Roke and Indra Sign Licensing Deal in New Air Traffic Management Technology

Roke Manor Research Ltd (Roke) and Indra Sistemas S.A. (Indra) are pleased to announce they have concluded Agreements for the exclusive licensing to Indra of Roke's Vigilance™ technology for Wide Area Multilateration (WAM).

The Agreement gives Indra exclusive use of Roke's patents and know-how, for the manufacture, sales, support and further development of the Vigilance™ system for Air Traffic Management (ATM). The Agreement also includes the provision by Roke of support and consultancy services to Indra.

Vigilance™ reliably and accurately tracks the position of an aircraft using passive and/or active surveillance techniques. UK National Air Traffic Services (NATS) and NAV CANADA deployed Roke's multilateration systems in 1997 with EUROCONTROL using Roke's WAM technology since 2000. Roke has built on this wealth of experience to create the reliable, cost effective, 3rd generation Vigilance™ multilateration product. The unique, patented Vigilance™ technology overcomes the limitations of other synchronisation techniques. It has been operationally proven to provide cost-effective coverage where line of sight was impossible and traditional Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) systems are impractical.

Roke is in the unique position of having been world leaders in developing innovative multilateration and synchronisation techniques over the last two decades. Roke pioneered the world's first 3D multilateration technology in the late 1980s and was the first to deploy a wide area multilateration system in the field in 1992.

Indra and Roke are ideal partners in this field, having an aligned vision and the core competencies needed to maximise the value of Vigilance™ to the market. Indra has good synergy with Roke in this field, and is comparably organised around six vertical markets; transport and traffic, energy and industry, telecoms and media, finance and insurance, public administration and healthcare and defence and security.

David Smith, Managing Director of Roke is delighted to partner with Indra.

"Indra has become an outstanding reference in air traffic management, both nationally and internationally. As well as licensing Vigilance™ to Indra we will provide development support to realise the market potential of this ground breaking technology. We anticipate supporting Indra with our expertise for many years to come."

Rafael Gallego, General Manager in Indra considers the Agreement as a strategic advance for his company:

"The addition of Vigilance™ will provide us a new front of opportunities with a complete offering of solutions to our customers in Europe and in the rest of the world".

The Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) and other multilateration markets have been estimated to be worth over one billion Euros and Indra have firmly set their sights on significantly growing their share in this new and exciting market. Already one third of the world's air traffic is managed with Indra technology.

Simon Atkinson, ATM Business Sector Manager at Roke, added

"Indra is an excellent partner in the rapidly growing WAM market and have strong ambitions for their ATM business. Like Roke, Indra is committed to providing excellent customer service and satisfaction, resulting in high levels of repeat business. We are looking forward to a long and successful partnership."

Jesus Santos, Indra's Director for ATM Surveillance, celebrates the bright future of the company with the addition of Vigilance™ to Indra's catalogue of reputable surveillance sensors.

"What we have now is a first class technology and a very new generation of equipment at just the right time for this expanding market."

About Roke Manor Research Ltd., a Siemens company

Roke has been active in Air Traffic Management (ATM) R&D since the mid 1960s. Their work includes studies, performance modelling and solution development, as well as the production of communications, navigation and surveillance systems. They research, consult, develop, install and maintain innovative solutions for Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), airports and commercial enterprises.

Roke, established in 1956, is a Siemens centre of innovation for communications, navigation and surveillance technology. Roke pioneers developments in electronic sensors, networks, and communications technology, providing products and services to Siemens businesses, Government departments, and commercial customers worldwide.

About Indra

Indra is the premier information technology company in Spain and a leading IT multinational in Europe and Latin America. In 2007, Indra's revenues exceeded €2.167bn, of which a third comes from the international market. The company employs more than 24,000 professionals and has clients in more than 90 countries. A third of the world's air traffic is managed with Indra technology. For further information, visit www.indra.es

Related Information

• Air Transport
• Vigilance™