Siemens HiPath Xpressions Unified Messaging Solution Provides Greater Enterprise Choice and More Mobility-Friendly Features Such as Speech Recognition.

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Siemens Communications, Inc., today announced HiPath(R) Xpressions(R) Version 4.0, a real-time solution that enables employees - especially mobile workers - to more efficiently manage and retrieve voice, e-mail and fax correspondence via a personal computer or telephone.

The new HiPath Xpressions portfolio provides enterprises with more deployment options - across Siemens as well as many non-Siemens network infrastructures - and now includes a speech recognition command module and other mobility features designed with the message-management challenges of remote and on-the-go workers in mind.

With the addition of the speech recognition module, the HiPath Xpressions V4.0 solution helps give mobile workers more access - via voice commands - to commonly used messaging and organizational tools such as hands-free message playback, calendar updating, meeting date acceptance, contact list management and message forwarding. Multilingual support was also enhanced to include 13 telephony user interface (TUI) languages and six text-to-speech languages.

Other real-time message-management features added to the upgraded solution include programming shortcuts, improved playback controls and abbreviated prompts for experienced users. A Trusted Number Access feature has been added to enable an employee to log into the system without having to enter a mailbox number or password, via a cell phone or other often-used remote number. A new Playback On-the-Fly TUI feature allows for quick access to unread voice messages, without additional action required by the user (like a home answering machine, for example).

The HiPath Xpressions V4.0 solution was also enhanced to interoperate on a broad set of enterprise infrastructures. The solution is now supported by many traditional PBX and IP-PBX network architectures - including Siemens and many non-Siemens network infrastructures. The solution is supported by open, session initiation protocol (SIP)-standard network environments.

By combining the best of old and new technologies, the new HiPath Xpressions solution continues to support enterprises with user-defined call routing options. For example, the myXpressions(TM) message filtering folder remains part of the new solution to allow workers to establish priority message groups and have priority messages forwarded to cell phones or other commonly used remote numbers. The solution's Web-based dashboard also continues to support both voice messaging as well as more advanced unified messaging features, enabling users to manage their messaging preferences without having to use telephone prompts. Enterprises can mix-and match solutions to meet the specific business demands of various work groups.

Other standard HiPath Xpressions system features include PhoneMail(R) Long Distance Networking (LDN) to help enterprises protect existing messaging infrastructure investments by enabling directory synchronization and dial-by-name between PhoneMail system and the HiPath Xpressions solution. The solution integrates with Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino and other groupware environments via POP3 or IMAP4. Support is provided for single-source, dual-source and combinations of message storage options, giving enterprises multiple strategies to help minimize the risks of lost messages while, at the same time, also maintaining control of data storage limits.

"The Siemens portfolio provides a number of industry-leading options, including presence and other interactive applications that are integrated into a comprehensive communication solution," said Rob Arnold, an enterprise telephony analyst with Current Analysis, Inc. "Such improvements ultimately lead to better responsiveness and improved work group performance. With SIP, the HiPath Xpressions solution ensures long-term interoperability for future communication investments and growth."

Gartner, Inc., also recently announced that Siemens has been positioned in the Leaders Quadrant with Gartner's Unified Communications Quadrant. The Siemens unified communication portfolio includes the HiPath Xpressions system and the HiPath OpenScape(R) collaboration portal with device, individual and group presence features.

About Siemens

Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) is one of the largest global electronics and engineering companies with reported worldwide sales of $91.5 billion in fiscal 2004. Founded more than 150 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 $16.6 billion and employs 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 430,000 people in 192 countries. For more information on Siemens in the United States: www.usa.siemens.com

About Siemens Communications, Inc.

Siemens Communications, Inc., offers its customers a broad portfolio of communication products and services and is a leader in convergent technologies, products and services for wireless, fixed and enterprise networks. The company's portfolio ranges from devices for end users to complex network infrastructures and complementary services for enterprises, carriers and service providers. Siemens Communications, Inc., is headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla. For more information, visit www.usa.siemens.com/communications

Note: HiPath, Xpressions, myXpressions, PhoneMail and OpenScape are trademarks or registered trademarks of Siemens AG or its subsidiaries and 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.