HARRIS – DELIVERING COMMUNICATIONS ACROSS THE WHOLE SPECTRUM
By Julian Nettlefold, Editor, BATTLESPACE
04 Jun 077. BATTLESPACE meets Howard Lance, Chairman, President and CEO of Harris Corporation. Howard Lance has been in the post for four and a half years after a career spanning a long tenure at Emerson.
Howard Lance joined Harris in January 2003 as President and Chief Executive Officer and was appointed Chairman in June 2003. Prior to joining Harris, Mr. Lance was President of NCR Corporation, an information technology services provider, and Chief Operating Officer of its Retail and Financial Group from July 2001 until October 2002. Prior to joining NCR, he spent 17 years with Emerson Electric Company, an electronic products and systems company, where he held increasingly senior management positions with different divisions of the company. In 1999, Mr. Lance was named Executive Vice President with operating responsibility for its Electronics and Telecommunications businesses. Earlier, Mr. Lance held sales and marketing positions with the Scott-Fetzer Company and Caterpillar, Inc.
Howard Lance was in the U.K. to open the extension to the Corporation’s Winnersh facility in Berkshire, U.K..
“It gives me great pleasure to open this facility. Harris has been in the U.K. since 1921 and expanded its operations in 1971 by forming Harris Systems Ltd. We have achieved considerable growth in that time, but our Bowman involvement has enabled this to be achieved on a greater scale and at a faster pace. Our new extended facility, which includes manufacture, moved from our shared facility in Basingstoke with ITT, will be the hub for sales, marketing and manufacture for the European and Middle East markets. One hundred and fifty nations use Harris products, our Government Systems businesses are the largest segment. To show our trust in the U.K., we have moved production of our successful Model 5800 radio to the U.K.”
Harris has delivered 20,000 radios for the BOWMAN Programme and continues to deliver more radios over all the spectrums, HF, VHF and UHF for other Programmes such as the Forward Air Controller UOR Requirement recently won by Rockwell Collins for over 70 systems. The latest military radio product, the RF-7800S-TR , is being actively trialled for a number of key infantry requirements including the U.K.’s FIST Programme.
Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has annual revenue of over $4 billion and more than 15,000 employees — including more than 6,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications™ products, systems, and services for global markets, including government communications, RF communications, broadcast communications, and wireless transmission network solutions.
Harris is composed of four major Product Areas:
GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS
Harris conducts advanced research studies, develops prototypes, and produces and supports state-of-the-art, highly reliable communications and information systems that solve the mission-critical communications challenges of its military and government customers, and provides the technology base for the company’s diverse commercial businesses.
DEFENSE COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS
Harris is a leading worldwide supplier of tactical radio communication products, systems and networks to military and government organizations, and a provider of high-grade encryption solutions. These solutions address the demanding requirements of U.S., NATO, and Partnership for Peace Forces, as well as government agencies and embassies around the world.
BROADCAST COMMUNICATIONS
Digital technology dominates today’s world of television and radio broadcasting. Harris has solidified its leadership position in this industry with total content deliver