Eric Buer has recently taken on the role of senior Director of Sales and Business Development for the Global Public Safety division at LiveU. Unmanned Systems Technology engaged with eric to explore his extensive career and his vision for enhancing support for public safety clients.
Eric, your career spans 25 years as a senior military officer and pilot, followed by nearly a decade in government sales related to aviation and technology, and now your role at LiveU. How has your military experience influenced your understanding of the technological requirements of public safety clients?
My time in the military instilled in me the understanding that when lives are at stake, technology must prioritize reliability, ease of use, and mission effectiveness over mere features.
as a pilot and senior officer, I recognized that the most effective technology is the one that performs flawlessly when all else fails. This viewpoint is vital in public safety contexts. Our clients cannot afford to “try again later”—whether in a SWAT operation, disaster response, or border security, they require dependable real-time situational awareness. My military background enables me to convert intricate technical capabilities into operational benefits that public safety leaders can readily grasp.
Based on your military pilot and officer experience, what key dialogue and situational awareness challenges do you observe, and how can they be addressed in today’s tactical operations?
In military missions, the distinction between success and failure frequently enough hinges on having timely access to the right details. Conventional communication systems can be disrupted, jammed, or simply unavailable in remote or crowded areas. LiveU’s IP-video bonding technology mitigates this issue by combining multiple cellular,satellite,and wireless connections into a single,robust transmission pathway. For military personnel, this means they can relay live video from drones, body-worn cameras, or vehicle-mounted systems back to command centers, even in the most challenging conditions. Our LU-REQON1 field unit, as an exmaple, integrates effortlessly with UAV systems to deliver the essential Common Operating Picture (COP) that commanders need for informed decision-making in real-time.
What technological deficiencies have you identified that first responders and emergency management teams encounter during critical incidents?
The most significant deficiency I observe is the lack of real-time visual intelligence sharing across different agencies and command levels during emergencies. Fire departments, police, EMS, and emergency management frequently enough utilize disparate systems that fail to communicate with one another. LiveU’s technology dismantles these barriers by offering a unified platform for live video transmission that operates independently of the underlying infrastructure. Whether it’s streaming from a fire chief’s helmet camera to the incident command center or sharing drone footage from a disaster zone with FEMA headquarters, our solutions guarantee that all parties have access to the same real-time information, facilitating more effective responses.
Can you provide specific examples where LiveU’s live video transmission capabilities are significantly enhancing public safety operations?
While I can share general scenarios that highlight our impact, we are collaborating with federal and local agencies that utilize our technology to stream live video from patrol vehicles and drones across expansive, remote areas where traditional communication infrastructure is lacking. This provides commanders with real-time visibility into situations unfolding over vast coverage areas. Additionally, we support urban SWAT teams that require streaming of tactical operations from vehicles and robotic systems back to command centers and incident commanders. In disaster response scenarios, our technology has empowered emergency management teams to evaluate damage and coordinate resources by streaming live video from helicopters and ground teams directly to state and federal emergency operations centers, significantly enhancing response coordination.
What strategies are you implementing to expand support and ensure long-term success for your growing customer base?
Growth without adequate support can lead to customer dissatisfaction. Our strategy is built on three foundational pillars: proactive customer success, scalable training initiatives, and strategic partnerships. We are rolling out customer success management programs to ensure that each client maximizes their investment in our technology, which includes regular check-ins, performance optimization, and upgrade planning. Additionally, we are developing complete training programs, both in-person and virtual, that can scale as we expand. we are forging strategic partnerships with systems integrators and resellers who can offer local support and expertise.Our aim is to guarantee that every customer, irrespective of size or location, has access to the necessary support to succeed with our technology.
With your passion for technology and operational experience, how are you collaborating with product teams to ensure future innovations meet the evolving needs of public safety clients?
Customer feedback is the driving force behind our innovation strategy. We have established regular forums where our public safety clients can provide direct insights to our engineering teams regarding their changing needs. We are witnessing a growing demand for AI integration, enhanced security features, and reduced latency in transmission.
We work closely with our product management team to convert operational requirements into technical specifications. As a notable example, based on customer feedback, we are enhancing our cybersecurity features and developing new, more ruggedized form factors for extreme environments. We are also investing in integration capabilities that allow our technology to function seamlessly within the broader ecosystem of public safety technologies.
Looking forward, what is your vision for transforming the demands for real-time video and information for those who protect and serve our communities?
Our vision is to create a future where every public safety professional has access to reliable, real-time video communications, regardless of their location or the challenges they encounter. I envision LiveU technology becoming the backbone of integrated public safety communications, linking everything from individual officer body cameras to major incident command centers. We aim to eliminate the communication gaps that currently exist between agencies, jurisdictions, and command levels. Ultimately, we foresee a world where public safety professionals can focus entirely on their mission, confident in their communication systems. When a police officer, firefighter, or emergency responder can instantly share their perspective with those who need it, we all benefit from enhanced safety.
Thank you for your time, Eric. We appreciate the chance to discuss LiveU and look forward to covering your advancements in UAV live video broadcasting and streaming solutions.
