Motorola Headset

[Swass]

If you saw the game last night in Green Bay you now how nasty the weather was (rain and cold). Anyway, I noticed that most of the coaches in the NFL use Motorola headsets to communicate, last night was no exception.

My question is why doesn't Motorola build an aviation headset. It's obvious that they build a product that can withstand the rain and punishment of a pissed coach slamming them to the ground repeatedly. They have the technology (just look at their phones). I think they could put a great product out there that might blow the competition away. Just a thought.

 

[jarhead]

Your question needs to be directed to someone in the marketing department at Motorola, not the people who frequent these boards. That is a business decision, and only they could tell you why they don't pursue a market they are obviously aware exists.

If you get a hold of someone there, and they give you an answer, post it here; I'd love to hear what they say.

 

[Swass]

Just curious as to what your opinions were. I already did that, we'll see if they reply.

 

[jarhead]

Ok, My opinion! The reason that Motorola does not produce an aviation headset, is because they do not have a marketing and/ or distribution network set up to do that. It could be a costly proposition to do that, and they would rather direct their efforts in the area's they command now.

I once worked for an engineering company that was heavily involved in the manufacture and selling of industrial and aviation process controls. The president, in the mid 60's, invented a pretty nifty ski boot, as he was an avid downhill skiier. It was the first "shell type", lace-less ski boot on the market. It was expensive.....twice what a conventional boot cost in those days. That was not the main problem however. The company invested millions in development, and then went to sell them. The problem.....They did not know how to market this type of product, and the retail outlet for ski boots, was thousands of little ma and pa type ski shops around the world, that had a very short selling season. The venture went bust, and they killed it, and stuck to what they knew best.....they had no sales and marketing expertise to reach the ski boot market.

Perhaps motorala has no marketing expertise in reaching the consumer of aviation products. Ever ask yourself why Dave Clarks are not sold in Best Buy or Circuit City to the audiophile market for listening to concert music? I am sure they could make such a head set, they just do not have a distribution and sales network to do that, and compete with those who do that well, and make money at it. Best to stay with what you do well. You have to not only make a product well, you also need to make money in the venture, or why go into it at all.

Just my opinion as to one reason Motorola is not making headsets for aviation.

 

[sky37d]

Was that Fafnir, or Chandler Evans?
I remember from the time I worked for them, one of those companies created something for the ski industry, and as you said, didn't know how to market it.

Oh, BTW, David Clark does sell industrial headset intercoms, and noise cancelling (passive) headsets for industry

 

[jarhead]

The boot was made by Rosemount Engineering, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The boot was known simply as the "Rosemount" boot.
Rosemount is still the number one supplier of pitot tubes for aircraft in the world.

As far as Dave Clark, I will not disupute what you state about "industrial" and passive noise cancelling intercoms. My hypothetical was to the "audiophile" market......high fidelity, steriophonic music.

Again, all that is pure speculation on my part, as the starter of this thread wanted to know what we "thought" when I suggested he contact Motorola as to why they don't do aviation headsets.

 

[sky37d]

Sudden burst of memory.
Fafnir, a bearing company that was located in New Brittain, CT, made, at one time, a binding for ski's that had high tech bearings in it. Didn't know how to market it, it dropped.
I suspect that Motorola, like lots of folks, look at the aviation market, and say, to many established players, to much start up costs, no real market.