Company profile

Rohde & Schwarz in brief

The Munich based technology group develops, produces and sells a wide range of electronic capital goods for industry and government customers with a focus on solutions that contribute to a safer and connected world.

As an independent, privately owned company, Rohde & Schwarz finances its growth from its own resources. Since the company does not have to think in terms of quarterly results, it can plan sustainably for the long term.

The company was founded more than 85 years ago by university friends Dr. Lothar Rohde and Dr. Hermann Schwarz.

Rohde & Schwarz has grouped its activities into four business fields in order to address the different markets with dedicated products.

Test and measurement: Rohde & Schwarz is a market-leading supplier in the mobile and wireless communications sector, offering a comprehensive portfolio of T&M instruments and systems for the development, production and acceptance testing of components and consumer devices as well as for setting up and monitoring mobile networks. Other important T&M markets include the automotive industry, the aerospace and defense sector, all industrial electronics segments as well as research and education.

In broadcast and media, Rohde & Schwarz addresses network operators, content providers, studios and consumer electronics manufacturers. The portfolio includes solutions for the entire transmission chain for audiovisual content – from camera output and terrestrial broadcasting to transmission via satellites and IP networks.

Aerospace | defense | security comprises specialized communications, reconnaissance and security products for armed forces, public safety and security authorities and organizations as well as for operators of critical infrastructures.

The networks and cybersecurity business field offers secure WAN, LAN and WLAN network infrastructure components and products to protect data transmission, devices and applications.

The Executive Board is composed of two members: Christian Leicher (President and CEO) and Peter Riedel (President and COO). On June 30, 2020, Rohde & Schwarz had approximately 12,300 employees, about 7700 of whom work in Germany. The group achieved a net revenue of EUR 2.58 billion in the 2019/2020 fiscal year (July to June).

Global player

Rohde & Schwarz has an extensive sales and service network and is present in more than 70 countries, primarily with its own subsidiaries. Exports account for approximately 85 percent of revenue. The company is headquartered in Munich, Germany, and has strong regional hubs in Asia and the USA.

Rohde & Schwarz is a high-tech company that thrives on innovation. To maintain its high quality standards, Rohde & Schwarz keeps almost the entire value chain within the company. The majority of products are developed in Germany. The Asian hub in Singapore also uses its comprehensive resources to develop, produce and market products for the global market. The company maintains R&D locations in the USA, Asia, Africa and several European countries.

Since its founding, Rohde & Schwarz has benefited from the close proximity of development and production. Most products are manufactured in the company's Bavarian plants in Memmingen and Teisnach as well as in the Czech town of Vimperk close to the Bavarian border. Smaller plants in Singapore and Malaysia keep production close to the company's R&D activities at its Asian headquarters.

Success factor employees

Thanks to its highly qualified and motivated employees, Rohde & Schwarz ranks among the technology leaders in all of its business fields. The company is committed to creating an ideal work environment where customer and employee ideas can be turned into creative solutions.

More than 800 training courses are offered per year, reflecting the importance that Rohde & Schwarz attaches to ongoing professional training. Another Rohde & Schwarz priority is to identify talented young employees at an early stage and prepare them for responsible specialist and management positions. Nationality, gender and organizational boundaries are unimportant, and international employee exchanges between headquarters and the various subsidiaries are very common.

The company is also committed to vocational training. Since its founding, Rohde & Schwarz has prepared thousands of young people for professional careers in Germany. Today, the company offers training in professions ranging from electronics technicians and IT specialists to industrial administrative assistants. Rohde & Schwarz trainees are regularly among the best in their year, both locally and throughout Germany. Trainees also have the opportunity to complete a combined vocational training/degree program.

Rohde & Schwarz focuses on people. The work environment is characterized by personal responsibility, mutual respect and appreciation. This outstanding corporate culture pays off. In 2019, the company received several awards, including the title of "FOCUS Top National Employer" for the eighth year in a row.

Technology and markets

T&M and monitoring solutions for the wireless market; T&M solutions for the automotive industry, A&D market, industrial electronics, research and education

In the past, wireless devices were primarily used for personal communications. Now they are conquering the world of things and connected machines, sensors and vehicles. However, the complex technology can only be mastered with the help of specialized test and measurement equipment. Rohde & Schwarz provides the necessary equipment for all phases of the value chain. Since the development of the GSM system simulator in the late 1980s, which was commissioned by the GSM consortium and paved the way for mass production of digital mobile phones, T&M equipment from the market leader has consistently set standards in the wireless communications industry. From the standardization of new processes to the development and manufacture of components, wireless devices and base stations, from the integration of new technologies into network operation to network monitoring and optimization, Rohde & Schwarz T&M equipment always plays a key role. It supports all established wireless standards and makes a decisive contribution to the introduction of 5G, connected car applications (V2X), machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and the internet of things (IoT).

The automobile is increasingly becoming a technology platform, and the complex interaction between the many different electric and electronic components has to be coordinated. Electric drives and energy storage, radars and sensors, computers and data networks, navigation devices, radio and infotainment modules coexist in the tightest of spaces. As a result, there is a rapidly growing demand for T&M equipment in the automotive industry. Rohde & Schwarz is ideally positioned to satisfy this demand with its unique portfolio of automotive solutions.

Rohde & Schwarz meets the high requirements of the aerospace and defense industry (A&D) with its high-end T&M instruments and systems for use in radar and satellite technology, avionics, navigation and military communications. Companies worldwide are developing electrically powered air taxis that will revolutionize transportation in urban areas. The Munich based T&M specialist is also participating in urban air mobility (UAM) initiatives and provides the companies with all the T&M equipment they need.

With its T&M equipment for industrial electronics, research and education, Rohde & Schwarz focuses on fundamental technologies and components at the start of the value chain. In cooperation with universities and research institutes, future solutions such as 6G, terahertz applications and quantum technologies are tested and transferred to test and measurement. Customers from a wide range of industries benefit from this. The portfolio covers all price and performance classes, ranging from basic testers for training purposes to RF test instruments for R&D labs and production facilities, millimeterwave technology for research, and completely equipped test chambers for EMC measurements.

Broadcast and media for the digital age

Like many industries, broadcast and media is under a lot of pressure to keep pace with ongoing digitalization and the shift towards internet based solutions. Rohde & Schwarz, an innovator in the field of broadcasting for more than 70 years, supports this transformation with groundbreaking solutions. Today, the entire signal processing chain, from camera output to transmission via the various broadcast channels, can be realized with Rohde & Schwarz products. The Rohde & Schwarz portfolio includes T&M equipment for the development, production and quality assurance of consumer electronics devices and infrastructure components as well as monitoring products for broadcast networks.

Following the transition from tape based workflows to file based solutions, film and TV production studios are now facing the challenge of preparing themselves for the ultra high definition HDR formats of the future. Almost all of their technical equipment has to be replaced. Rohde & Schwarz offers studios ingest and playout products, video workstations and high-performance storage solutions. R&S®CLIPSTER, for example, is the industry's leading mastering station. It is used by Hollywood studios, Netflix and other producers for film post production and conversion into distributable formats, e.g. for digital cinema.

UHD/HDR productions are not only being broadcast to viewers via the internet, but also via classic satellite and terrestrial distribution channels. Regular broadcasts can already be received via these channels in many countries – in large part thanks to encoding and transmitting equipment from Rohde & Schwarz. South Korea, host of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, was the first country to provide full UHDTV coverage for its citizens – with transmitters from Rohde & Schwarz.

Most terrestrial transmitter networks around the world have been upgraded to digital transmission technology. Transmitters from the Munich based market leader have earned the reputation of being the most advanced, energy-efficient transmitters on the market and account for a large share of countrywide installations on all continents.

The increasing convergence of digital media is opening up new applications and markets for TV broadcasting. TV transmitters can increase the coverage of 5G networks, broadcasting content such as major live events to mobile devices, thereby reducing the burden placed by video content on networks. The transmitters can also be used to distribute data to a large number of similar receiving units, such as IoT sensors. The 5G TV technology co-developed by Rohde & Schwarz is being tested worldwide and is ready for use.

Network operators can not only buy their transmitters from Rohde & Schwarz but also the T&M and monitoring products needed to install, maintain and monitor broadcast networks.

Consumer electronics manufacturers will appreciate the fact that the Rohde & Schwarz portfolio includes both the general purpose T&M instruments needed by all electronics manufacturers as well as signal generators and signal analyzers designed especially for the audio and video sector.

Network and cybersecurity solutions for business and government authorities

The digital transformation will leave virtually no area of the economy or society unaffected. In order for it to be a success, data and communications must be safeguarded. The dramatic proliferation of connected products increases the exposure to digital threats for businesses, government authorities and critical infrastructures. Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity GmbH develops and produces a full portfolio of technologically leading hardware and software products based on the security-by-design approach that prevents cyberattacks proactively instead of reactively. The portfolio focus is on highly secure encryption solutions for data transmission and data storage, data exchange in the cloud, firewalls, endpoint security products and network traffic analysis software. Solutions range from easy-to-use, all-in-one products for medium-sized businesses to scalable enterprise solutions.

The networks and cybersecurity business field offers business and government authorities more than IT security solutions. It also provides routers, switches, gateways and firewalls from LANCOM Systems GmbH for secure intersite (WAN) and local (LAN and WLAN) networking. Cloud solutions for the increasingly important field of software defined networking supplement the hardware portfolio.

With more than 600 employees at its LANCOM Systems and Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity subsidiaries, Rohde & Schwarz is one of Europe's largest providers of network and cybersecurity equipment for professional customers.

Communications and reconnaissance equipment for armed forces; security products for critical infrastructures and public safety and security authorities and organizations

Rohde & Schwarz is committed to security. For decades, the company has supplied armed forces with radiocommunications and radiomonitoring systems. Security products for the civil sector include security scanners and drone detection systems. And Rohde & Schwarz helps keep the skies safe with its ground-to-air ATC communications systems.

Communications and reconnaissance equipment for armed forces

Armed forces need their own highly secure communications equipment to succeed in their missions and safeguard national sovereignty. For decades, Rohde & Schwarz has supplied ground, air and naval forces throughout the world with state-of-the art communications and reconnaissance systems.

Software defined radios satisfy the highest security standards, enable network centric operations, and ensure interoperability between all branches of the armed forces and between allied nations. Communications is encrypted using both NATO and proprietary methods – drawing on the company's decades of experience and expertise in this field. Rohde & Schwarz radio systems protect communications in land based operations. They are installed in various types of aircraft and helicopters and integrated into naval vessels of all sizes. Rohde & Schwarz developed the joint radio system of the German armed forces (SVFuA). SVFuA is an important component in the D-LBO project, a major initiative to digitize the land based operations of the German armed forces in the next few years.

Communications intelligence contributes to de-escalation and conflict resolution. The Rohde & Schwarz portfolio includes detection, direction finding and analysis systems for all frequency ranges and platforms. Communications intelligence (COMINT) systems and radar intelligence (ELINT) systems mutually support each other.

Communications and security solutions for critical infrastructures

Rohde & Schwarz helps protect critical infrastructures with products from its various business fields.

Drones represent a security risk when they enter prohibited areas. They do more than threaten businesses' intellectual property and privacy through espionage. With their ability to carry loads up into the kilogram range, they also pose a risk to life and limb. The drone detection solution from Rohde & Schwarz uses the drone's remote control signal to enable users to detect and locate drones and take any necessary countermeasures early on.

For security checks at airports and other access protected areas, the company has developed an innovative security scanner family. Using artificial intelligence, the scanners automatically detect whether a person is carrying potentially dangerous items on their body or clothing. The scanners are in operation at numerous German and international airports. A model for the non-regulated market meets the security needs of business and public institutions.

Rohde & Schwarz ATC radio systems for cockpit-tower communications contribute to air traffic safety at more than 200 airports and flight operations centers all over the world. Their IP based system architecture allows virtual control centers to be set up, enabling air traffic controllers to manage airplanes over long distances and across borders without having to hand over to another controller. The air navigation service providers of Ireland and Iceland currently operate such a joint virtual control center on the North Atlantic route. The CERTIUM® program from Rohde & Schwarz provides ATC infrastructure operators with all the equipment they need for their communications networks, including radios, direction finders, voice communications systems, network components and software.

It is important to ensure smooth communications everywhere, not just at airports. Mobile telephony, government radiocommunications, navigation systems, IoT products and broadcasting must operate smoothly in their allocated frequency bands. To make sure that happens, Rohde & Schwarz provides telecommunications regulators with portable, mobile and stationary systems for detecting, locating and analyzing radiocommunications signals. The systems, which are often connected to nationwide networks, meet all of the requirements and recommendations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency responsible for regulating the use of the frequency spectrum.

Communications intelligence contributes to de-escalation and conflict resolution. The Rohde & Schwarz portfolio includes detection, direction finding and analysis systems for all frequency ranges and platforms. Communications intelligence (COMINT) systems and radar intelligence (ELINT) systems mutually support each other.

Communications and security solutions for critical infrastructures
Rohde & Schwarz helps protect critical infrastructures with products from its various business fields.

Drones represent a security risk when they enter prohibited areas. They do more than threaten businesses' intellectual property and privacy through espionage. With their ability to carry loads up into the kilogram range, they also pose a risk to life and limb. The drone detection solution from Rohde & Schwarz uses the drone's remote control signal to enable users to detect and locate drones and take any necessary countermeasures early on.

For security checks at airports and other access protected areas, the company has developed an innovative security scanner family. Using artificial intelligence, the scanners automatically detect whether a person is carrying potentially dangerous items on their body or clothing. The scanners are in operation at numerous German and international airports. A model for the non-regulated market meets the security needs of business and public institutions.

Rohde & Schwarz ATC radio systems for cockpit-tower communications contribute to air traffic safety at more than 200 airports and flight operations centers all over the world. Their IP based system architecture allows virtual control centers to be set up, enabling air traffic controllers to manage airplanes over long distances and across borders without having to hand over to another controller. The air navigation service providers of Ireland and Iceland currently operate such a joint virtual control center on the North Atlantic route. The CERTIUM® program from Rohde & Schwarz provides ATC infrastructure operators with all the equipment they need for their communications networks, including radios, direction finders, voice communications systems, network components and software.

It is important to ensure smooth communications everywhere, not just at airports. Mobile telephony, government radiocommunications, navigation systems, IoT products and broadcasting must operate smoothly in their allocated frequency bands. To make sure that happens, Rohde & Schwarz provides telecommunications regulators with portable, mobile and stationary systems for detecting, locating and analyzing radiocommunications signals. The systems, which are often connected to nationwide networks, meet all of the requirements and recommendations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency responsible for regulating the use of the frequency spectrum.

Services

Longevity is a fundamental quality feature of Rohde & Schwarz products. However, the high pace of innovation in modern communications technology means that products have to be regularly adapted to new technological developments. Rohde & Schwarz supports customers by offering comprehensive services throughout all phases of the product lifecycle.

A global service network with local contacts ensures short response times. The service portfolio includes standardized products, such as calibration and repair services, and individual service concepts tailored to customer requirements. A free 24/7 hotline provides support for all of the company's products.

Industry is making great efforts to prepare for the fundamental changes that accompany progressive digitalization. Service, too, has to keep pace with these changes. Rohde & Schwarz considers this challenge an opportunity to use its expertise to develop innovative service products. The company's remote service solution, which enables remote maintenance of products via encrypted internet channels, is unique in the industry.

Rohde & Schwarz regional service centers, production plants and specialized subsidiaries provide a wide range of additional services, including support for special applications, training, manufacturing to order, and the integration, installation, lifecycle planning and commissioning of systems.