“People interact with an IAR Systems programmed product around 30 times every day of their lives,” said Stefan Skarin, chief executive officer of IAR Systems AB.
Chief Executive Officer IAR Systems AB | © IAR SYSTEMS
“Our software is used to program small processors found in embedded systems that control coffee machines, cars, elevators, printers, alarm bells, sports watches, cameras, washing machines and virtually all digital products.”
Swedish engineer Anders Rundgren established IAR Systems in 1983 to support programmers and enable them to program the full range of available 8-, 16- and 32-bit microprocessors. The company’s main product has over 150,000 users, allowing customers to build the products of today and the technology for the future.
“While the cost of processors has fallen dramatically over the years, the level of technology, processing speed and industry knowledge have all risen,” explained Skarin. “Today, an increasing number of products use processors to allow connectivity and the ‘internet of things.’ Our strength lies in our ability to support all processors and produce high-quality code that can be migrated between processors.”
The automotive industry’s shift toward electric powered vehicles is driving the global development of the embedded systems market. The Japanese market currently accounts for 15 percent of IAR Systems’ automotive business.
Kiyofumi Uemura is responsible for the company’s growth across Japan and the rest of Asia Pacific, which accounts for approximately 30 percent of the company’s revenue. In Japan, IAR Systems holds the leading market position and the business has achieved growth in 24 out of 26 financial quarters since Uemura joined the company.
“Uemura-san has done an outstanding job,” said Skarin. “The Japanese market is key to our business and the partnerships we have developed in Japan are very important to us. The Japan market opened up to us once we converted our products into Japanese. Today, all our products are available in Japanese and we have built strong relationships with clients like Toshiba and Fujitsu, and on the processor side, Renesas Electronics.”
Renesas is one of the world’s largest providers of microcontrollers and smart solutions in embedding intelligence. IAR Systems is the only vendor to deliver development tools for the entire lineup of Renesas microcontrollers.
“We have enjoyed a very good relationship with Renesas for over 25 years. I make it a point to visit Japan every year and I am always pleased to meet with Kure-san, chief executive officer of Renesas,” said Skarin.
According to Skarin, Japanese culture has inspired the company to grow and innovate. IAR Systems works closely alongside Japanese and international clients through the cultivation of ecosystems to facilitate knowledge sharing, technical integration and advanced development.
This year, the company took an important step toward supporting the future growth and security of embedded systems by acquiring Secure Thingz, a provider of advanced security solutions for embedded systems in internet of things devices.
The market faces major security challenges, including intellectual property theft, counterfeiting and overproduction, data theft and even life-threatening sabotage. To minimize the risk of security breaches and protect information and intellectual property, companies must ensure that security is implemented throughout their development and manufacturing processes. IAR Systems’ acquisition of Secure Thingz will allow the company to offer the necessary security solutions to address these challenges and reinforce the company’s position as a leader in the next-generation ‘embedded industry.’
“Our industry today sees heavy revolution and evolution which makes us sometimes feel like a 35-year-old startup company. But this is just the beginning,” Skarin shared. “We understand the challenges companies face and recognize the responsibility we have to deliver solutions. Embedded systems solutions are a part of our modern lives and will play an even larger role in the future. It is fascinating to see our customers go digital and we will continue to work closely with them to enable innovations and security solutions.”
