Siemens SURPASS(R) hiD Carrier Ethernet Platform Helps Maine-based Telecom Boost Reliability, Resiliency and Performance of Voice and Data Communications.

BOCA RATON, Fla -- Siemens Networks LLC today announced that Maine-based telecommunications provider Tidewater Telecom is using the SURPASS[R] hiD 6650 Carrier Ethernet platform to provide reliable, high-performance voice and data services to customers in the health care industry. The Siemens solution enables Tidewater Telecom to increase bandwidth, boost resiliency and improve service quality for delivery of today's multimedia applications and services.

"The Siemens solution is allowing us to deliver high-quality services using the very best in equipment," said Tidewater President Shirley Manning, adding that the company chose the Siemens solution due to configuration flexibility, ability to achieve sub-50 ms restoration, competitive price and a long-term relationship with Siemens. "The new solution lets us substantially increase speed and performance, enabling us to bring premier voice and data services to our customers. Additionally, the sub-50 ms restoration provides an extra level of protection, so that communications remain highly available at all times."

The SURPASS hiD platform allows carriers to aggregate multiple services such as high-speed Internet access, IP telephony, Video on Demand, IPTV and peer-to-peer network services. As part of the Advanced Ethernet Package (AEP), an efficient, integrated Operations, Administration, Maintenance and Provisioning (OAM&P) system provides the configuration flexibility necessary to provision services.

Tidewater Telecom purchased several SURPASS hiD 6650 platforms, utilizing a 10 GbE Ethernet ring to provide voice and data services to hospitals and other health care providers in the Rockport, Maine, area. The solution enables doctors, nurses and medical staff to send and receive medical records, share large image files used in medical diagnostics, make and receive IP phone calls, and take advantage of other bandwidth-intensive applications, enabling physicians to provide diagnosis to patients faster, collaborate more efficiently and communicate more cost effectively.

The SURPASS hiD platform is part of Siemens' comprehensive portfolio of Carrier Ethernet products designed to enable delivery of broadband services to consumers and enterprises over a converged metro ring network. "Siemens brings to the United States a comprehensive carrier Ethernet portfolio of edge-to-premise broadband network devices that are proven in worldwide deployments, along with an innovative hybrid Ethernet-MPLS aggregation approach to manage it all," said Stan Hubbard, an analyst for Heavy Reading. "Service providers can choose from a single vendor either point solutions or total end-to-end solutions for faster and simpler deployments in meeting their capacity and performance needs."

Siemens' SURPASS Carrier Ethernet switches - including the SURPASS hiD 6630, 6650 and 6670 - comply with the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) Specification 14, an industry standard that certifies traffic performance and bandwidth profile rate enforcement used to ensure QoS. The MEF certification confirms the quality of Siemens' Carrier Ethernet solutions that are used by major carriers such as Deutsche Telekom, Telecom Italia Global Networks and Actel.

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 Networks LLC

Siemens Networks LLC1 engages in a dialog with its customers to create trendsetting communications solutions that help network operators and service providers achieve their business goals. Siemens Networks contributes its innovative strength, worldwide experience and unsurpassed implementation expertise in all areas of voice and data communications. As an innovation leader, Siemens Networks delivers customer value today and prepares customers for tomorrow with trendsetting solutions. Siemens Networks is a fully-owned subsidiary of Siemens AG. More about Siemens Networks at www.siemens.com/networks.

(1) Siemens Networks will merge into a 50-50 joint venture with the Nokia Networks Business Group, creating a telecommunications powerhouse that will be called Nokia Siemens Networks. The new company will be a global communications leader with strong positions in important growth segments of the fixed and mobile network infrastructure and services, featuring a world-class fixed-mobile convergence capability. The new company Nokia Siemens Networks is expected to start operations by January 1, 2007, subject to customary regulatory approvals, the completion of standard closing conditions, and the agreement of a number of detailed implementation steps.

Note: Siemens, hiD and SURPASS are 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.