New Zealand showcases high-tech

On the eve of CANSEC, representatives from a dozen New Zealand technology companies received a crash course in doing business with the Canadian federal government. Following presentations from everyone from Industry Canada to ADM MAT, as well as the Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group, the delegation showcased a range of commercial technologies, most applicable to the defence and security industries.

Rod McDonald, business development manager for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, said many of the companies were selected because, rather than competing with Canadian industry, they complement and fill unique niches.

One such company is TracPlus, which has integrated GPS technology to monitor and track everything from personnel and aircraft to maritime vessels and land-based fleets. "There are hundreds of systems out there but they don't talk with each other," said CEO Stuart Campbell. He described the company's work with BC Hydro to integrate the various communications and GPS systems of its many contractors, allowing Hydro to see instantly the routes and locations of any contractor in the field (helicopter, vehicle, etc). "Everybody is talking interoperability, but nobody is (connecting systems)," he said.

McDonald described the showcase as an opportunity to identify potential partners and meet with government procurement agencies. He hopes to make it an annual event.