Here's a press release from Siemens that's really larger than meets the eye in several ways. The evolution of the Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) approach to deploying software as a services (SaaS) is becoming more prevalent each day. I've often mention how I view Siemens as a leader in the field of unified communications.

This afternoon I'll be talking with Harald Braun, Persident of Siemens Networks about an announcement that's being released on Monday that will add even more impetus to Siemens' efforts. I'll post that news here on Monday

Communications SOA from Siemens Achieves “Powered by SAP NetWeaver®” Status; Provides for Integration Between Siemens HiPath 8000 Open Communications Solution and SAP NetWeaver

BOCA RATON, Fla. — October 18, 2006 — Siemens Communications, Inc., an affiliate of Siemens AG, today announced that its Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) has achieved “Powered by SAP NetWeaver®” status through its integration with the SAP NetWeaver Portal and SAP NetWeaver Application Server. Full compatibility between the Siemens Communications SOA and the SAP NetWeaver platform has been established to enable flexible integration of communication services as part of a company’s business processes. Siemens also offers interoperability between its open communication systems, including the Siemens’ HiPath® 8000 open communications solution, and SAP NetWeaver. Such interoperability enables transactions in a Siemens open communications solution to be initiated from any compatible SAP® solution. Furthermore, this communication can be enriched by context-oriented information from the business workflow.

“By introducing Communication SOA services by Siemens in support of SAP’s vision for enterprise SOA, we hope to create a wave of new applications for our business partners and customers who integrate these new capabilities into business processes,” stated Timothy Steele, SVP of Global Alliances for Siemens. “Furthermore, we are demonstrating our continued leadership position in pursuing SOA enhancements and certifications as part of our open communications strategy in addition to integrating these SOA services into our industry-leading HiPath 8000 product.”

Siemens has witnessed increased market acceptance of both SIP and the HiPath 8000 solutions, with deployments by enterprise customers in 14 countries across the globe to date. The customer base for the HiPath 8000 solution has more than doubled since the first quarter of the year and Siemens is adding HiPath 8000 customers every week.

The following key features and benefits are provided by Siemens’ SOA now powered by SAP NetWeaver:

• Enables business agility via rapid application integration and deployment
• Provides lower IT CAPEX and OPEX
• Enhances and leverages strategic software investments and enterprise SOA architectures
• Integrates into existing IT-investments
• Enables rapid application development via the SAP NetWeaver platform
• Integrates employee communication status, such as presence or availability, into the business process
  

The Powered by SAP NetWeaver designation of Siemens Communications SOA solution is an outcome of ongoing work with SAP AG, and complements work with other leading industry players such as Microsoft Corp., to develop a Communications SOA framework that reduces the time it takes to integrate communications into workflow processes. The Communications SOA framework helps developers save time and money by not requiring, as with traditional integration approaches, deployments of additional servers to act as a proxy between proprietary protocols and application programming interfaces (APIs).

Siemens Communications SOA is powered by SAP NetWeaver. The SAP NetWeaver platform powers the mySAP™ Business Suite family of applications, SAP xApps™ packaged composite applications, and partner solutions. SAP NetWeaver unifies integration technologies into a single platform and is pre-integrated with business applications, enabling change and reducing the need for custom integration.

Siemens continues to build on the SOA initiative it launched publicly in May of this year and which the company began working on in 2004. Additionally, the Powered by SAP NetWeaver status of Siemens Communications SOA also builds on the recently announced initial set of SOA components for the company’s HiPath 8000 Open Communications solutions. The company plans to extend the initiative to all key Siemens enterprise innovations and services – including past and future communication solutions.

About Siemens
Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) is one of the largest global electronics and engineering companies with reported worldwide sales of $96 billion in fiscal 2005. Founded nearly 160 years ago, the company is a leader in the areas Medical, Power, Automation and Control, Transportation, Information and Communications, Lighting, Building Technologies, Water Technologies and Services and Home Appliances. With its U.S. corporate headquarters in New York City, Siemens in the USA has sales of $18.8 billion and employs approximately 70,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Eleven of Siemens' worldwide businesses are based in the United States. With its global headquarters in Munich, Siemens AG and its subsidiaries employ 460,000 people in 190 countries. For more information on Siemens in the United States: www.usa.siemens.com

About Siemens Communications, Inc.
Siemens Communications, Inc. is one of the world’s leading vendors of Open Communications solutions for enterprises of all sizes, enabling business processes to be more productive, faster and more secure – with any device, network or information technology infrastructure. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens AG with 17,000 employees globally and headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla. For more information, visit www.usa.siemens.com/communications

Note: Siemens, HiPath and ProCenter are registered trademarks of Siemens AG or its subsidiaries and affiliates.
SAP, SAP NetWeaver, mySAP, xApps and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other company, brand, product and service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

This release contains forward-looking statements based on beliefs of Siemens management. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "forecast," "expect," "intend," "plan," "should," and "project" are used to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the company's current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause the actual results to be materially different, including, among others, changes in general economic and business conditions, changes in currency exchange rates and interest rates, introduction of competing products, lack of acceptance of new products or services and changes in business strategy. Actual results may vary materially from those projected here. Siemens does not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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