnabled per organization and per channel. Recordings are played back in the dispatch console.
Speech-to-textRecordings are transcribed automatically on your server and become searchable. Accuracy depends on audio quality and background noise; transcripts are not a substitute for legal records.
ReportsCall counts and talk time by person, channel and day, and an activity table by day of week and hour.
Shift handover summaryDispatchers see a summary of their shift when they sign out.
Device management
Battery and signal alertsDispatch is notified when a device's battery runs low or its signal weakens.
Remote restartThe app can be restarted remotely. Restarting the phone itself requires the device to be set up in enterprise management (Device Owner) mode.
App updatesNew versions are published from the panel and can be made mandatory. Devices in enterprise management mode update without prompting.
Organization management
Sub-organizationsBranches, regions or subcontractors get their own sub-organization; the parent organization's administrator manages them all.
RolesField staff sign in only to the app, dispatchers to the console, administrators to the panel.
Plan changesFeatures are switched on or off per organization, with a change history.
Emergency
From SOS to alert close-out
Emergency features work with the Android app. For an alert to reach dispatch, the phone must be connected to the internet at that moment.
AlarmThe worker presses SOS, or the phone detects a fall or a long period without movement. Fall detection first shows a short countdown that can be cancelled. Detection relies on the phone's sensors; it cannot be guaranteed to catch every fall.
NotificationA red alert banner with the location opens in the dispatch console. If you want, the alert is also forwarded to your own monitoring system.
Priority channelOn an emergency-type channel, a new speaker cuts in over the current transmission.
Ambient listeningWhile an alert is open (for at most 24 hours), the dispatcher can switch on the device's microphone remotely. The device shows a persistent notification while this is active. Under data protection rules, you must inform your staff before using this feature.
Close-outWho acknowledged the alert, and when, is recorded.
Plans
Plans
There are three ready-made plans. You can also pick features one by one and we will build a plan for your organization. Pricing is quoted separately based on the number of users.
FieldCore radio
ProRecording and messaging
CriticalSecurity and emergency
CustomYour choice
Core
Group PTT, one-to-one calls, announcements
✓
✓
✓
✓
Live map
✓
✓
✓
optional
Call history and reports
✓
✓
✓
optional
SOS and man-down alerts
✓
✓
✓
✓
Add-ons
Call recording
–
✓
✓
optional
Messaging and file sharing
–
✓
✓
optional
Route history
–
✓
✓
optional
Speech-to-text
–
–
✓
optional
Ambient listening
–
–
✓
optional
Capacity
Dispatcher seats
2
10
50
optional
Included in every plan: zone alerts, NFC patrol, battery and signal alerts, remote device management, sub-organizations, event notifications (webhooks) and enterprise single sign-on (SSO). The license term is 12 months by default. Recording and speech-to-text use extra disk and CPU on the server, and the server is sized accordingly.
Requirements
What you need for installation
TalkAge runs on your organization's own server. We do the installation, but the items below need to be ready on your side.
Server
Windows Server (physical or virtual)
SQL Server and Redis (configured together during installation)
Extra disk space for the audio archive if recording is used
We will give you CPU, memory and disk figures separately, based on your user count and the features you enable.
Network
A domain name pointing to the server and a valid TLS certificate
Two ports opened to the outside on your firewall so phones in the field can connect (web/API and the radio connection)
Mobile data or Wi-Fi coverage in the field
Coverage depends on internet connectivity. Where there is no internet (basements, tunnels, rural areas), there is no talk either.
Devices
A phone with Android 8.0 or later; an NFC-capable model for NFC patrol
A Windows 10/11 PC for the Windows app
A current version of Chrome or Edge for dispatchers
iPhone and iPad are not supported at this time
Data usage
Voice is encoded with Opus at 16 kbit/s
Including network overhead, an hour of continuous talking or listening is estimated at 10–20 MB
On standby only location and status updates are sent, so usage is low
Data usage figures are estimates; actual values vary with network conditions and how often location is reported.
Getting started
How we usually proceed
Timelines depend on the size of your organization and your IT team's availability.
Discovery call
1 meeting
We go over your teams, channel structure, the devices you use and your coverage problems.
Pilot
about 2 weeks
We try it in the field with one team or shift, and measure connection quality together, especially in difficult spots.
Installation and training
a few days
Server setup, user and channel definitions, NFC tags; training for dispatchers and administrators.
Go-live
gradual
We move teams over one at a time. We recommend keeping your current radios as a backup for a while during the transition.
Security and data
Security
Calls, recordings and transcription stay on your own server and are not sent to a third-party cloud. Backups and physical security of the server are part of your infrastructure.
Access
All clients connect to the server encrypted with TLS
Two-factor authentication for administrators, with an authenticator app
Single sign-on through an OIDC-compatible enterprise identity provider
Failed sign-in attempts are rate-limited
Session data stored on devices is encrypted
Data
Organizations and channels are isolated from each other; you cannot listen to a channel you are not a member of
Message attachments can be encrypted on the server with AES-256
Call recordings are stored unencrypted on the server disk; disk encryption is recommended
There is no end-to-end encryption: transcription and search require the server to process the audio
License, feature and alert acknowledgement changes are kept with who and when
Frequently asked questions
FAQ
Can it talk to our existing radios?
No, no radio model can connect to the system today. A client for the TYT IP-398 IP radio is in development, and a bridge to analog and DMR radios is on our roadmap. If you need this, tell us which radios you use.
What happens if the internet goes down?
Without internet there is no talk; it does not work device-to-device like a radio. When the connection comes back, the app reconnects on its own, and it also starts automatically after the phone restarts.
Can we use it as a cloud (SaaS) service?
The standard installation is on your own server. If you need hosting, let's talk about it separately.
Can staff use their personal phones?
Technically yes; Android 8.0 or later is enough. However, device management features such as remote restart and silent updates only work on devices the organization sets up from scratch. Staff must be informed about location tracking and ambient listening.
How many users can it handle?
We ran an error-free load test with 5,000 concurrent users on a single server; at that load, permission to talk was granted in under 0.2 seconds. For larger installations we plan the architecture together.
Do calls come through when the app is closed?
The app is designed to keep running in the background; calls come through even if it is swiped away. Aggressive battery-saving settings from some manufacturers can stop background apps; we adjust these settings together during setup.
Does it work with Android Auto?
PTT support for the car screen is ready, but Google requires the app to be distributed through the Play Store. Until the Play Store release is done, this feature cannot be used.
Roadmap
Not available yet
The items below are not in the product today. We cannot give dates; if you need one, tell us so we can prioritize it.
TYT IP-398 IP radio support (in development)iPhone / iPad appVideo callsAnalog / DMR radio bridgeAPI keys for integrationsPolygon zonesSelf-service password reset
Let's try it in the field
Let's set up a pilot with one of your teams and test the connection together in your most difficult spots.