"What's in a name," wrote William Shakespeare. An awful lot it seems, especially if your name is CMC Electronics. Formerly BAE Systems Canada, it is perhaps even better known by its former, former name of Canadian Marconi. After the recent buy-out by $400 million Canadian investment partnership ONCAP, it can't use the term "Marconi" any more and, as president and chief executive Jim Close explains, the company is keen to put right any confusion among customers old and new. "Unfortunately we have given people an air of instability with these name changes, but we have actually been in business for a hundred years," says Close. "We hope that the new name CMC Electronics stays with us now for the next 100 years."

Leader

Whatever the company is called it is a market leader in the field of high-tech electronic products, including avionics, aircraft satellite communication antennas, military radios, space electronics and much more. Close explains that the company will be focusing on three strategic areas at Paris. The first is its cockpit upgrades. "We're beginning to get acceptance in the world market as a cockpit upgrade integrator," he says. "We announced at the last show that we had won a contract to upgrade KLM's Boeing 747-200s to a digital cockpit and some people may have perceived that as a ‘one-trick pony'.

Contracts

"Subsequently we have won 747 upgrade contracts with Saudi Arabian Airlines, Hong Kong Dragon and Corsair so we are off and rolling in the widebody upgrade market. "Secondly, we have also entered the military upgrade market - we won the Canadian CP-140 (P3) upgrade contract. We have some advantage in Canada over our competitors as we know the market and our customers," he says. CMC is also expected to announce an avionics upgrade for a NATO countries' Fast-Jet Update Programme during the show. Lastly, the company is expected to announce developments in a number of hi ¡ tech fields including an Enhanced Vision System with head-up display for general aviation, military and air transport. Other innovations include a handheld flight-deck organiser, aeronautical TV antenna systems and helicopter cockpit management systems.

Source: Flight Daily News