ITEXPO Video: Catching up with Siemens

Cloud communications – can you image what you can do with your efforts in the cloud? If you haven’t given it much thought, you need to check out the latest happenings out of ITEXPO West 2011. The TMCnet event focused on market innovations, new solutions and proven platforms.

One individual on hand to share his insight on the latest happenings with his company and the industry was Mark Straton, SVP of Solutions Marketing for Siemens (News - Alert). Straton shared the latest news from Siemens, a $3billion dollar global company occupying the number three position worldwide in their industry, with TMCnet’s Stefanie Mosca. Their conversation was captured in this video.

According to Straton, “the cloud communications market is developing very rapidly.”  Showing their confidence in the cloud, the company used ITEXPO (News - Alert) to announce OpenScape UC Suite 2011 Update whose primary capability is desktop video. The offering is 100 percent software-based and comes standard with system point-to-point. Customers may purchase sessions at $1200/session.

Straton said that the product is “literally 87 percent less expensive than hardware-based MCU.”  Siemens seeks to democratize video by getting it to the desktop. OpenScape cloud solutions come in private version and public cloud service.

Siemens also introduced OpenScape Office, an appliance for SMBs that provides UC and Microsoft (News - Alert) integration with mobility built-in. The company offers a mini-cloud version suitable for mid-size businesses.

Straton emphasized the value proposition associated with cloud communications. First, he said, it is “significantly less expensive, 25-50 percent less expensive for medium to large enterprise than a traditional VoIP.” 

Secondly, their cloud communications are “truly multi-channel, with voice, messaging, video, conferencing and collaboration.” Finally, Straton mentioned the value of complexity, using Siemens itself as an illustration. Siemens has roughly 14,000 employees and formerly had 132 PBXs but was able to move to two data centers. As a result, Siemens’ operating expenses were reduced by 65 percent per year.

The major trend that Straton sees is the need for a next generation software platform able to scale from premise and private cloud to public cloud.  Cloud communications is “not an emerging technology” he said. “It is a proven technology” and 1200 businesses worldwide are demonstrating this truth by using it.


Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO East 2012, taking place Feb. 1-3, 2012 in Miami, Fla. ITEXPO offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.


Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell