The civilian equipment will be adapted for the harsh conditions characteristic of military environments.
Missile and weapons maker Rafael (Israel Armament Development Authority) will buy NIS 10 million worth of optical communications equipment from Netcom Systems and Cisco Systems (Nasdaq:CSCO). The companies announced the equipment was intended for "specialized" systems, but declined to provide details.
The companies stated that the project will provide a unique optical communications solution using Cisco's optical switches to enable transmission of large amounts of data. Netcom will adapt the civilian communications equipment for "harsh environmental conditions" by casing ruggedization.
Cisco Israel country manager Gary Drutin said that Rafael selected Cisco and Netcom because of their accumulated experience in complex projects for defense industries.
Rafael said the communications solution was chosen because it was modular, compact and had low power requirements. The equipment is intended for an innovative system under development for specialized military communications equipment to transmit analog and digital information over long distances in real time. The system's demanding standards required that the equipment meet the harsh conditions characteristic of military environments.
Cisco founded its Netanya development center in 1997. The center operates in cooperation with Cisco's European office.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on August 19, 2002