Here' some info I just got in email -

Intel Corporation and Siemens Communications today announced the establishment of a technology relationship between the two companies that includes an agreement to work collaboratively to create open unified communications solutions based on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The two companies have agreed to jointly fund and cooperatively conduct research focused on secure wireless networks and real-time open unified communications in the short term as well as work together longer term to create comprehensive vertical industry collaboration solutions to drive business process optimization for key market segments such as telecommunications service providers, financial services and digital healthcare.

Additional components of the agreement call for the two companies to establish joint market development efforts focused on the enterprise and service provider sectors. The overall goal of the joint effort is to demonstrate real time communications solutions for business process optimization using Intel architecture such as Intel® dual-core technology and carrier class Rack Mounted Servers (RMS) from Intel and the HiPath 8000 and OpenScape™ from Siemens.

The first step is to demonstrate the OpenScape platform running applications such as Personal Portal, Unified Communications, Video and Voice Conferencing and Mobile Clients. Intel and Siemens expect to present findings and display the first wave of technology solutions developed at the Intel lab to selected customers by the fourth quarter of 2006.

I've maintained for several months now that Siemens is a company to watch and a company on the move when it comes to VoIP and unified communications.  I'm in touch with them now, coordinating an interview to talk about this in more detail. I hope to chat with them in the next few days.

Other Stories
Since I posted, I've noticed these links
Intel and Siemens Form VoIP Partnership
Intel, Siemens Team on Secure VoIP for Enterprises
Intel, Siemens team on secure VOIP for enterprises

Technorati Tags: Siemens, Intel, technology partnership, VoIP, unified communications