At CEATEC 2025, JVCKENWOOD presented its professional radio product lineup, including an IP radio technology that reflects a longer-term vision for IP-based radio equipment. One device, a new IP wireless radio designed to work with Science Arts’ Buddycom application, was shown as a non-commercial mockup with a working software demo. The other was the VP8000, an award-winning public safety radio already in active service.
While the VP8000 is a mature, mission-critical radio platform, the IP-based radio demonstrates how moving communications to data networks enables additional software-driven features, such as recording, transcription, and cross-device connectivity. Those features are difficult to implement in conventional radio systems, but could gradually influence how public safety and other professional radio services evolve.
JVCKENWOOD IP Radio Powered by the Buddycom App
What It Is and What JVCKENWOOD Is Exploring
The IP radio device shown at the JVCKENWOOD booth was explicitly labeled as a reference exhibit, and no commercial timeline was disclosed. Its purpose is to act as a dedicated hardware endpoint for Buddycom, an IP-based professional communications platform developed by Science Arts.
Although the IP-based radio was shown as a mockup, JVCKENWOOD demonstrated the associated software capabilities on a tablet, providing a concrete view of how the software features would function in practice.
The IP radio concept also reflects JVCKENWOOD’s approach of pairing its established expertise in rugged radio hardware with software developed by Science Arts, following a capital and business alliance announced in 2024.
Unlike conventional professional radios, which rely on licensed spectrum and dedicated radio infrastructure, this device is built around IP communication. In practice, voice traffic is carried over data networks, much like push-to-talk services over managed IP connections. This shifts some of the system complexity away from radio infrastructure and toward software and networking.
Buddycom’s Software-Led Approach
Buddycom is primarily a software platform, typically deployed as a smartphone application. According to the company, it is already used in Japan in sectors such as logistics, aviation, and large-scale operations. The appeal is not just basic voice communication, but what software can add on top of it.
At the application level, Buddycom supports call recording, real-time transcription, and multilingual translation. These features are positioned as tools for operational clarity rather than convenience. Transcription can help with post-incident review or training, while translation addresses coordination challenges in multilingual teams. As with most cloud-linked features, their effectiveness depends on network quality and backend processing rather than raw device performance.
Because Buddycom is IP-based, distance is less of a limiting factor than it is with traditional radios. With network connectivity available, communication can extend across sites, cities, or countries. That flexibility is one of the platform’s main differentiators.
Why Dedicated Hardware Still Matters
Although Buddycom already runs on smartphones, the mockup shown in Tokyo underscores JVCKENWOOD’s view of the value of dedicated hardware. In many professional environments, smartphones are not ideal. They can be fragile, distracting, or difficult to operate reliably with gloves or in noisy conditions.
The IP radio mockup points toward a more controlled device experience. Physical buttons, predictable behavior, and a form factor designed for work rather than general use can still matter in places like airports, factories, or event operations. In this setup, Science Arts focuses on the software and service layers, while JVCKENWOOD leverages its experience building durable, purpose-built communication hardware.
Calls can move between radios and smartphones, allowing mixed deployments. That flexibility suggests JVCKENWOOD is not trying to replace existing workflows outright, but rather to expand them.
Some Buddycom features available on smartphones are not yet implemented on the radio hardware shown at CEATEC, and no commercial timeline has been disclosed.
JVCKENWOOD is testing how IP-based communication, combined with software-driven features like transcription and translation, could fit into professional environments that have traditionally relied on radio-first systems.
VP8000: An Award-Winning Public Safety Radio
Displayed alongside the IP radio product was the VP8000, a product from EFJohnson’s Kenwood Viking Portable Radio series. EFJohnson is a subsidiary company of JVCKENWOOD.
The VP8000 (Viking Portable 8000) is a multiband digital portable radio designed for public safety agencies, particularly in North America. Its ability to operate across multiple frequency bands and protocols is central to its role in environments where interoperability between agencies is critical.
Design Focused on Real-World Use and Extreme Conditions
The VP8000 has received international recognition, including an iF Design Award in 2022 and a 2023 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) finalist. In this category, design recognition is less about aesthetics and more about usability under pressure.
The radio’s large physical controls, high-contrast display, and straightforward layout are all intended to reduce friction in stressful situations.
The VP8000’s design incorporates anti-slip shaping, a flared upper profile for secure handling, a high-visibility display that remains readable in low-light or smoke-filled environments, and carefully positioned controls, including an easily accessible emergency button, to ensure reliable operation in wet, dark, or high-stress conditions. These design choices enable glove-compatible operation and minimal visual distraction, both essential for first responders working in low-visibility or high-noise environments.
Durability is equally important. The VP8000 is built to withstand heat, moisture, and impact, common conditions in public safety equipment, which is a key reason such devices remain in service for many years. At CEATEC, the radio was displayed at the booth submerged in ice water for extended periods.
Performance Built Around Reliability
From a performance standpoint, the VP8000 prioritizes predictable behavior and audio clarity over experimental features. Fast access to critical functions and consistent operation matter more here than adding new layers of complexity.
This focus helps explain why the VP8000 continues to be showcased years after its introduction. In public safety contexts, proven reliability often outweighs novelty. Agencies tend to favor equipment that has already earned trust in the field.
Conclusion
At CEATEC 2025, the Buddycom-powered IP radio device and the VP8000 showcased different stages of JVCKENWOOD’s professional and public safety radio portfolio. This demonstrated how IP-based radio could extend the functionality of rugged public safety radios in certain use cases.
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