Siemens Enterprise Communications Announces OpenScape UC Server 2010 Edition Innovative New Software Platform Optimized for Data Center & Virtual Environments

ORLANDO, Fla., March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Siemens Enterprise Communications, a premier provider of enterprise communications, today announced OpenScape UC Server 2010, the revolutionary next step in unified communications (UC) optimized for the data center and virtualized environments. OpenScape UC Server 2010 extends the company's Open Communications approach with a cross-portfolio, standards-based open virtualization strategy, new hosting and subscription pricing options to help reduce financial barriers to UC, and OpenScape Fusion, which offers packaged integrations that further simplify integration of real-time communications solutions with other business applications. This provides unparalleled deployment flexibility and further simplifies an IT manager's ability to design, deploy, and manage UC solutions in the data center. OpenScape UC Server 2010 also helps meet business goals while delivering cost-savings through a consolidated IT infrastructure, easy migration, energy efficiency, streamlined business processes and future-proof communications technologies. (Please also see today's companion release with VMware here).

OpenScape UC Server 2010 is designed to help address today's data center challenges of eliminating barriers between different communications and business applications, optimizing hardware resources, as well as making evolution to innovative next-generation deployment models such as cloud computing, simpler and more affordable. In a traditional data center approach, applications are tied to proprietary servers, although they may only use about 15 to 20 percent of the server's computing power. With the number of applications most organizations need to run their business, this requires a significant investment in hardware, space, energy consumption and IT resources to manage and maintain the IT infrastructure.

"Traditional telephony and even today's more advanced communications technologies have often been siloed in the data center because of their proprietary natures, requiring vendor-specific hardware and skill sets," said Brian Riggs, research director, Enterprise Software and Communications for Current Analysis. "However, with today's economic environment, CIOs need to optimize their data center assets and real time communications technologies that can be virtualized. Not only do they offer innovative new deployment models, they also can help CIOs meet the IT demands of their organizations and increase efficiencies, without further taxing IT resources."

Unlike competitive virtualization offerings, OpenScape UC Server 2010 is hardware agnostic, benefiting from a virtual machine approach and open virtualization format (OVF). Delivering OpenScape UC Server applications as a software-based 'Virtual Appliance' is another major step in the alignment of real-time communications as an application in the data center. Leveraging the appliance model, IT managers can now deploy OpenScape UC Server applications as a set of virtual machines into the common hardware environment. Furthermore, IT managers can leverage their data center tools to manage these real-time applications in the same manner as their line of business applications. This not only helps to ensure high availability of the applications when needed, it also avoids vendor lock-in and eases administration.

In addition, it simplifies deployment of OpenScape UC Server solutions on multiple virtual machines as needed, supports fault tolerance, can support automation of network tasks and provides for business continuity. Channel partners also benefit from the virtual appliance model as it provides a single go to market approach for them to acquire, design, install and maintain an entire UC portfolio for their customers.

With a standards-based approach, five years of experience in the development of software-based voice and UC applications for the data center and more than one million users on the company's flagship software-based OpenScape Voice and UC Applications, Siemens Enterprise Communications is a proven  leader and innovator in enterprise communications. The company builds on this foundation with OpenScape UC Server 2010 by also providing new hosted editions that are optimized for service providers, further lowering the financial barriers to UC adoption for its customers. These modular, pay-as-you-go subscription licensed offerings support customers of all sizes with the enterprise-class UC, Voice and Contact Center solutions they need, as they need them, as well as providing pre-integration with common third party communication applications, further easing requirements on already strained IT departments.  

As the most flexible, robust, easy-to-deploy and use UC environment currently available, OpenScape UC Server 2010 expands an enterprise's ability to integrate with other business applications thanks to its service oriented architecture (SOA) and OpenScape Fusion range of software-based packaged integrations. With OpenScape Fusion integrations, OpenScape UC Server 2010 can act as the backbone for UC, unifying web collaboration systems, non-Siemens Enterprise Communications UC systems, cloud-based social media tools such as Twitter and Google Latitude, as well as popular business portals such as Salesforce.com.

This not only simplifies the IT manager's ability to unify the user experience for enhanced collaboration and productivity, it also simplifies the integration of business applications for communication-enabled business processes (CEBP), which can ultimately lead to the improved speed and performance of mission-critical business processes.

"We are constantly working to make UC adoption easier and more cost-effective for customers by breaking down the traditional barriers of proprietary systems such as deployment, integration, and ongoing maintenance and support," said Eve Aretakis, executive vice president of voice and application platforms at Siemens Enterprise Communications. "The OpenScape UC Server 2010 platform brings together all of the requirements for unifying existing enterprise communications systems into one platform that is both open and flexible, taking advantage of cloud and social media trends. While other vendors would lock customers into their proprietary stacks and advocate a rip and replace approach, we want to offer our customers the most flexibility and choice in achieving their business goals."  

Also, introduced with OpenScape UC Server 2010 is the new OpenScape 4000 Convergence Driver, a virtualized, software-based solution that supports the traditional telephony features of the popular HiPath 4000 converged-IP voice platform, while allowing customers to take advantage of the new OpenScape UC Server platform.  To further simplify migration, HiPath 4000 customers will benefit from OpenScape Flex Licensing which will allow them to convert their existing licenses into OpenScape Voice at no additional cost.  This provides investment protection for customers and an easy migration to a next-generation architecture.

The latest enhancements to Siemens Enterprise Communications' data center strategy with OpenScape UC Server 2010 further enable organizations to change the way they do business and achieve the productivity and collaboration gains promised by UC with a future-proof, software-based open architecture. The combination of UC virtual appliance, subscription licensing, and OpenScape Fusion packaged integrations address the three main components of a next generation infrastructure -- flexible deployment options, more licensing options and easier integration with enterprise or cloud-based applications.

About Siemens Enterprise Communications

Siemens Enterprise Communications is a premier provider of end-to-end enterprise communications, including voice, network infrastructure and security solutions that use open, standards-based architectures to unify communications and business applications for a seamless collaboration experience. This award-winning "Open Communications" approach enables organizations to improve productivity and reduce costs through easy-to-deploy solutions that work within existing IT environments, delivering operational efficiencies. It is the foundation for the company's OpenPath® commitment that enables customers to mitigate risk and cost-effectively adopt unified communications. Jointly owned by The Gores Group and Siemens AG, Siemens Enterprise Communications companies include Siemens Enterprise Communications, Cycos, and Enterasys Networks.

For more information about Siemens Enterprise Communications or Enterasys please visit www.siemens-enterprise.com or www.enterasys.com

Note: Siemens Enterprise Communications & Co K.G. is a trademark licensee of Siemens AG. HiPath, OpenOffice, OpenScape and OpenStage, are registered trademarks of Siemens Enterprise Communications & Co K.G. or its affiliates. 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.

SOURCE Siemens Enterprise Communications