Established in 1992, the London-based subsidiary of Frequentis marks 30-year anniversary of keeping UK air, land and sea safe with the opening of a new, larger office.
Twickenham, in Southwest London, became the base of Frequentis UK during its provision of safety-critical solutions to UK control rooms. Key to that success has been the investment in local recruitment and training with staff numbers doubling since 2019, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The team has grown into a large employer in both the local area and at a national level, allowing the Frequentis Group to develop a deep understanding of the UK market and how to best support UK and Ireland Critical National Infrastructure.
Recent years have seen an acceleration in this growth with project wins including Irish Rail, Ambulance Radio Programme, and the Metropolitan Police Service Command and Control, expanding on the service delivered to the capital in 2005. The acquisition of the ATC Solutions business unit of L3-Harris in mid-2021 was strategically important for Frequentis and specifically Frequentis UK.
The acquisition led to gaining a dominant position in military Air Defence communications under the Guardian project, matching its already strong position in military air traffic management (ATM) communications on the Marshall Project. Similarly, it gave Frequentis back a strong position in civil ATM communications for all en-route traffic and this, combined with the acquisition of the Arrivals Manager System from Orthogon, has led to Frequentis being a Strategic Partner for UK National Air Traffic Services (NATS).
“Our customers are all active in safety-critical domains and are key parts of the UK and Ireland’s Critical National Infrastructure. They increasingly expect support from local teams, who understand the local challenges and support them in resolving problems locally. We are therefore pleased to offer them extended services and capabilities from our colleagues here in the UK,” says Andy Madge, Managing Director, Frequentis UK.
“Our new, larger, and more collaborative workspace in Twickenham provides the right environment for us to be able to host customers, develop solutions and agree on implementation arrangements; further evidence of Frequentis’ commitment to regionalisation and the development of capabilities in local subsidiaries, whilst retaining the technical strength and depth in Vienna. Working in these safety-critical domains during the pandemic reminded us all of the importance of being close to customers.”
Frequentis products are part of the safety-critical infrastructure that must always be ready for operation regardless of the frequency of flights or demand for emergency services. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the UK subsidiary has continued its growth.
As well as the Frequentis UK Team and Management in attendance, the opening event on Wednesday 27th April was attended by members of the Austrian Embassy, Trade Commission and the EU Constitution including, Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution, Karoline Edtsadler; Her Majesties Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative, Lindsey Skoll; Austrian Ambassador, Michael Zimmerman; Austrian Trade Commissioner, Dr Christian Kesberg, among other dignitaries.
“I was already in touch with your systems and your enterprise during my time as Deputy Minister and Minister for Interior, regarding the police using these very important tools,” stated Karoline Edtstadler, Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution. “We set the focus on digitalisation and the green transition in the European Union, and we are really in need of companies like yours. I wish you all the best, in our best sense, because if you are working well then we have security, we have prosperity and can keep peace and stability in Europe.”
Frequentis UK makes up one of the most strategic subsidiaries of the Frequentis Group – a Global supplier of critical communications for safety-critical control rooms, for 75 years. The UK office is established across all business areas of the Frequentis Group – Air Traffic Management, Defence, Maritime, Public Safety and Public Transport – providing solutions for longstanding customers, such as the Ministry of Defence, the Metropolitan Police Service, NATS, and Network Rail, among others.