Kapsch Group
From a manufacturer of telephones, to one of the market leaders in the European traffic telematic and communication industries.
The Kapsch Group, headquartered in Vienna, has more than 5,000 employees worldwide and is represented through subsidiaries, representative offices and financial interests on every continent. Host, CFO Dr. Franz Semmernegg, introduced the trade delegates to the Kapsch company history, inextricably linked with the development of telecommunications and traffic telematics and Kapsch's business around the world.
A precision-engineering workshop was founded in Vienna in 1892 by Johann Kapsch for manufacturing telegraph appliances and telephones, thereby laying the foundations for the modern-day Kapsch corporation. Since then, this family-run company has consistently adapted to the requirements of the time and has always broken new ground. 120 years ago Kapsch produced hand-made products for communication. Already in its early years, Kapsch pursued the newest technological developments, recognizing societal trends and quickly responding with market-oriented technical innovation for the benefit of its customers. Televisions, radios and batteries by Kapsch were soon in great demand, and, even today, are remembered fondly.
Today, the Kapsch Group is a global technology group that plays an important role on the worldwide market in industries of the future, such as intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and telecommunication solutions for the railway industry, whilst also offering information and communication technology services in its roughly 100 branches and representative offices around the world. Kapsch lays strong emphasis on research & development as well, with research centers around the globe, investing in future markets like machine-to-machine communication, Dr. Semmernegg told the CdH-members.
Kapsch TrafficCom (contributing about 50% to corporate turnover) is a provider of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). These systems support and optimize road transportation operations in the areas of infrastructure, vehicles, users and industry. Solutions in the fields of road user charging, urban access and parking, road safety enforcement, commercial vehicle operations, electronic vehicle registration and traffic management offer various benefits such as providing funding for infrastructure projects, reducing congestion and environmental pollution caused by road traffic, increasing traffic safety and security as well as enhancing vehicle and fleet productivity and traveler convenience.
Kapsch is also a renowned service partner for information and communication technology (ICT) in Austria and in Central and Eastern Europe under the brand Kapsch BusinessCom, the activities of which include the operation of one of the largest high-security computer centers in Europe.
The global systems integrator Kapsch CarrierCom (20% of corporate turnover) offers end-to-end telecommunications solutions for mobile telephony and fixed-line operators, railway operators, local public transport companies and enterprises requiring real-time asset management solutions. With a strong focus on innovation in a total of eight research and development centers throughout Europe and Asia supported by strategically important partnerships, Kapsch CarrierCom numbers among the most reputable experts in the telecom industry.
At the end of the event, the large audience representing trade delegates from all over the world took the opportunity to talk about Kapsch's particular plans relating to a variety of countries during an informal discussion session.
