Last week, Systematic customers from around the world gathered in London for the IRIS User Days. The event, which was held on-board HMS Belfast, gave delegates a valuable insight into IRIS product development, plans for future releases and a first look at IRIS WebForms, a brand new web-based IRIS product.

Delegates also heard from Systematic customers about how they use IRIS products to manage the flow of structured information using agreed international data exchange standards. Lt Cdr Bo Ougaard, of the Royal Danish Navy, told participants how communications operators are trained on IRIS at the Naval Warfare School so that they are fully familiar with it as soon as they board ship. Meanwhile, Maj Andrew Tuson, of the Royal Signals, explained Britain’s Land Environment Message Set and said how they had worked with Systematic to simplify EOD tasking using the ‘custom mode’ in IRIS Forms.

Demo set-ups allowed delegates to get some hands-on experience with the new IRIS WebForms product as well as several prototypes from the IRIS Future Lab. IRIS WebForms is client-server based and has been specifically developed for headquarters environments where LAN/WAN network connections exist to allow clients to access the server. The setup enables new message catalogues and software updates to be rolled-out very easily.

With so much packed into two-days, there was just enough time left for participants to take a guided tour of HMS Belfast. Serving Britain for 32 years, she played an important role in both the Second World War and the Korean War, as well as performing peacekeeping duties throughout the 1950s and 1960s. HMS Belfast was saved from destruction in 1971 and is now part of the Imperial War Museum. She is the first ship to be preserved for the nation since Nelson’s HMS Victory.