Building on the strategy that has made it a leading aero-connectivity company, EMS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELMG) announced today the formation of a new business unit, EMS Aviation.
EMS Aviation will include the Company’s EMS SATCOM division, the market leader in Inmarsat SwiftBroadband systems, and the recently-acquired EMS Formation, and EMS Sky Connect, providers of air-to-ground connectivity and Iridium-based tracking and messaging, respectively.
“We believe that we are in a global connectivity explosion – one that will result in a world where everything and everyone will be connected,“ said Dr. Neil Mackay, EMS president and CEO.  “This drive for greater connectivity presents a prime opportunity to leverage the combined strengths of our aviation businesses and offer a full spectrum of connectivity solutions for cockpit and cabin.  Through EMS Aviation, we can now address connectivity markets for virtually any aircraft, from helicopters and military planes to business jets and large passenger jets.”
Dr. Mackay continued, “Immediately after completing our aviation acquisitions last year, we took the first steps toward a more coordinated organization by centralizing certain overhead and administrative functions to reduce costs.  Then the aviation units began to work on joint business opportunities, as they became familiar with each other’s people, products and capabilities.  The establishment of EMS Aviation is the culmination of this process.  We believe the new organization will create greater scale and manufacturing efficiency, new opportunities in sales and business development, and more focused product development.”
EMS Aviation’s diverse range of customers includes the leading airframe and avionics manufacturers, Boeing, Airbus, Rockwell Collins, Honeywell and Thales, as well as other aviation market players such as Panasonic Avionics, Gulfstream and Bombardier. In addition, virtually all the IFC service providers rely on EMS equipment; among them are Aircell, Row 44, OnAir and Aeromobile. EMS also serves America’s leading airborne emergency medical service transport, air taxi, airborne firefighting and offshore oil transport companies.
EMS Aviation’s offerings cover a wide range of aero connectivity equipment and services, including:

• High-speed Inmarsat-based data systems for commercial and military aircraft, including   transceivers, antennas and networking equipment;
• Iridium-based satellite transceiver systems and services for voice, tracking and data, serving helicopter and fixed-wing applications;
• In-cabin connection devices and computers to process data on board aircraft, including rugged data storage, airborne connectivity, and data recording and replay; and
• Worldwide Ku-band two-way broadband antennas delivering high-bandwidth performance at all latitudes for greater operational efficiency without sacrificing performance.

EMS also announced today the appointment of Nim Evatt, formerly general manager of EMS Formation, as EMS Aviation’s vice president and general manager, reporting to Dr. Mackay. Prior to his work at EMS Formation, Evatt was president and CEO of Liberty Technologies, a provider of condition-monitoring products and services for energy industries, and he led General Electric’s Power Systems’ installation and service engineering business for Europe, Africa and the Middle East.  Joining Evatt on the EMS Aviation senior management team will be key leaders from throughout the Company’s aviation business units.
EMS Aviation employs almost 500 personnel, the majority of whom are based in Ottawa, Canada, and Moorestown, New Jersey. Additional personnel and offices are located in Takoma Park, Maryland, Norcross, Georgia, Tewksbury, UK, and Adelaide, South Australia.  For financial reporting purposes, EMS Aviation will be a separate reportable segment beginning with the announcement of results for the fourth quarter of 2009.

About EMS Technologies, Inc.

EMS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELMG) is a leading provider of wireless connectivity solutions over satellite and terrestrial networks. EMS keeps people and systems connected, wherever they are — on land, at sea, in the air or in space.  Serving the aeronautical, asset tracking, defense, and mobile computing industries, EMS products and services enable universal mobility, visibility and intelligence.    Visit www.ems-t.com for more information.