Some of the most commonly used terms include buzzer, bipper, or bleepers, but there are also other names such as tags, cafeteria tags, calling tags, pizza tags, patient buzzers, food bippers, order tags, tag calls, guest call pagers, and restaurant pagers.

Both buzzers and bleepers are used internationally and typically refer to the same thing—a pager that emits a sound. They are used in various industries, such as in restaurants where they are used to call guests, in the logistics sector where they are used to call trucks to a specific ramp, and in hospitals where they are used to call patients when it is their turn.

Regardless of the name, these devices have been a useful tool for many years in various industries. In the 20th century, there were speculations about whether mobile phones would take over the function of notifying people in waiting situations.

This is certainly a valid question, but it can be said that despite technological developments, there are still many situations where a buzzer or bipper is more suitable. This is because SMS technology is not always in what’s called real-time. An SMS might not be received until minutes or, in serious cases, hours later due to network overload, etc. This does not happen with a pager, buzzer, or bipper system, as these are closed systems that only call the guests, patients, or individuals you are looking for. Imagine a restaurant buzzing a guest to pick up their food, only for the SMS message to arrive 10 minutes later—by then, the food would be cold!

Cold food may survive, but there are many places where buzzer and bipper systems are much more important. Think, for example, of firefighters, police, and industries where urgent alarms are necessary, just to name a few. Additionally, many people are reluctant to share their phone number to be buzzed through it, as they fear their number might be misused. Patients in hospitals don't always have their phones with them, nor do they want to share their number. In the restaurant industry, it can be difficult to create a queue system using only mobile phones, as there isn’t time to register a phone number, and it’s often not even possible in many systems, especially when the guest has an international number.

The same applies in the logistics industry, where buzzer and bipper pagers are used to call trucks to a ramp. If all ramps are occupied when the truck arrives at the loading or unloading ramp, the truck can drive away and wait. The driver will be notified via a buzzer/bipper when the ramp is available. This notification could be sent via SMS, but again, is that truly in real-time? And since many drivers are from abroad and only have their own private phones, they are often reluctant to share their numbers due to potential SMS costs. Additionally, drivers often take the opportunity to rest while waiting, and a buzzer or bipper is a more effective tool for waking people up.

So no, buzzers or bippers are not likely to disappear in favor of mobile phones, but in the future, we will probably see more systems that allow users to combine SMS messages with pagers and buzzers/bippers, as this offers greater flexibility.

Discover Systems has over 25 years of experience with buzzers, bippers, pagers, or whatever you prefer to call them, so let us guide you on how they can enhance your waiting situations.

Discover Systems
Magnoliavej 14
5250 Odense SV

Tlf: +45 70 22 00 56
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