JVCKENWOOD recently announced it has entered into a share transfer agreement to acquire 100% of California-based San Luis Aviation, Inc., doing business as ESChat, by March 2026.

The acquisition will make ESChat a wholly owned subsidiary, strengthening JVCKENWOOD's position in the North American public safety communications market and expanding its broadband Push-to-Talk (PTT) offerings.

ESChat provides secure broadband PTT services over 4G, 5G, satellite, and Wi-Fi networks, enabling reliable one-to-one and group communications across smartphones, tablets, PCs, and IoT devices. The platform integrates with existing Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems, including P25 and DMR, and supports multimedia messaging, GPS location tracking, and cross-network interoperability.

ESChat's customer base includes U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies, with more than 700,000 users worldwide.

FedRAMP Approval Paves the Way for JVCKENWOOD–ESChat Integration

In August 2025, according to a company release, ESChat became the only broadband PTT service to receive FedRAMP "Authorized" status at the Moderate Impact Level, a U.S. government cybersecurity certification allowing federal agencies to use the company's cloud-based platform.

The acquisition builds on years of collaboration between JVCKENWOOD and ESChat, allowing the companies to deliver integrated mission-critical and hybrid communication systems for public safety, school transportation, and utilities customers.

"ESChat and JVCKENWOOD have long shared a strong business relationship," said Josh Lober, President and CEO of ESChat. "Together, we have partnered to create effective communication solutions. Separately, our companies have developed highly synergistic products and services, thus making the decision for ESChat to join the JVCKENWOOD family an easy one."

Shoichiro Eguchi, Representative Director of the Board, President and CEO, JVCKENWOOD Corporation, added that the acquisition "represents one of the key initiatives to further accelerate our Communications Systems Business, a core driver of the company's growth."

The deal, pending regulatory review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), aligns with JVCKENWOOD's Vision 2025 plan, which aims to grow its safety and security sector and achieve almost $800 million in revenue by 2030.