December 2012
VIEW FROM THE TOP

Howard Hausman
President/CEO MITEQ, Inc.

Q: The importance of sustaining and developing technology has reached a point where states and cities are more actively building relationships with universities and recruiting high-tech companies. However, there continues to be a shortage of engineering graduates, especially those focusing on RF and microwave technology. What would your company do (or is doing) to help promote careers?

A: MITEQ is a Microwave engineering company and recognizes the need to promote this discipline in our schools. We regularly hire engineering students as interns and let them interface with our senior engineers. Many of our interns turned into full-time employees after their graduation. We have also established cooperative efforts with engineering professors in fields of mutual interest.

I agree and support local governments creating industrial and university relationships but this only works if there are engineers to do the development. The need for more engineers, especially microwave engineers is evident and should be a priority. I feel that this need can be satisfied if the government would offer loans to engineering students that would be forgiven if the student works in the engineering industry or engineering academia for at least five years after they graduate.

Q: For those of you serving the military market, what do you expect 2013 will bring in terms of opportunities in this sector?

A: Military budgets have been severely curtailed and may even be hit harder if sequestration takes effect. MITEQ feels that opportunities exist in supporting and enhancing current programs that enhance operational effectiveness. In the microwave components world MITEQ continues to develop higher technology, and more complex Integrated Microwave Assemblies that increase a systems reliability, serviceability, and performance while decreasing operational costs.

Military missions vary and on board hardware that supports mission success keeps changing but the communication links are universal to the aircraft, ship, or ground forces. Remote visibility and control demands more real time high resolution video. Satellite links are an important segment of this communication network and MITEQ is a major player and technology leader in this area.

Q: If your company serves the commercial markets, are you encouraged by any particular emerging application or technology?

A: Emerging applications vary but the common thread is the need for interconnectivity. To support the various applications people want to be connected everywhere, every time, instantly (i.e. without waiting, with higher and higher data rates). Satellite communications either directly or indirectly is used to fill this need and MITEQ is a major player in this discipline. As current segments of the spectrum are being filled up and new segments of the spectrum are being built out new, more exotic equipment is needed. MITEQ is a microwave engineering company with expertise in developing the needed higher technology equipment. This is a significant business area for MITEQ currently and in the next few years.

Q: Last year, we asked what impact the global economic crisis was having on the markets you serve and on how you run your business. What is your current perspective?

A: The economic outlook is uncertain at best and MITEQ is cautious about over extending itself. The defense budgets are not expected to rise and commercial projects are being delayed, that’s the down side. The up side is that MITEQ stays out of the crowd and focuses on technologies that are in demand even in a downside economy.

Funding of new military programs is uncertain but current programs still must be supported and enhanced to maintain their effectiveness. Microwave engineering companies such as MITEQ are an important resource that fulfills this need supporting military programs in the areas of RADAR, Electronic warfare, Reconnaissance, and Surveillance equipment. Also communications infrastructure is growing because demand for connectivity is strong. Satellite communications is a small but critical part of that growth and MITEQ is supporting our customers with more advanced equipment to maximize the efficiency of planned communications links.

Q: What countries or regions do you believe will provide the greatest growth potential for the wireless industry in 2013?

A: Greatest growth markets are not the highest revenue markets. The less developed countries provide the greatest percentage growth for the microwave electronics and communications industries, but they are still far behind the dollar amount spent by the US, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. This will change in the future as these countries become more developed and demand ubiquitous communications common to the more developed world. MITEQ supports communication development on seven continents (even Antarctica the least developed part of the world) and intends to help developed, near developed and undeveloped regions attain quality communication equipment. ♦