EDITORIAL
Gauls and
cyberspace
Dear readers,
“Let the sky fall on our heads.” The world has changed considerably
since the times of Asterix, Obelix, and their Gallic chief Majestix. But the
desire for security is still omnipresent. That is the challenge we face at
Phoenix Contact.
First and foremost, of course, it’s always about protecting life and limb.
Torsten Gast,
Director Competence Center Services
for Safety & Industrial Security
What happens when lightning strikes? How do we secure machines? And
how do we keep out unwanted intruders? Today, we solve such challenges
a little less tangibly than the Gauls, for example by implementing read-
able RFID markings on our lightning protection systems (see page 40).
And even the ancient Romans would have respect for reasonable video
surveillance (see page 44).
The only thing today that’s as environmentally friendly as ancient
chariots are electric cars. We took a look at how their batteries are test-
ed for reliability (on page 34). Even the god-fearing Gauls were well-ac-
quainted with the wind and the sun. However, feeding these energies into
the grid poses new challenges for our modern-day distribution networks.
Starting on page 30, the Kempen public utility company reveals how they
manage to do this safely.
People today are confronted with completely new threats to our net-
worked world. We meet the challenges presented by cyberspace with a
plethora of measures, from hardware and software development to ho-
listic consulting services. This provides 360° comprehensive protection
for our customers.
Even the chief of the small Gallic village would have no fear that the
sky might fall on his horn-rimmed head after all if he had this kind of
protection!
The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine
UPDATE 4/20
3