Panis Global provides arms, armaments, military vehicles, and troops by contract for a wide variety of military applications. In addition, the company has extensive expertise and facilities for outside security training; provides tactical and military advising to private security forces, law enforcement agencies, and national entities; and produces an array of products for the sporting and personal security markets. The Private Security segment offers a multitude of products and personnel for military operations. These include personal arms (everything from the Berus 14 bantam chemthrower to the ATRA ionic anti-armor weapon), the most famous of which is certainly the Dardus multi-projector rifle which fires jacketless rounds using a tau-torsion accelerator. Though not the first iteration of this weapon, the Dardus has become by far the most ubiquitous. Also included are a host of air, land, and sea craft for use in military situations, from fighter aircraft (such as the Aethon scramjet) to amphibious transport to mobile artillery units (most famously the Eresh ACV). Panis troops run the gamut from Eta light security personnel to the highly trained Tau troops so common on battlefields across Ptah to the shadowy elite Phi operatives; the segment also offers other specialized personnel services, such as bodyguarding (under the Sefet Securities label), combat engineering, and tactical specialists services. The Tactical Training segment offers both courses and regimens at Panis' Aegis Fields compound, as well as training by computer module and battlefield consultation. Panis operatives regularly are brought in to train elite troops in strategy, planning, reconnaissance, and strategy integration. The Security Consulting segment offers services in operations inspections, security systems, personnel analysis, force deployment, and protection consultation. The Sporting Goods and Personal Protection segment manufactures a wide array of products, including pistols and rifles, hunting gear, protective clothing, and ammunition for hunting, shooting, and related sports (mostly under the DeWulf label). It also produces tasers, chemical sprays, sonic inhibitors, and other devices for self defense. (Scathless, Vestorious, and Fullshield are the most popular brands in this line.)

Unlike most of the PCK's of Ptah's major corporations, Rachel Towns worked her way up ranks-quite literally, given Panis Global's military hierarchy. Starting with the company straight out of high school, Towns established herself as an impulsive but crafty cadet. She took advantage of Panis' educational incentives and completed a degree in administration which served her well as she was promoted quickly in the tactical division. Towns is known for decisiveness in a crisis and a talent for strategic thinking, but she has also been chastised by the board for her rashness, and once she has made a decision, it can take vast effort to convince her to change it. Some have cited this as a fault in her leadership, but her subordinates have routinely reported that Towns listens to expert advice and considers all her options before making up her mind-they claim she simply does this more rapidly than the average corporate head and doesn't make apologies for doing so. Nevertheless, she carries a reputation as a brash leader and an uneven PCK. Still, it would take a colossal disaster to dent Panis' market share, so firmly entrenched is the company in its sphere.

Towns is widely regarded in the business community as being more interested in market tactics than fiscal policy. Akilesh VanCamp, in her article "Storming the Markets" in Adept, characterized Towns' approach: "Panis Global's PCK seems convinced that the purpose of business is to outwit your competitors-and your customers." Few wish to contest with Towns on the purely business front; if she has a weakness, it's a lack of concern about public relations and corporate image. It is not the case that Towns disregards such concerns, but her attitude could be characterized as mercenary. VanCamp quotes Towns in her article as likening advertising to "psychological warfare," which seems rather blunt to more sophisticated analysts. Some have attributed this earthy demeanor to clever self-promotion rather than lack of sophistication.

Panis Global headquarters in New Taya is mostly given over to the original facility the corporation began with, the famous Aegis Fields: 350,000 acres of mountain, forest, and plateau behind a high ceramic-alloy fence where military exercises and specialized training operations are still carried out. Many of the first facilities are still in existence and preserved as museum pieces or corporate centers-the renovated shell of the Ackerly Training Barracks, a two-century old building once hailed as the best in military housing, has been retrofitted as a series of state-of-the-art holographic training suites, and the lofty lookout of the Readiness Tower can be seen from most of the grounds. In the southwest corner, closest to the gates, are the newer facilities, cutting edge business complexes with formidable security. Other complexes dot the grounds, such as the R&R Station, a tree-lined parade dotted with monuments, cafeterias, and meeting spaces. In an amusingly ironic twist, the Aegis Fields are considered some of the safest ground in Soretira.

New World Incorporated recently conducted a massive, multi-nation survey on the perception of Panis Global as part of a prospective image overhaul. Their findings, while not surprising, were still impressive: when more than half the people on Ptah refer to "the army," they mean Panis Global.
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Unlike many other corporations, Panis Global was the vision of one man: Nathim Waldner Panis. After a lengthy stint in the Apharan army, Nathim received his honorable discharge and went on to sell his services and expertise to many corporate entities as a consultant and operative. Eventually, he decided that the majority of consulting and security firms then operating lacked vision and scale. (Historians also point out that most of the oldest firms, such as Matsya and Alinas, had little interest in outsourcing their security, and national entities already took care of their own needs.) Panis began to gather a team of experts, consultants, and investors to back his plan. Panis Security grew quickly as their assets proved their worth as security forces, mostly providing specialized teams for short-term missions.

A government contract to train some of the elite troops of Soretire (then a rather small nation used as a security cushion between Aphara and Falhaven) for anti-insurgency fighting proved pivotal for the company: Panis was brilliantly successful and within 18 months had wiped out the threat. (Though some historians-notably Drew Gamache in his recent study A Reconsideration of Force-suggest that the Soretiran insurgents were poorly organized and weak in the first place, and that Panis exaggerated their success in order to make a name for itself. The company, of course, denies such charges.) Nathim purchased the vast acreage of the mountainous country within Soretire. (Some have even suggested that the corporation is a de facto ruler of the country, since it provides all its military services and could, if it chose, control the nation at whim.) The hiring of private troops and the purchase already existing manufacturing facilities thrust Panis Security into the upper tier of corporations, especially given the incentives given it by Soretire, who contracted with the company to provide the majority of its military assets. Many have openly expressed concern about one corporation controlling so much military power, and indeed Panis Global activities are officially banned in a number of smaller nations on Ptah. The company has so far shrugged off all such criticism and makes great efforts to comply with all local restrictions where it operates.

As of today, Panis Global is the watchword for strong security; the Panis phoenix symbol strikes fear in those who fight against their contractors. Famously, twenty years ago, when Rantra and Udhasha were poised to go to war, Udhasha hired a contingent of Tau troops, and Rantra negotiated a peace agreement, citing this as their reason for returning to the bargaining table. Some countries have gone so far as to declare that hiring Panis Global may constitute an act of war; more than one set of accords has been drawn up attempting to limit or forbid Panis Global's involvement in particular conflicts.

Panis Global has strong ties to DDH Matsya-Panis' reliance on military vehicles on all fronts means they must maintain a great many contracts with the transportation company. Panis' R&D department is universally hailed as the world leader in state-of-the-art weaponry and armor, but its secondary system manufacture has always been weak. The Ussos Mobile Artillery (UMA) tank is still considered a fiasco after its very brief use in the Bantodr Conflict, for instance. (There has long been a rumor that at least one workshop in DDH's Miracle Rooms has a hand-lettered sign which reads "We shall never forget you, Uma.") Almost all of Panis' carriers, tanks, personnel transport, and fighter aircraft come from DDH Matsya assembly lines-at least, their frames and controls do. Most of the vehicle power plants are bought from IDX, and the weaponry, armor, and computers are installed post-production in Panis Global facilities. Business rumors persist that DDH technicians have begged to be allowed to incorporate all systems one production phase, promising much better performance and lower costs. Most observers believe this to be DDH's attempt to gain access to Panis' coveted arms schematics; some have even suggested that DDH may engage in corporate espionage and possibly product tampering in order to achieve their goals.

Panis Global has surprisingly strong ties with Clarifex. Not only does Panis order its uniforms and other custom clothing from the textile company, but they are by far the largest consumer of Clarifex's antiballistic and photomorphing antilaser materials. The two companies are working intensely together to develop a new generation of photoreceptor nanotube weaves. Such materials could well power Panis' push into the Rain, as well as provide energy for the long anticipated Ishkur differential sail deep exploration spacecraft.

New World Incorporated has close ties with Panis Global-public records do not show the exact nature of their interchange, but some significant portion of Panis' profits are given over to consulting fees. The consensus holds that NWI counsels Panis Global as to the best way to negotiate the dangerously complex world of international and corporate politics, helping to guide Panis' decisions on which battlefields to fight and who to train; in return, NWI relies heavily on Panis' intelligence gathering in far-flung corners of the globe and in the midst of chaos to use as raw data for its own analyses.

The notoriously cool relationship between Panis Global and DASA Corp. is the result of their opposed aims: Panis is in the business of causing injury-DASA is in the business of healing the same. This conflict rarely rears its head in actual policy change in either corporation's boardroom, however. It has played out in an exchange of rhetoric, with DASA lamenting Panis Global's destructive methods and Panis claiming that their work is as clean and focused as can be achieved. Of course, it has been pointed out that a large segment of DASA's work comes from Panis' activities-the medical corporation would lose an enormous source of revenue if Panis were to scale back its engagements.

The conflict between Rachel Towns and IDX's Illya Bhrigus is perhaps the best known corporate rivalry in the business world. Panis Global contracts with IDX for the workhorse generators needed to power Panis' vehicles, as well as a number of power applications for temporary and permanent military installations. There have been technical difficulties with some of these systems from the beginning: Towns claims this to be a problem in IDX's assembly; Bhrigus maintains that the problem is Panis Global's proprietary designs and the demand that they assemble all final components. The two have clashed many times, including a shouting match that resulted in the shattering of the picture window of IDX's main office when Towns threw a paperweight through it. (That same week, Towns personally paid for the re-installation of the window and the refurbishment of the entire meeting suite.) The wild fox of Panis and the immovable stone of IDX do not mix well, but Panis is one of IDX's best customers and would be hard pressed to find another supplier who could handle their needs.

War has been described as simply diplomacy conducted by other means. In the final analysis there is no more definitive way to conduct business than to stop your competitor's breathing. Panis Global is in the war business and we've built a reputation for efficiency, cost effectiveness, and reliable results on the blood and sweat of our highly-trained legions of veteran warriors, on our tested technology, and on our unmatched preparation and training.

Some say, 'Violence is not the answer,' but we all know that it is very often the only answer that ever really sticks. We encourage you to use other, less dramatic means when possible, but when push comes to shove-be sure to shove hard.

Panis Global: Our Guns, Your Glory.