Vislink Group Cements Defence Focus with Appointment of Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards joins Vislink as Business Unit Director, with responsibility for building the Group's strategy for the defence sector in all markets outside of North America. His remit includes harnessing the Group's existing core product synergies and unifying these into a definitive set of solutions for defence, law enforcement and security applications. The current Vislink defence portfolio encompasses advanced communications and surveillance solutions, drawn from three of the group's niche specialists - Advent Communications, Link Research, and Microwave Radio Communications (MRC).

Matthew was previously Director of Surveillance Systems and Export Sales at defence electronics company L-3 TRL Technology and brings extensive expertise into this new post. Ian Scott-Gall, CEO of Vislink plc expands:
"With Matthew's long-standing background in the international defence business, we have the right combination of skills to consolidate our defence portfolio.

To date, we have been active in our selected niche activities, and believe that the time is now right to link these capabilities into a common business approach. Under Matthew's leadership, we can cement our proven technological innovation into dedicated solutions and we are delighted to welcome Matthew at this important stage in our corporate evolution. We are in the process of making a similar appointment to cover the North American defence sector, underlining our corporate culture of supporting local market development and management."

Matthew Richards' career to date has majored on creating dynamic new business opportunities. He commented:
"Governments and defence professionals are faced with a myriad of fast-moving challenges and threats to security, requiring access to the most advanced commercial as well as military-grade solutions. The Vislink Group's technologies are already components of choice for many end users, prime defence contractors and integrators. This provides a strong platform of dedicated resources, from which to expand our presence in the defence sector - enabling Vislink to offer turnkey solutions for battlefield, disaster and civic environments."

About Vislink plc

The Vislink Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange techMARK index, with sales for 2006 totalling £100m and operating profit in excess of £13m. It currently employs 400 people around the world, with four operational sites supported by regional offices, and has three specialist engineering wireless communication businesses - UK-based Advent Communications and Link Research, and Microwave Radio Communications in the US. Hernis Scan Systems in Norway completes the Group line-up, as a specialist marine CCTV business.

• Advent Communications - specialising in the design, manufacture and integration of fast deployment, rugged, end-to-end satellite communications, with more than 15 years' expertise. Landmarks include launching the first revolutionary segmented carbon fibre flyaway satellite antenna, to the current range of lightweight portable equipment, based on state of the art antenna design technology and latest compact electronic sub-systems.
• Link Research - developers of the most advanced wireless camera systems, proven in the demanding world of live outside broadcasting. Established in 1992, the company's solutions encompass proprietary encoding and modulator techniques, including the first ever HD wireless camera system to see active service. Low latency high power COFDM solutions form an integral part of Link's product family.
• Microwave Radio Communications (MRC) - more than 40 years' expertise in servicing the global television, public safety and military markets. Its portfolio includes mobile and portable microwave systems, deployed for airborne and mobile intelligence, surveillance, and electronic newsgathering. It also offers tactical portable systems to enable communications to be established rapidly across difficult terrain.
• Hernis Scan Systems - specialist manufacturers of a range of explosion-proof camera stations and system integrators of intrinsically safe marine CCTV systems for the onshore and offshore oil and gas industries. Customers include the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), involving a system designed for the Type 45 Destroyer.

Tuesday, 30th January 2007