Faster. Farther. Everywhere. This is the perfect motto for the global wireless, which led to a technological revolution that will affect all aspects of our lives, the mobility of the workforce in the health information , via electronic games.
"The personal band, which will allow us to bring our broadband access wherever we go, could revolutionize the way we communicate and do business," said Alan Solheim, Vice President,
Product Management, Inc.
at DragonWave. Ottawa."The generation that
grew up with Google,
instant messaging and
access to all sorts of
media wants to be able
to be connected anywhere
on the planet." One of the many Canadian companies at the forefront of these advances in technology, DragonWave designs, develops and markets hardware Ethernet microwave that allows a wireless high quality between WiMAX base stations and the network of Internet service provider.This link is called point-to-point terrestrial link. Founded in 2000, DragonWave has about 120 employees and recorded in the first quarter of 2007 revenues of nearly $ 20 million. Its sales outside North America, which account for about one quarter of its turnover, rising rapidly.
The WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is the latest in transmission standard for wireless broadband.This technology, which provides access to the Internet multimedia high speed, fixed wireless, a vast region requires an infrastructure less important than Wi-Fi networks today.
An
infinite space for satellites
.If the WiMAX brings wireless
communication farther,
satellites make it go around the
Earth.The satellite technology
is another growth sector where
Canadian companies stand out, we
talk about space applications or
defence, Earth observation or
broadcasting. Today, the
same satellites can provide
Internet access to remote areas
without broadband connection.
MDA is one of the heavyweights
of satellite technology.Very
diverse, the company offers a
wide range of space and
terrestrial solutions.In
particular, she designed a
Mobile Servicing System for the
International Space Station and
provides information products
and services for industries as
diverse as defense and real
estate.
MDA has a turnover of more than
one billion dollars and the
company has 3000 employees in
Canada, the United States and
the United Kingdom. "MDA is the
first non-US supplier of NASA,"
said the Director, Strategic
Affairs, Space Missions, among
MDA, Logan Duffield. (The sale
of the division of MDA Space
Missions to
an American buyer has been
announced at press time.) Almost
three quarters of the company's
revenues come from American and
foreign contracts.
MDA placing on small satellites
for communications,
applications, scientific and
industrial information."These
satellites costing a few dozen
rather than a few hundred
million dollars.They are
therefore more dables addressed
to governments, and even
businesses.A mining company, for
example, might very well have
its own satellite to make the
exploration, "says Duffield.
Mr. Duffield added that since its founding in 1969, MDA has always had to adapt to competitive pressures and the changing international markets for further growth: "Globally, the supply budget Space Agency Canadians are very modest.
"We have a workforce of quality in Canada and we are well served by our small suppliers.EDC is extraordinarily useful: it provides financial support and tells us about potential risks at home and abroad that it helps us to mitigate. "
MDA is considering bidding on projects in Russia and Ukraine by early."EDC, which is more focused on commercial risks, complements information about the countries we gain from International Trade Canada," says Duffield.
"Our biggest challenge is to protect our intellectual property.This is also an issue for the entire industry. It is very risky to export its technology abroad.And some countries, particularly the United States, impose many restrictions for safety reasons.
"In addition, more and more countries, such as Korea and Nigeria, is developing its own space program and some might become real competitors, says Duffield. We must remain at the forefront, to be flexible and to increase our investments abroad. "
The global
investment as a growth strategy
Advantech AMT, Montreal, which
specializes in solutions for
satellite communications and
wireless target commercial
markets, government and
military.Its products are useful
in many applications: Internet,
corporate networks,
broadcasting, security, cellular
networks and terrestrial links
WiMAX.
Research and development is an
important driver of the
expansion of Advantech."Almost
one-third of our employees are
dedicated to R & D, especially
in the open standards that
facilitate the exchange of data
between products to promote the
adoption of new technologies,"
says Chief Financial Officer at
Advantech, François Binette."We
participate actively in the work
of many standards bodies, both
in the field of communications
satellites than in terrestrial
wireless.
"The U.S. Department of Defense
has recently adopted open
standards for which we have an
edge in the market," says
Binette. This is the DVB-RCS on
the digital video broadcasting
for small earth stations (VSAT)
and MIL-188-165A of Advantech on
modems.
The meteoric rise of Advantech
was special in that it was
marked by major acquisitions
abroad.Founded in 1988 by David
Gelerman, Advantech has grown
slowly and then took off with
the technology bubble of 2000.
From 2001 to 2007, the number of
employees rose from 175 to 550
and its turnover has jumped from
20 to 100 million.
Advantech took advantage of the
closure of other companies to
make acquisitions."We looked at
our core competencies - the
skills and technologies on which
we could count - and what other
companies had to offer,"
continued Mr. Binette.In the
last three years we have
registered a compound annual
growth rate of 55%. "
One of the latest additions to
the firm abroad is a Swedish
company that specializes in the
transmission microwave
point-to-point, as used in
cellular networks and
terrestrial links WiMAX.The
technology is far from the
satellite data transmission, the
stronghold of Advantech, it is
complementary in the sense that
it is also a wireless
technology.
"This Swedish company, Allgon
Microwave, has developed the
first radio Ethernet suitable
for WiMAX applications, we are
now working to improve," says
Binette.We started to expand its
network in Canada in 2006 by
buying Northern Radio and
Wireless in Quebec.The company
is now our North American base
for our wireless activities.
"Both companies are part of
Allgon Microwave Group of
Advantech.
At present, 95% of revenue comes
from Advantech sales abroad,
mainly in China, the United
States, the United Kingdom and
Sweden.The firm counts among its
main customers of large
corporations such as Intelsat
and Alcatel, as well as the
broadcasting giant NBC and the
Saudi national oil Saudi Aramco,
which was commissioned last
January a network of VSAT
satellite communications.
"EDC helps companies market
intermediary like ours to grow
at the international level,"
says Binette.Thanks to it, we
were able to obtain surety bonds
and other instruments, and
increase our working capital."