Ericsson Technology Review, Issue 1/2016

Every morning, I get out of bed and go to work because I believe technology makes a difference. I believe that in the midst of global growth, numerous humanitarian crises, the increasing need for better resource management, and an evolving threat landscape, a new world is emerging. And I believe technology is playing a key role in making that world a better, safer, and healthier place for more people to enjoy. It feels good to be part of that.

Fundamentally, I believe the breakdown of traditional industry boundaries and increased cross-industry collaboration have enabled us to maximize the benefits of technology. Today, Ericsson works with partners in many different industries that all rely on connectivity embedded into their solutions, services, and products. Our early collaborations, which were with utilities and the automotive industry, have led to innovations like the Connected Vehicle Cloud and Smart Metering as a Service.

I am delighted that Harald Ludanek, Head of R&D at Scania (a leading manufacturer of heavy trucks, buses, coaches, and industrial and marine engines) agreed to contribute to this issue. His article on the significance of ICT – how digitalization and mobility will impact the automotive industry and bring about the intelligent transportation system (ITS) – illustrates the importance of new business relationships, ensuring that different sectors create innovative solutions together, and maximize the value they bring to people and society.

Technology is making it easier for people to protect their homes, families, and belongings. The standardization of antitheft systems in automobiles, for example, has led to a decline in car theft in most parts of the world. However, while technology offers improved security, somehow criminal countermeasures manage to keep up. In an article about end-to-end cryptography, a number of Ericsson experts highlight how car theft is no longer carried out with a slim jim and a screwdriver, but rather with highly sophisticated decryption algorithms, smartphones, and illegal access to software keys.

The protection of data – and the people who own it – as it travels across the network has always been a cornerstone of the telecoms industry. But in today’s world, no single organization can maintain end-to-end control over information as it is carried from source to destination, and so upholding the right to privacy is becoming an increasingly complex issue. And with quantum computing posing a threat to our current security systems, our experts point out that this will render certain existing methods of protection useless. Not only do protocols need a shake up, so does software — so it can work in lightweight mode for constrained or hardware-limited devices.

Ulf Ewaldsson
Senior Vice President.
Group CTO, and Head of Group Function Technology