Siemens and Microsoft Extend Relationship
REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 6, 1998 — Siemens AG and Microsoft Corp. today announced plans to further extend their working relationship in the area of industrial and consumer applications using the Microsoft® Windows® family of operating systems, and to implement a broad spectrum of embedded devices for various industrial, communications, consumer and information technology application products based on the Windows CE operating system.
The relationship will extend the combination of Microsoft’s advanced technology in operating systems and applications with Siemens’ long-standing experience in industrial, communications and IT systems. Microsoft technology has served as the basis for many current Siemens products and solutions, and Siemens’ selection of the Windows NT® operating system and Windows CE for embedded devices adds a new dimension to the strategic relationship between the companies.
Both companies will work closely to develop applications for devices using Windows CE, and will also cooperate on Windows NT as a solution for high-end cluster systems that will enhance the performance and scalability of Windows NT for demanding applications. Microsoft will support the further development of Siemens’ ComUnity Visual Framework through its application development customer unit (ADCU), and Siemens Nixdorf will train more than 1,000 employees to become Microsoft Certified Professionals.
Bill Gates, chairman and CEO of Microsoft, said, “The announcement today extends the usage of Windows NT and Windows CE in industrial solutions, based on the experience of Siemens in industrial systems.”
Dr. Heinrich v. Pierer, chairman and CEO of Siemens AG, called the announcement “a major milestone in establishing innovative industrial solutions on a broadly available operating system platform. Customers will benefit by getting innovative and cost-efficient solutions for industrial and consumer applications, and both partners will improve their ability to respond to market demands for a broad spectrum of solutions on a widely available software platform.”
Siemens, which has head offices in Berlin and Munich, is one of the world’s largest electrical engineering and electronics companies and one of the richest in tradition. During fiscal 1997, which marked Siemens’ 150th anniversary, the company had sales of DM 106.9 billion and a staff of 386,000. Siemens boasts an impressive international presence, focusing on eight core business segments – energy, industry, communications, information, health care, transportation, components and lighting – which give the company a uniquely wide scope of operations. With 189,000 employees outside Germany, Siemens is represented in 190 countries around the world, engaging in hardware and software production, engineering, service, sales and development. The company operates some 500 production facilities in 51 countries, underlining its status as an innovative global player.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
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