New Siemens Group Communications ready for business

The new Group, which is currently represented in more than 160 countries, is headed by Lothar Pauly and subdivided into the three segments Carrier Networks, Enterprise Networks and Devices, with a total of eight divisions. Its Group Executive Management has five members: Lothar Pauly is the Group President and is also in charge of fixed and mobile networks in the carrier segment; Michael Kutschenreuter is responsible for finances; Anton Hendrik Schaaf holds the post of Chief Technology Officer and also oversees the Group's carrier service business; Andy W. Mattes is responsible for enterprise business; and Thorsten Heins heads the Devices unit.

An official announcement was made recently at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel whereby more than 150 Siemens employees from the Enterprise networks, Mobile Networks and Mobile phones division met for a formal presentation of the newly established merger and review for the fiscal year 04/05.

Asim Sukhera, Vice-President, Siemens mobile devices, Middle East and Africa asserted: "There is great potential for extensive growth with the new Siemens communication group. Holding a clear number three position globally, our objective is to utilize our strengths from all divisions and produce results which surpass superior levels of quality." Siemens employees left the premises as the new 'Siemens communications group' for the Middle East and Africa region.

"Siemens Communications has a clear, two-pronged strategy," explains Soenke Peters, Vice President and General Manager Communications, Mobile Networks Head Quarters Middle East. "First, we plan to expand our established business toward end-to-end solutions, from the core network to devices. Second, we will be consolidating our role as a trendsetter in convergence solutions for fixed and mobile networks, public and private networks, and multifunctional devices. Here, we already have a good head start in terms of innovations." Peters goes on to explain that Siemens Communications is currently the only supplier capable of offering its customers a complete portfolio that covers everything from devices for end-users to complex network infrastructures for enterprises and operators, along with associated lifecycle and professional services.

Devices
The Devices segment is subdivided into the three divisions Mobile Devices, Customer Premises Equipment and Wireless Modules, which offer a complete portfolio of multifunctional devices for fixed networks, mobile networks and wireless access, thus enabling a wide range of mobile solutions. The Devices portfolio includes mobile, cordless and system telephones, broadband modems and radio modules.

Carrier Networks
The Carrier Networks segment consists of the three divisions Mobile Networks, Fixed Networks and Carrier Services. Carrier Networks provides the complete infrastructure, applications, turnkey solutions (including broadband) and a full portfolio of professional services for mobile network and fixed network operators. On the basis of its fixed/mobile convergence concept, Siemens offers operators of hybrid networks common platforms, applications and broadband solutions for all access types and services.

In addition to being number one in digital telephone switching systems (with more than 300 million installed ports) and in IP convergence solutions, Siemens is a technology leader in broadband access. Over 180 network carriers around the world currently use Siemens mobile communications technology. Siemens is also among the leaders in segments such as Prepaid and Microwave, as well as applications and mobile communication services.

Mobile Networks will be headed by Karl-Christoph Caselitz, Fixed Networks by Christian Unterberger, and Carrier Services by Daniel-Rui Felicio.

Enterprise Networks
This segment comprises the two divisions Enterprise Systems and Enterprise Services. Enterprise Networks provides enterprise customers with real-time communications systems and applications, solutions (including security) and a full range of professional services designed to help them improve their business processes. With presence-based applications such as HiPath OpenScape, the common HiPath 8000/ SURPASS softswitch platform bridges carrier and Page corporate networks and supports enterprises in boosting their productivity.

Siemens is number one in real-time communications with 70 million workpoints and is also the world's leading supplier of Voice over IP connections, with a market share of about 39 percent. More than 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies already use the HiPath solution.