With the given Case Study, do a Case Analysis:

a) Industry Facts

b) Strengths

c) Weaknesses

d) Opportunities

e) Threats

f) Competitor Analysis, if any.

g) Strategic Options: Derive from Opportunities, Threats, Weaknesses that need fixing, leveraging strengths, gaps in the marketplace.

The pace of advancement in technology is brisk. Five years ago, routing systems had 16 inputs and 16 output channels. Now, it's 576 by 576. Tiny fibre optic cables can compress vast amounts of data into a strand that once would have required bundles of cables. This means that technologies installed five years ago are becoming obsolete creating new market opportunities for Evertz. They have the people, skills and technology to capitalize on market directions. Much of the company's growth prior to 2005 was in converting from analog to digital transmission. More is to come. The deadline in Canada is Aug. 31, 2011. In the United States, the deadline comes this June. Digital transmission takes up less airwave space, while offering more channels and better quality Building on that, there's a huge market for HD conversion. Many individual stations and entire networks have yet to convert. The Food Network, for example, has an HD licence, but has yet to make the upgrade. A BMO technology analyst has calculated that about 24 per cent of 700 newscasts in the U.S. are done in HD. That means that over three quarters of the market has to come around in the next year or two. Evertz will be ready. Evertz engineers are now trying to figure out how to get to the next step of high-definition on television, the so-called Blu-Ray quality. "The next frontier is Blu-Ray" says Gridley. We will be all over this emerging direction trying to make sure that we get our share. And, we will". "Who knows what the next technology will be? Our customers will tell us. We listen to our customers really well. They tell us what to do next. They also tell us that we listen really well. That's what makes it exciting," said Gridley It's also top secret. "The projects we're working on no one in the world has even thought of and we're halfway through them. We always have a number of irons in the fire. We're ready for the future." The company pumped almost $20 million a year into research and development last year and credits its innovations and development of new technology for driving its sales growth. It's also landed them plenty of awards, including an Emmy last year for engineering and the Premier's Catalyst Award as the province's best innovator for 2008. Our reputation is getting out there as people come to know that we win awards for our products. That makes it easier to sell to new customers adds Gridley. The firm has been named one of Canada's 50 fastest growing technology companies and one of the country's 50 best managed companies. "We get a lot of free publicity just by trying to be good at what we do and that helps with competitive advantage". The company had sales of $272 million in fiscal 2008, up from just a little more than $200 million in 2007 and $141 million in 2006. Sales have more than quadrupled in just five years. Profits are very strong. Evertz achieved net earnings of $87 million in 2008 and close to $56 million in the first two quarters of fiscal 2009. Along with soaring numbers comes a hiring binge. Evertz had about 300 employees at the end of 2005. Today, that number approaches 920 and will likely break the 1,000 mark by the end of 2009. "We're even benefiting from the weak Canadian dollar. With the dollar at less than 80 U.S., we can grab even more international business. "The majority of staff work in several Burlington locations, but there are manufacturing facilities in the GTA and sales and service offices spread around the world. About two-thirds of the company's business is done in North America but Evertz is targeting growth abroad. The North American market is one thing. But, every country has television technology that needs upgrading. We think there is great opportunity for us by stepping outside of the U.S.". Evertz will spend the global economic downturn building its talent pool and pumping up its R&D funding, Gridley said. "Some companies are spending as much on R&D as a percentage of revenue but we've just been more successful. What we've generated in terms of R&D spent is up there with (BlackBerry maker) RIM as a ratio. We've seen a remarkable payoff with more to come. This management team knows what it is doing and there is more to come." The pace of advancement in technology is brisk. Five years ago, routing systems had 16 inputs and 16 output channels. Now, it's 576 by 576. Tiny fibre optic cables can compress vast amounts of data into a strand that once would have required bundles of cables. This means that technologies installed five years ago are becoming obsolete creating new market opportunities for Evertz. They have the people, skills and technology to capitalize on market directions. Much of the company's growth prior to 2005 was in converting from analog to digital transmission. More is to come. The deadline in Canada is Aug. 31, 2011. In the United States, the deadline comes this June. Digital transmission takes up less airwave space, while offering more channels and better quality Building on that, there's a huge market for HD conversion. Many individual stations and entire networks have yet to convert. The Food Network, for example, has an HD licence, but has yet to make the upgrade. A BMO technology analyst has calculated that about 24 per cent of 700 newscasts in the U.S. are done in HD. That means that over three quarters of the market has to come around in the next year or two. Evertz will be ready. Evertz engineers are now trying to figure out how to get to the next step of high-definition on television, the so-called Blu-Ray quality. "The next frontier is Blu-Ray" says Gridley. We will be all over this emerging direction trying to make sure that we get our share. And, we will". "Who knows what the next technology will be? Our customers will tell us. We listen to our customers really well. They tell us what to do next. They also tell us that we listen really well. That's what makes it exciting," said Gridley It's also top secret. "The projects we're working on no one in the world has even thought of and we're halfway through them. We always have a number of irons in the fire. We're ready for the future." The company pumped almost $20 million a year into research and development last year and credits its innovations and development of new technology for driving its sales growth. It's also landed them plenty of awards, including an Emmy last year for engineering and the Premier's Catalyst Award as the province's best innovator for 2008. Our reputation is getting out there as people come to know that we win awards for our products. That makes it easier to sell to new customers adds Gridley. The firm has been named one of Canada's 50 fastest growing technology companies and one of the country's 50 best managed companies. "We get a lot of free publicity just by trying to be good at what we do and that helps with competitive advantage". The company had sales of $272 million in fiscal 2008, up from just a little more than $200 million in 2007 and $141 million in 2006. Sales have more than quadrupled in just five years. Profits are very strong. Evertz achieved net earnings of $87 million in 2008 and close to $56 million in the first two quarters of fiscal 2009. Along with soaring numbers comes a hiring binge. Evertz had about 300 employees at the end of 2005. Today, that number approaches 920 and will likely break the 1,000 mark by the end of 2009. "We're even benefiting from the weak Canadian dollar. With the dollar at less than 80 U.S., we can grab even more international business. "The majority of staff work in several Burlington locations, but there are manufacturing facilities in the GTA and sales and service offices spread around the world. About two-thirds of the company's business is done in North America but Evertz is targeting growth abroad. The North American market is one thing. But, every country has television technology that needs upgrading. We think there is great opportunity for us by stepping outside of the U.S.". Evertz will spend the global economic downturn building its talent pool and pumping up its R&D funding, Gridley said. "Some companies are spending as much on R&D as a percentage of revenue but we've just been more successful. What we've generated in terms of R&D spent is up there with (BlackBerry maker) RIM as a ratio. We've seen a remarkable payoff with more to come. This management team knows what it is doing and there is more to come