Industry Interview: Z Microsystems
MIT 2011 Volume: 15 Issue: 11 (December)
Jack Wade
Chief Executive Officer
Z Microsystems
Jack Wade, Z Microsystems’ founder and chief executive officer, has grown Z Microsystems from its inception in 1987, starting out as a consultant and systems integrator using Sun Microsystems computers. Since then, Z Microsystems has become a major supplier of ruggedized computers and display equipment to the U.S. military. Wade started his computer industry career at Indiana State University and was part of the operating system software development team in early mainframe computers. He also helped EDS develop its Medicare software and worked on several projects for SAIC.
Q: What types of products and services are you offering to military and other government customers?
A: For more than 25 years, Z Microsystems has been supplying superior computing technology to the U.S. military and defense system integrators. Today, Z Microsystems designs and manufacturers field-ready computing solutions for military, medical, industrial and law enforcement applications. Our company’s commercial off-the-shelf [COTS] products include advanced image processing and routing systems, rugged flat panel displays, high-performance deployable computers and flexible storage systems used in military aircraft, ships, land vehicles and ground stations.
Q: What unique benefits does your company provide its customers in comparison with other companies in your field?
A: Z Microsystems specializes in adapting COTS technology to the challenging environments presented by military applications. Our products address the need for reliable computer processing capability on the move, and are designed to withstand the harshest and most demanding environments.
Innovation, flexibility and continuous investment in quality are the hallmarks of Z Microsystems’ design strategy. Using skills that embrace customer specific platforms, the Z Microsystems development team has raised the benchmark for producing solutions for fielded computing environments. Z Microsystems maintains an unwavering commitment to customer responsiveness, innovative products, quality and on-time delivery.
Q: What are some of the most significant programs your company is currently working on with the military?
A: Recently we introduced new image processing technology in our intelligent display systems designed for use in unmanned aircraft system [UAS] ground stations. Our advanced image processing and visualization systems offer superior real time enhanced video [RTEV] capabilities to improve critical surveillance missions. Our company’s advanced image processing systems use high-powered field programmable gate arrays to apply image enhancement and edge detection algorithms to incoming video streams without adding latency. We also incorporate edge detection algorithms to identify anomalous shapes and highlight critical details for surveillance. A wide range of algorithms can be added to the platform to further broaden its capabilities.
Q: How are you working to strengthen the quality of your products?
A: Z Microsystems stakes its business and reputation on delivering product with impeccable quality. At Z Microsystems, we thoroughly test every product we build to ensure it can withstand harsh environments and meets military specifications for extreme temperatures, electronic interference, shocks and vibration, and moisture, to name a few. Z Microsystems’ quality management system follows all guidelines established by ISO 9001:2008. Our facility and processes have been audited by major multi-national companies and have been fully certified.
Q: Are you currently developing new products and services relevant to military and government customers that you hope to bring to the market in the future?
A: Z Microsystems has developed three new product lines for the UAS market that incorporate our RTEV capability. The first product is the Intelligent Display Series [IDS] designed for UAS ground stations. A second new product, the ZHawk, addresses the urgent need to deliver full motion video and actionable information directly to the tactical edge. The ZHawk video-enabled handheld PC attaches to a soldier’s handheld radio and adds a 5 inch HD touchscreen for selecting and viewing UAS video streams.
The third new product, the Any-Image- Anywhere [AIA] System, is for applications, such as a command center, that must manage multiple incoming video streams. The AIA System is a well-designed, large-scale video enhancer and router. The system can route any video source through any number of image processing algorithms, then output the video stream to any monitor, network, recorder or similar device.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
A: Z Microsystems has recently started to develop innovative products that leverage our advanced image processing technology to address a variety of compelling industry challenges. The new Z Microsystems Image Processor product has been purchased by customers in defense, broadcasting, energy and natural resources, traffic management, surveillance, and law enforcement markets. We welcome discussions with military and industry experts about new applications for this advanced image processing technology. ♦
