Continued Success For Rohde & Schwarz

Rohde & Schwarz has announced that it has closed its fiscal year with a stable net revenue, as well as a record-breaking order intake.

In a statement, the company said that as a result of its "wireless communications and security expertise", it had successfully entered "important future markets".

In the 2016/2017 fiscal year (July to June), Rohde & Schwarz surpassed the €2 billion mark for incoming orders. At €2.06bn, order intake was 14% higher than the previous year, while net revenue remained stable at €1.91bn. In addition, the workforce continued to grow from 10,000 in the previous year to around 10,500 as of June 30, 2017. All business fields contributed to the success of the fiscal year, the company commented, adding that growth was "primarily the result of the digital transformation and the progressive networking of many areas of professional and daily life."

Test and measurement benefits from 5G and networked cars
With its T&M solutions for wireless applications, Rohde & Schwarz has an active role in the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and fifth generation mobile communications (5G). In the most recent fiscal year, the business benefitted from increasing investments in 5G research and development. Rohde & Schwarz performed particularly well in the automotive market; cars are steadily becoming technology platforms in which various electrical and electronic components have to interact in extremely tight spaces. Wireless technologies such as automotive radar and connected car applications are also making their way into cars, all of which increases T&M requirements. With its solutions, Rohde & Schwarz has succeeded in establishing itself in the automotive industry and is also developing a completely portfolio of automotive radar test solutions.

Major orders and expansion in secure communications
With regards to secure communications, in June 2017 Rohde & Schwarz received an order from the German Federal Ministry of Defense to equip 50 command vehicles with the joint radio system of the German armed forces (SVFuA). SVFuA is the first pillar of the mobile tactical communications (MoTaKo) program for digitizing tactical communications within the German armed forces.

Additionally, Rohde & Schwarz has expanded this business field by acquiring a stake in LANCOM Systems GmbH. As a Germany company, LANCOM Systems also offers products certified by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). These products are used to secure highly sensitive networks and critical infrastructures.

In civilian air traffic control, the migration to IP-based communications is progressing. Early on, Rohde & Schwarz integrated voice over IP (VoIP) into its communications systems. In this past fiscal year, the company won an order from the UK air traffic control authority NATS for its fully IP-based voice communications system.

Body scanners in operation around the world
Rohde & Schwarz body scanners are also helping to ensure air traffic safety. The rollout of the scanners at German and international airports continues. Today, they are used for security checks at airports in Budapest, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Lyon and Munich to name a few.

Greater involvement in cyber security and cyber defense
Rohde & Schwarz has successfully expanded its portfolio of cyber security and cyber defense solutions to combat the growing threats posed by cyber criminals. Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity has become a major German player in the field of IT security. With the acquisition of web security specialist DenyAll in January 2017, Rohde & Schwarz expanded both its portfolio and its presence in the European market.

DVB-T2 and cloud solutions drive broadcast and media
In March 2017, in just one night, digital terrestrial television (DVB-T) in Germany was successfully transitioned to the new DVB-T2 standard. Rohde & Schwarz was a part of the transition, providing high-power and medium-power transmitters plus encoding and multiplexing solutions. This equipment has since helped to ensure that thousands of households can receive HD programs via antenna.

Rohde & Schwarz has also continued to develop its file-based media solutions portfolio. The company offers some of its products as cloud-based solutions, which not only meets the changing market requirements but also opens up new business modes.

Concluding its statement, the company said that it is "well positioned for the future in all its markets."

www.rohde-schwarz.com

(JP)