Our Philosophy

A Philosophy of Innovation

Q&A with George Shenoda, RadiSys CTO and VP of Engineering

The key to success in the electronics industry is innovation: finding ways to get to market quicker, perform better, include more features that are more intelligently designed. The key to innovation, according to Shenoda, is to create a controlled environment in which innovation can flourish.

我们的理念

创新的理念

与瑞德士系统科技首席技术官兼工程部副总裁乔治.设诺达的对话

在电子行业里，实现成功的关键就是创新：追寻新的路径，努力研发能够更快进入市场，拥有更好的性能和具备更多功能的产品。在设诺达先生看来，创新的关键在于创造一个能够激发创新的环境。

Q: Define innovation.

A: Innovation comes from not being satisfied with the status quo. All technological progress comes because someone thinks differently. At RadiSys, innovation is finding how to make what we make in more effective ways. We have to create products with higher performance, lower cost, smaller size - better looking even. I believe even the look of the product makes a difference in how the customer perceive it.

Q: What is RadiSys' philosophy of innovation?

A: Thinking ahead is key to encouraging, supporting and embracing innovation. If you start thinking now of something you need three years from now, and start implementing it a year from now, you will get it in time.

问：创新的定义

答：创新即是不满足于现状。所有科技进步都源自于人们的独特想法。在瑞德士，创新就是设法用更有效的方式去做我们现在做的事情。我们必须创造更高性能，更低成本，更小体积，甚至是更好外观的产品。我认为产品的外观也可以给客户不一样的感受。

问：瑞德士的创新理念是什么？

答：超前思维是鼓励，支持和拥抱创新的关键。如果你现在能够想到三年之后你需要的东西，而且可以在今后的一年里都坚持实践自己的想法，那么你就一定能够得偿所愿。

Q: How do you anticipate what technologies will be needed?

A: We take it from the top down and from the bottom up. From the top down, we converse with our customers constantly. We put ourselves in our customers' place. We literally think as if we'll be building what our customers will build. We go even to our customers' customers' domain to understand how they'll use the products our customers will build. That puts us in a position to be aware - to actually know - what a carrier will want. We take that knowledge and use it to determine what are the best architectures that will satisfy most of the requirements of our customers and "live" for a number of years, that is architectures that stand the test of time and remain viable and flexile for at least five to ten years (depending on the product) from the time the development is completed.

From the bottom up, we communicate with the technology community. We continually look at the latest technology, the most advanced protocols. What are the best silicon devices available? Many of our products in development today are using parts that are not on the market yet, that is why we are among the first to use those components as they come off the production line. That's from a hardware point of view. From a software point of view we try to use common modules, common building blocks and common practice to ensure performance, consistency and ease of use of our products. Top-down and bottom-up meet in the middle producing the most effective and innovative products, that is where RadiSys is.

问：您如何预见什么科技才是我们将需要的？

答：我们可以由上往下和由下往上两个方面来看待这个问题。由上往下来看，我们保持与客户的交流。我们把自己放在客户的位置上去进行思考。我们认真地考虑，就像是我们将要做客户正想要做的产品一样。我们甚至也会涉及“客户的客户”的领域，去了解他们需要我们的客户的什么产品。这样我们就可以真正知道我们的客户需要什么产品。我们把知道的这些情况进行整理，然后决定采取什么样的架构才是最好的，可以最大程度上满足客户要求的，而且具有较长使用寿命的。这样的架构必须能够经受得住时间的考验，至少在设计完成5年到10年（取决于不同产品）之后仍然可以使用和变更。

由下往山来看，我们与技术领域也保持联系。我们持续不断地关注最新科技和各种协议。又有什么最好的芯片可以利用？我们今天研发的很多产品都使用了还没有投放市场的元件，这就是我们成为新产品下线之后首批使用的公司之一的原因。这是从硬件的观点来看这个问题。从软件方面来看，我们尝试使用普通的模块，普通的产品模组和普通的操作，保证了产品的性能，后续支持的连续性和使用的简便。由上往下和由下往上两种方式在中间契合，就可以产生最有效最创新的产品，而瑞德士正是处在了这样一个位置。

Q: How does RadiSys encourage innovation with its engineering staff?

A: It's as simple as putting hard-to-satisfy requirements in front of our engineers. If you create requirements beyond the ordinary or what's on the market or better than the competition, that's what pushes them to think creatively.

You also have to give engineers sufficient time. One thing that can easily stifle creativity is unreasonable pressure with schedules, demands on their time, shortage of manpower - that's the No. 1 enemy of creativity, and unfortunately it's prevalent in this industry. That is why it is so important to try to think well in advance. I have my team always thinking ahead and creating ahead.

问：瑞德士如何鼓励工程师创新？

答：这其实很简单，就像轻易地就可以把难以达到的要求扔给工程师去做一样。如果你提出的要求超出平常，或者超过了当前市场上的产品，或者比竞争对手的要求更高，这就是他们创新的最好动力。

但是你要给他们足够的时间。来自进度，工作时间的要求和人力缺乏等方面的不合理压力会很容易抹煞创新，它们是创新的头号敌人——不幸的是，在这个行业里，这些现象很普遍。所以预先就想好要做的产品显得非常重要。我要求我的团队必须时刻超前思考，超前创新。

Q: What's the inspiration for innovation?

A: Innovation doesn't happen in one place; it happens across the industry. A good idea generates another good idea. If you're constantly aware and looking around and seeing what good ideas are there, they invariably trigger other good ideas. It's a regenerative process. We foster that awareness and exchange of ideas in RadiSys

There is continuous innovation by our suppliers, by our partners, and by us. We are almost bound by the components available to us - silicon especially but software too. Engineering is based on science and mathematics and physics, but there is a lot of art in the know-how of putting components together to create better products, better functionality, better performance, even better looking. That is what we emphasize at RadiSys, the art of the know how. As you know, the best products are described as "State-of-the-Art" Products.

问：创新的动力是什么？

答：创新不会只在一个地方发生，整个行业都有创新。一个好的想法会启发出另一个。如果你坚持关注周围并找寻好的想法，你会发现，好的想法总是可以引出更多的好想法。这是一个可以不断启发的过程。在瑞德士，我们鼓励人们提出想法并互相交流。

我们的供应商，我们的搭档和我们自己都在不断地创新。我们几乎只受可利用元件的限制——尤其是芯片的限制，以及软件方面的限制。工程是基于自然科学，数学和物理学的，但是在将各种元件组装到一起成为一个更好的产品，使其具有更好的功能和性能，甚至是更好的外观的过程中，却有非常多的艺术在里面。这也是在瑞德士我们一直强调的“如何做”的艺术。你也知道，最好的产品我们称之为“达到艺术高度的”产品。