Siemens HiPath Xpressions Delivers Open, Standards-Based Unified Messaging with Siemens HiPath 8000 SIP Softswitch

BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb 05, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Siemens Communications, Inc. today announced the latest release of its award-winning HiPath(R) Xpressions(R) unified messaging solution. As part of Siemens' range of industry-leading unified communications solutions, the new release includes native Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) integration with the high-performance Siemens HiPath 8000 IP-softswitch, supporting up to 100,000 users. This demonstrates Siemens' commitment to open communication standards while offering new open capabilities such as the ability to emulate virtually any voicemail Telephony User Interface (TUI), and access to voice messages on-the-fly from any Web browser with no requirement for email client integration. These enhancements introduce more flexibility and choices, meeting the needs of diverse clients while improving business process optimization and worker productivity.

A key component of Siemens' Open Communications strategy, HiPath Xpressions V5.0 is a proven, enterprise-class unified messaging solution built on a standards-based and flexible architecture. The solution supports multiple Siemens and third-party communications platforms, using SIP, IP and ISDN, providing superior investment protection. In addition, it integrates with all industry leading groupware including Microsoft Exchange/Outlook, IBM Lotus Domino/Notes, Novell GroupWise, and Qualcomm Eudora, and supports simultaneous email systems on a single platform.

HiPath Xpression's versatile architecture offers significant choices that lend greater flexibility to deployment and use of unified communications in the enterprise. For example, with HiPath Xpressions, enterprise users can access all of their communications - such as voice messages, faxes, and email from a single unified inbox virtually anywhere via standard email clients and Web browsers. They can also gain this access using a variety of client devices, including telephones, mobile phones and soft clients running on PCs. In addition, users can access and manage Short Message Service (SMS) from a phone, standard email client or Web browser, send and receive SMS messages, and be notified of new messages arriving in their integrated inbox. This convenience, flexibility, and seamless integration of messaging services and data access capability is particularly useful for mobile employees who need to increase their accessibility, save time, and be very responsive to messages throughout the day.

HiPath Xpressions users can now personalize their Telephony User Interface (TUI) to shorten prompts and to emulate prompts from another familiar voicemail system. This simplifies the end-user learning process and eases the transition to HiPath Xpressions.

In addition, users who do not have email integration can now receive email notifications that link them directly to their voice messages, offering more convenience to users without the additional email integration efforts and costs.

"Because it offers SIP connectivity to the HiPath 8000, HiPath Xpressions is the clear choice for enterprises seeking a cost-effective, easy to manage, standards-based unified messaging platform with a comprehensive feature set and scalable architecture," said Eve Aretakis, CEO, Siemens Communications, Inc. "Additionally, the solution provides a powerful tool for businesses with highly mobile workforces, multiple offices in dispersed geographical areas, and a large volume of time-critical projects. These enterprises benefit from the real-time, on-demand access to people and messages that HiPath Xpressions enables, improving interaction with and responsiveness to customers."

Used by more than 5,000 customers worldwide, this continuing evolution of HiPath Xpressions offers further proof of Siemens' commitment to the ongoing development of standards-based solutions, designed to facilitate truly open unified communications for today's enterprises.

About Siemens

Siemens AG 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 16,000 employees globally and headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla. For more information, visit www.usa.siemens.com/communications