Rohde & Schwarz has successfully closed its 2018/2019 fiscal year, achieving new highs in terms of both revenue and incoming orders. The consistent focus on connectivity and security, and the substantial investments made in recent years, have paid off. The group expects the positive business trend to continue despite cautious macroeconomic forecasts.
The independent technology group Rohde & Schwarz closed its 2018/2019 fiscal year (July to June) with strong results. At EUR 2.14 billion, revenue was 4.9 percent higher than in the previous year, while incoming orders rose by 10.6 percent to EUR 2.45 billion. The number of employees worldwide climbed from 11,500 to around 12,100 by June 30, 2019.
In mobile communications, the commercial introduction of 5G has begun. Rohde & Schwarz was able to take advantage of the necessary infrastructure investments and did very well with its test and measurement solutions, especially with its products for base station testing. For testing 5G devices, the company launched a new generation of testers and over-the-air test chambers that are attracting a lot of interest from manufacturers. The upgrading of mobile networks is also fueling a significant increase in the demand for solutions that measure network quality. Rohde & Schwarz is meeting this demand with a comprehensive product portfolio for all phases in the lifecycle of a mobile network.
The test and measurement business also profited from the automotive industry, whose substantial R&D expenditures for driver assistance systems and autonomous driving are boosting the demand for test and measurement solutions. Rohde & Schwarz offers a broad portfolio of T&M solutions for V2X, radar, eCall, connectivity and automotive buses, for example a unique tester for radar sensors.
In broadcast studios, the technical modifications required to support ultra high definition HDR formats are well underway. Rohde & Schwarz is supporting this process with state-of-the-art products for ingest, post production and playout. Rohde & Schwarz strengthened its position in this area by acquiring the British company Pixel Power in 2019.
The security scanner segment has developed beyond expectations. Numerous airports on three continents have now installed Rohde & Schwarz scanners. In the near future, the group will be rolling out another model for non-aviation scenarios where large crowds need to be scanned. A number of incidents involving drones near airports made headlines around the world last year, again underscoring the vulnerability of critical infrastructures. With its drone detection system, Rohde & Schwarz offers a field-proven solution that locates drones and their pilots. Given the rising demand for the system and the market forecasts for anti-drone systems, the company expects the positive business trend to continue.
The wholly-owned Rohde & Schwarz subsidiary LANCOM Systems, Europe’s leading manufacturer of network infrastructure solutions for business and the public sector, reported continued solid growth in the past fiscal year. Numerous large retail chains and other major companies with many branches use LANCOM technology to operate their networks. LANCOM assumed responsibility for the firewall business of Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity in the middle of the year and is now a single-source provider of comprehensive network technology solutions, including cybersecurity components.
Armed forces worldwide are forging ahead with digitalization. With its advanced communications solutions, Rohde & Schwarz has established a strong position as a technology partner. To date, the company has supplied 8000 airborne radios. More than 40 naval forces use Rohde & Schwarz communications equipment. Rohde & Schwarz was able to secure further strategically important major orders in the naval communications segment, largely thanks to the company’s positioning as an overall system integrator. The latest generation of Rohde & Schwarz software defined radios enables customers to develop their own communications and encryption methods. The new SOVERON product brand emphasizes this independence, an aspect that is very important to customers. SOVERON technology is being deployed in the “infantryman of the future” project, which will be one of Germany’s contributions to the NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF).
