The economic environment in the electronics group's key markets was more challenging this year when compared to previous years. In spite of restrained economic conditions Rohde & Schwarz showed strong and stable results in 2013/2014 (July to June). The volume of incoming orders stabilized at approximately EUR 1.8 billion over the past fiscal year (July 2013 to June 2014). The net revenue of EUR 1.75 billion was on target. At the end of the fiscal year, the company had some 9800 employees, as compared with 9300 a year earlier.
They were able to successfully defended their market position in all of its business fields, mainly as a result of its technologically leading product range and a stable situation in the core European markets. In Latin America, the group actually achieved a significant increase in incoming orders. The USA and Asia remain the most important growth markets for the family-owned company headquartered in Munich.
The business of Rohde & Schwarz is based on four pillars: test and measurement, broadcasting, secure communications, radiomonitoring and radiolocation. In the test and measurement business field, the group was able to defend its market share in the past fiscal year. The main source of revenue was again wireless communications T&M equipment. After several years of booming business, demand in this market has normalized. However, an expanded product portfolio enabled the company to again achieve positive results in its business with mobile network operators. Together with subsidiaries ipoque and SwissQual, Rohde & Schwarz offers T&M solutions for the entire lifecycle of a wireless network from a single source. This is unparalleled in the market. The company also posted gains in the wide-base market with its general purpose T&M equipment grouped under the "Value Instruments" label. This offering rounds out the Rohde & Schwarz product portfolio in the lower price segment.
In the broadcasting business field, Rohde & Schwarz does not simply rely on its established customer segments in transmitters and test and measurement equipment. The company has been consistently expanding its expertise as a provider of broadcasting and media technology along the entire value chain. For example, Rohde & Schwarz already offers solutions for the complete transmission path of the high-resolution 4K video format, from ingest, post production and A/V headends to transmission. The company has won important reference projects in this area, such as the Rohde & Schwarz 4K end-to-end system chosen by Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) in South Korea.
The secure communications business field felt the effects of geopolitical developments and the fiscal restraint in many countries. Nevertheless, the company is well-positioned for the future due to its strong expertise in key technologies and decisive investments in innovative products. The new generation of software defined radios ensures high data rate anti-jam communications within the framework of network centric operations. In air traffic control, Rohde & Schwarz is the first provider to offer virtual control centers operating across national boundaries, backed by a fully IP-based voice communications system. Important reference projects secured in this area have sent out positive signals. The radiomonitoring and radiolocation business field also had a successful year and maintained the high level of incoming orders reported in the previous year.
To further ensure future success, Rohde & Schwarz is intensifying its investments in the cyber security market. The new subsidiary gateprotect, acquired in July, will enhance the electronics group's expertise in network security. Rohde & Schwarz also plans to strengthen its position in cyber security in the B2B segment.
