Plunging Into My First IMS

Having just read everything I could on IMS to write our preview of the symposium, I have to admit that I am really looking forward to Microwave Week. When reviewing all of the sessions, student competitions, and keynotes, I couldn’t stop thinking about how I would have loved to skip off to Tampa Bay for a week for IMS when I was finishing my thesis. Just the chance to escape from the research lab would be enough, but to also be involved in an international gathering of the top minds and companies in the RF/microwave field would have been priceless.

Even though I have only been able to review a handful of the companies’ new products and announcements for IMS 2014, I can’t wait to get on the plane. The idea of over 500 companies being represented in one place is just astounding. More specifically, the wealth of knowledge, influence, and diversity in the hall will be rare indeed. I also am excited to hear about the achievements that come after the conference, as it spawns certain collaboration. Having read and heard about IMS in its earliest years, I have been reminded that the industry wasn’t always this large and booming.

In just a handful of decades, the RF/microwave industry has gone from a few small companies making highly secret products purely for military and defense applications to one of the most influential industries in existence. This fact is readily apparent in the size and scope of IMS 2014 as well as the topics covered in the special sessions. Since early sci-fi television series began airing, people have been dreaming about a fully interactive world. Some of the leading topics of discussion at IMS will be covering how RF/microwave technology is a huge enabling factor in this dream.

From RF/microwave technology sparking the next high-tech revolution—from the Internet of Things to millimeter-wave detection of cancer cells—IMS 2014 will have panel discussions on all the latest developments and trends in the industry. Check out our IMS preview for a summary of the conference sessions and a sneak peek at the latest products and announcements from the leading industry players. And don’t forget to  vote for which companies you feel have made the biggest impact in the industry with Microwaves & RF’s “Best of Microwaves” awards. I look forward to meeting some of members of our audience and can’t wait to highlight the best of the symposium for those who can’t attend.