Frequentis Comsoft’s annual collaborative aeronautical user group (CAUG) has continued to provide a platform for air navigation service providers (ANSPs) and aviation experts to discuss the impact of emerging topics and how to solve them.

This year, under the motto ‘AMHS and SWIM: evolution not revolution’, various presentations centered around aeronautical message handling systems (AMHS), system-wide information management (SWIM) and cybersecurity. Over 40 participants from 18 organisations attended the annual event in Karlsruhe, Germany.

One key takeaway was the fact that the transition from AMHS to SWIM is taking place step-by-step and the migration will take some time. Cybersecurity in ATM, the second focus topic of this year’s CAUG, was discussed in-depth with a comprehensive and interesting presentation from EUROCONTROL’s cybersecurity project manager, Patrick Mana, about cybersecurity threats, as well as policies and procedures for establishing a trust framework.

New to CAUG, since joining the Frequentis Comsoft organisation at the start of the year, were former Austro Control chief operating officer (COO), Thomas Hoffmann, now Frequentis Comsoft managing director, as well as former Thales sales and marketing director, Vaclav Sourek, now Frequentis Comsoft’s sales and marketing director.

“As a supplier Frequentis Comsoft has the role of building and providing a bridge between what we have today and the goal for tomorrow,” says Thomas Hoffmann, Frequentis Comsoft CEO. “SWIM will have an impact on the way information is shared across different organisations. This also creates the need for us to focus on enhanced security to ensure that data is only shared as intended. Together we are able to address these topics and ensure we are prepared for what is to come.”

Frequentis Comsoft will continue its successful annual event again in Karlsruhe in 2020.