Foreword

AS EVERY good business leader knows, communication is one of their most vital tools. In the military world it’s increasingly being seen as a key weapon for the future of modern warfare. Their search for an effective tactical communication system has been long and not without its setbacks. The trouble has not been the available technological innovation, but taking it all and making it workable for the battlefi eld.

In our opening article, Mikael Westerlund, CTO of Savox Communications, outlines the key factors which will determine how effective communications can be, including battle resilience, connectivity and size. New products such as their IMP tactical communications system are radically changing the way armies operate. We then look more closely at just how important this new technology can be. History is strewn with stories of military disasters caused by poor communications. Today, more than ever before, the technology is available to spur dramatic improvements in tactical communications capabilities. Even so, there remains

a gap between what we can do in day to day life with our smartphones and how the military works. Closing this gap is a key focus of the modern military.

Jo Roth will then look into the long, winding and sometimes tortuous road the military has taken in upgrading their communications. Past failures lead to caution among procurement divisions. However, new thinking is helping to produce a new generation of intercom systems ideal for the 21st century.

James Butler then looks more closely at the latest economic and technological trends informing the development of the next generation of C4i enabling telecom systems, before we take a look into the future. The military is pinning its hopes on creative thinking and the delivery of fast smartphone technology to create an effi cient, secure communications network for the future. This, it hopes, will improve operational effi ciency and, more importantly, save lives.

Tom Cropper Editor

Tom Cropper has produced articles and reports on various aspects of global business over the past 15 years. He has also worked as a copywriter for some of the largest corporations in the world, including ING, KPMG and the World Wildlife Fund.