Calian has recently completed an acquisition of Canadian sister companies SimFront and SimWave in a move that bolsters their military training and simulation solutions offerings. This article will detail the core competencies of SimFront and SimWave and examine how the created synergies will help Calian better serve their customers going forward.

SimFront

SimFront is a Canadian company that operates primarily as a system integrator. SimFront integrates modelling, simulation and training systems with command, control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems. They provide integration middleware to connect systems and to allow land forces to train with their choice of simulation or C4ISR systems.

The SimFront flagship offering is the virtual command and control interface (VCCI), which offers data translation, transformation and communication services. VCCI acts as a middleware between third-party simulators and military command and control applications.

The acquisition of SimFront positions Calian to better serve its customers within the military training niche. The move builds upon a long-standing working relationship of over 15 years—with Calian providing training delivery and support and SimFront providing the technology used to deliver the training. The acquisition will bolster the full product suite that Calian can offer its customers across the defence sector. The combined product and service offering will cover all aspects of integration, training delivery and training support—giving Calian a start-to-finish solution for defence customers.

SimWave

SimWave is a custom software developer focusing mainly on immersive technologies. SimWave uses virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality to build custom simulative training software for teaching different soft skills and hard skills. To create these immersive scenarios, SimWave relies on technology such as the Oculus Quest, the HTC Vive and the Microsoft HoloLens 2.

SimWave has a diverse customer base, spanning several industries including oil & gas, sports, sports medicine, health, trades and defence. Training for complex and dangerous scenarios is difficult and expensive. SimWave addresses this problem by providing cost-effective solutions, performed in safe conditions, which allow participants to grow real, complex skills in scenarios that mimic real-life environments.

The acquisition of SimWave allows Calian to offer more accurate, immersive training solutions that can be custom-built to match a client’s requirements. Calian can now offer an immersive software simulation that is tailored to specific training situations, bolstering their suite of training resources and better serving their customers across multiple industries. The amalgamation of Calian and SimWave skills and expertise allows them to better serve current markets and expand into new ones.

Looking Ahead

Moving forward, this acquisition positions Calian to offer a full suite of immersive learning experiences that are tailored to the specific needs of a diverse customer base. SimFront and SimWave bring their deep expertise and experience to expand and diversify the Calian service offering. This acquisition is the culmination of a long and successful working relationship, and Calian is excited to harness these synergies to expand their presence in existing markets and to enter new ones.

Please join us at CANSEC 2022. Drop by our booth, #701, to see first-hand how Calian is delivering immersive technologies that support custom training solutions.