About EMS

Founded in 1968, EMS Technologies (NASDAQ: ELMG) is a leading innovator in the design and manufacture of wireless, satellite and defense solutions, and focuses its unique range of advanced technologies on the needs of broadband and mobile information users.

Defense Electronics

Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman rely on EMS to provide critical components for radar, secure communications and electronic warfare systems. Our Defense & Space Systems' products are meeting the Pentagon's strengthened emphasis on defense electronics.

SATCOM

EMS SATCOM's satellite-based broadband communication systems enable worldwide high-speed Internet, voice and video capabilities on aircraft, vehicles and vessels. A pioneer in satellite technology, the company provides off-the-shelf communications systems for defense, commercial and corporate aviation, Search and Rescue, and tracking and messaging applications.

Industrial Mobile Computing Solutions For Logistics

LXE Inc. develops rugged mobile handheld, wearable, voice-enabled and vehicle-mounted computers; mobile RFID technologies; and wireless networking products that improve performance of supply chain execution applications.

History

EMS Technologies was founded in 1968 in Atlanta by technology visionary Dr. John E. Pippin (1928 – 2007), former vice president of Research at Scientific-Atlanta. The Company was one of the first firms to move into Gwinnett’s Technology Park. From its earliest days, EMS focused on developing technologies for advanced wireless communications. Staffed by eight employees at its founding, EMS (then called Electromagnetic Sciences) was noted for its technical expertise and entrepreneurial spirit.

“We were an entrepreneurial company from day one,” recalled Pippin in an EMS videotape marking the company’s 30th anniversary. “The main reason we were successful was our people.”

In the early 1970s, EMS pioneered the use of ferrite technology in space applications. As its technology base grew, EMS became an important supplier to the U.S. Defense Department, especially in space communications. A major milestone came in 1976 when EMS built the beam-forming network for the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) satellite. This network provided the electrical steering for the DSCS satellite – the first electronically steerable antenna flown in space. The system ensured secure communication transmissions among U.S. military and country leaders.

EMS was where companies came when they had ‘impossible’ microwave problems to solve. Beginning in the early 1980s, EMS applied its wireless expertise to the world of standard commercial products. In 1983, EMS subsidiary LXE Inc. went public as the first company to use wireless data products in logistics handling, and as such, was the first to take wireless data collection into the warehouse. EMS’s wireless logistics computing business offered wireless data communications solutions for materials handling and other logistics applications, and these wireless products quickly became a major revenue source.

In 1993, EMS acquired Ottawa-based CAL Corporation, now the core of its SATCOM division. The division’s market-leading aeronautical antennas for high-speed, satellite-based data communications continue to set the industry standard in the avionics market. EMS’s businesses – Defense and Space Systems (D&SS), SATCOM and LXE – are recognized for their innovative technology leadership as seen by these noteworthy milestones:

From Milstar in 1992 to Advanced EHF almost a decade later, D&SS is the undisputed leader in space-qualified anti-jam technology. Its anti-jam Beam Forming Networks are now deployed on all major U.S. military satellites that provide secure communications. In 2007, EMS went under contract for its first commercial anti-jam system, reflecting the growing importance of satellites as the key broadband infrastructure of developing regions of the world.

In late 2001, EMS SATCOM sold its first Inmarsat-based high-speed data system to General Tommy Franks. Other U.S. military organizations followed suit, giving leaders the ability to see and respond in real time to battlefield operations. The military continues to be one of the biggest users of SATCOM’s communications system. EMS SATCOM also is a pioneer in the Search and Rescue (SAR) field. As of 2005, all the founding members of the SAR satellite-aided tracking system, Cospas-Sarsat, were using EMS SAR equipment – systems that have saved tens-of-thousands of lives.

In 2004, LXE led an industry shift towards Windows CE-based vehicle-mounted computers by launching the VX6 and VX7 vehicle mounted computers. According to industry analyst VDC, due to the success of the VX6 and VX7 and other subsequent product lines, LXE is the market leader with almost 22 percent market share for vehicle-mounted computers for warehouses.

Today’s EMS, with more than 1,100 employees in major engineering and manufacturing facilities in Atlanta and Ottawa, combines a broad base of space technologies with proven expertise in standard products. EMS concluded 2007 with its best financial results and the healthiest cash balance in its 40-year history, and was named one of Forbes Magazine’s 200 Best Small Companies. Recognizing the need to grow both organically and through smart acquisitions that add to its core competencies, EMS acquired DSpace of Australia, a leading designer and developer of Inmarsat BGAN software defined radio technologies, and Akerstroms of Sweden, Northern Europe’s leader in the Vehicle Terminal Mount market. D’Space adds to SATCOM’s engineering capabilities while Akerstroms enhances LXE’s product and market position globally.

“We’ve got something few companies our size can duplicate,” said Domorski. “A strong technology engine staffed with some of the best engineering talent available, world-class manufacturing resources and a strong sales and marketing capability to bring our products to market. It’s an exciting time to be part of the EMS family. We will continue to grow and be relevant in the marketplace as the company that delivers mobility, visibility and real-time intelligence.”