New-Tech Europe Magazine | July 2017

There’s no denying the profound transformation the industry has undergone in the last fifty to sixty years. We’ve evolved from a cottage industry to a ubiquitous element in the fabric of almost every society on Earth. The demand for wireless connectivity will continue to grow, the technology will continue to advance at an accelerating rate, and I have no doubt that Mini-Circuits and other RF and microwave suppliers will continue adapting to bring greater value to customers. But that doesn’t mean the core value proposition has changed. The perceived shift toward commoditization in the RF market is just that: a perception. The RF world is distinct from other parts of the digital world in that customers will always rely on their suppliers to

some degree to develop solutions and integrate them to optimize system performance, regardless of how repeatable performance becomes. And suppliers will always look to their customers to guide their own development efforts. The moment we dismiss that collaborative relationship, the customer-supplier team, is the moment we lose sight of the meaning of value. And history has shown how that goes. As for the future of our industry, although there is a trend toward commoditization at the high- volume, subscriber level, as there needs to be, the opportunities for RF engineers to blaze new paths through creative innovation and collaboration will remain vital to the evolution of the technology and

ongoing growth of the industry. In 1957, we were at the early stage of the commercialization of radio technology. Like artists, we were creating something where before there was nothing, out of little more than our knowledge, experience, and passion, painting the picture of what the industry would eventually become. And while maybe the canvas has changed, I feel the same creative energy and spirit of invention today, creating new solutions for my customers with the tools I have from my education, knowledge and experience, the partnership of my peers in the field, and the passion to keep solving problems and creating value.

Read To Lead

www. new- techeurope . com

New-Tech Magazine Europe l 33