GDCA has been trusted for more than 35 years with the design, manufacture, and test specifications for thousands of commercial off the shelf (COTS) products, Thanks to our solid relationships with our Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) partners, we have been able to provide products for as long as they are needed. We take protecting our partner’s Intellectual Property (IP) very seriously.
What does OEM Authorized mean?
Our OEM partners are invested in developing and designing innovative products that keep their customers competitive. It’s not realistic for them to support every product they’ve ever developed, but they understand that their customers sometimes need a long-term support solution from a company they can trust.
Our OEM partners rely on us to sustain and support their products and we are committed to maintaining product integrity and the original equipment manufacturer’s brand. OEM Authorized means we take proactive measures to avoid counterfeit components, old boards with possible component fall-out, or untested modifications that interfere with legacy software. We manufacture new, authentic boards and systems to precisely match original product.
The MVME162: OEM Authorized for GDCA to continue manufacture and support by Motorola (acquired by Emerson Network Power, now Artesyn Embedded Technology)
What is the connection between being OEM Authorized and Proactive Legacy Management (PLM+)™ Services?
Many of the legacy applications GDCA supports have lifecycles of over 20 years. Sometimes obsolete component issues occur in defense, medical, and transportation applications while a system is still in design phase. Without the original COTS IP, such programs face critical downtime, redesign, and recertification.
Working closely with our partners, we know the exact specifications of every board we support and all the certification requirements for parts and components. GDCA can implement a proactive program for our customers, provide accurate lifespan forecasting, and identify possible obsolescence concerns that could eventually threaten critical systems. Proactive Legacy Planning helps guide customers through a smooth transition from an active life-cycle to an extended lifetime, and reduces the risk of board-level clones or non-traceable components.
What are the risks of going with someone who isn’t OEM Authorized?
Legacy embedded systems are highly sensitive to changes. A change as simple as modifying memory can impact the functional integrity of an entire system and must be carefully planned and tested beforehand. Also, just as long-term storage of components must be carefully maintained, “obsolete” embedded boards and assemblies must also be carefully stored over time to prevent the risk of “fall out”.
Because we understand the risks that refurbished or older boards can have in some systems GDCA follows all the original design notes and test parameters, and each board that is sold is built new and tested before shipping. In case some engineering is necessary, we have access to manufacturer recommended alternate components and operational specifications. This information helps ensure that any board we build will operate reliably with the entire system and prevent forced, costly re-certifications.
GDCA is proud to collaborate with other legacy champions in ongoing efforts to stop the clock on obsolescence. Being IP-authorized is another way we offer peace of mind to our customers—providing legacy programs with the products they need, for as long as they need them.
