Ericsson inked an agreement to acquire mission-critical push-to-talk (MC-PTT) systems provider Genaker, highlighting the deal as a building block to a fresh focus by the vendor on the sector along with private networks.

In a statement, Ericsson said it is bolstering its MC-PTT arm, with the sector “going through a significant technology shift” as demand for access to images and videos strains legacy voice-oriented PTT infrastructure.

Monica Zethzon, Ericsson head of solution area Communication Services said: “We have worked with Genaker as a partner in Mission Critical Applications for many years and we are now taking this step to further strengthen our end-to-end offering.”

Ericsson explained mission critical communications around public safety have relied on legacy private land mobile radio networks to deliver basic PTT communication, but argued modern mobile infrastructure is the best way to expand the capabilities beyond these simple walkie-talkie type services.

The vendor will acquire 100 per cent of Spain-based Genaker’s shares, with all 30 of the company’s staff to be retained. It also pledged to invest in Genaker MC-PTT applications and clients.