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SIEMENS AG
Siemens AG (FWB:SIE, NYSE: SI) is the world's largest electronics company. It has international headquarters in Berlin and Munich, Germany. Siemens AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and also on the New York Stock Exchange since March 12, 2001.
Worldwide, Siemens and its subsidiaries employs 472,000 people (2006) in 190 countries and reported global sales of €75.4 billion ($96.6 billion) in fiscal year 2005.
[edit] History
Siemens was founded by Werner von Siemens on October 1, 1847, based on the telegraph he had invented that used a needle to point to the sequence of letters, instead of using the Morse code. The company – then called Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske – took occupation of its workshop on October 12.
In 1848, the company built the first long-distance telegraph line in Europe, spanning 500 km from Berlin to Frankfurt am Main. In 1850 the founder's younger brother, Sir William Siemens (born Carl Wilhelm Siemens), started to represent the company in London. In the 1850s, the company was involved in building long distance telegraph networks in Russia. In 1855, a company branch opened in St Petersburg, headed by another brother, Carl von Siemens.
In 1881, a Siemens AC Alternator, driven by a watermill, was used to power the world's first electric street lighting in the town of Godalming, United Kingdom. The company continued to grow and diversified into electric trains and light bulbs. In 1890, the founder retired and left the company to his brother Carl and sons Arnold and Wilhelm. Siemens & Halske (S&H) was incorporated in 1897.
In 1919, S&H and two other companies jointly formed the Osram lightbulb company. A Japanese subsidiary was established in 1923.
During the 1920s and 1930s, S&H started to manufacture radios, television sets, and electron microscopes. Before World War II Siemens was involved in the secret rearmament of Germany. Like many big German companies, Siemens supported Hitler and used slave labour during the Second World War.[1]
[edit] Post-war
In the 1950s, S&H started to manufacture computers, semiconductor devices, laundry machines, and heart pace makers. Siemens AG was incorporated in 1966. The company's first digital telephone exchange was produced in 1980. In 1988 Siemens and GEC acquired the UK defense and technology company Plessey. The holdings of Plessey were split; Siemens taking over the avionics, radar and traffic control businesses — renamed Siemens Plessey.
In 1990, Siemens acquired failing Nixdorf Computer AG and renamed it Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG. This company has since turned profitable under the stewardship of Gerhard Schumeyer. In 1997 Siemens introduced the first GSM cellular phone with color display. Also in 1997 Siemens agreed with British Aerospace and DASA the sale of the defence arm of Siemens Plessey. BAe and DASA acquired the British and German arms of the operation respectively.
In 1999, Siemens' semiconductor operations were spun off into a new company known as Infineon Technologies. Also, Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG formed part of Fujitsu Siemens Computers AG in that year. The retail banking technology group became Wincor Nixdorf.
In 2004, Siemens took over the mantle of official Formula One timekeeper, replacing TAG Heuer.
In 2005 the Taiwanese company BenQ acquired the financially bleeding mobile phone subsidiary from Siemens and gained the exclusive right to use Siemens trademark for 5 years. Before transferring the mobile phone subsidiary to BenQ, Siemens invested 250 million euros and wrote off assets amounting to 100 million euros (www.newratings.com: Siemens sells mobile phone unit to BenQ). Siemens also acquired a 2.5% stake in BenQ for 50 million euros.
In June 2006 the Fixed Networks, Mobile Networks and Carrier Services divisions of Siemens merged with Nokia’s Network Business Group in a 50/50 joint venture, creating a fixed and mobile network powerhouse called Nokia Siemens Networks.
Through an American sub-organization known as the Siemens Foundation, Siemens also devotes funds to rewarding students and AP teachers. One of its main programs is the Siemens Westinghouse Competition in math, science, and technology, which annually grants scholarships up to $100,000 to both individual and team entrants. According to the foundation website, Siemens awards a total of nearly $2 million in scholarship money every year.
[edit] Bribery investigation
In 2006, prosecutors in Munich conducted a wide-ranging investigation into allegations of the payment of bribes by managers at Siemens.These bribes were alleged to have been paid to win business for the company's telecommunication division,including winning large contracts for the Olympics 2004 and the forwarding of 100 million euros to Dubai through Fiberlite corporation and from there to shell enterprises (source:DW-WORLD.DE), and to total at least €200 million.
[edit] Chief Executives
[edit] Key business areas and subsidiary companies of Siemens AG
Siemens AG's six key business areas are:
The company is also active in:
[edit] Products
- TSP [ Telecommunication Service Platform - TSP 7000]
- Combino, ULF, and Avanto trams
- Siemens-Duwag U2 LRV
- ER20 locomotive - MTR
- Duewag/AEG/Siemens NGT-6-C Low Flr
- LHB/Siemens M1/M2/M3 Metro Mar. Pair
- Siemens-Adtranz LRV
- Duewag/Siemens 1435mm Combino Low Flr LRV
- Metro car
- S4000 metro
- Schindler/Siemens ABB Be 4/8 Low Floor LRV
- Metro 5001
- SWBSiemensr NGT 6D LRV
- Eurosprinter locomotive
- Desiro, ICE, and Transrapid trains
- Gigaset, Home entertainment products, including Gigaset M740 AV, a set-top box to receive TDT and integrate it in a domestic network (using WLAN or cable), i.e. for home streaming media.
- Hicom Trading E
- Hicom 300
- HiPath
- HiQ 8000 Softswitch
- MSR32R
- EWSD telephone exchanges
- SPX 2000 small digital telephone exchange (rural)
- Siemens Gigaset cordless telephones
- Siemens Mobile Phones - divested to BenQ in 2005
- Siemens SPPA-T2000 Control System (formerly Teleperm XP)
- Siemens SPPA-T3000 Control System (For Electrical Power Generation Control)
- SIMATIC PCS 7 Process Automation System for Process and Hybrid industries
- Radio and core products for 2G and 3G Mobile Networks (GSM, UMTS, ...)
- Gas & Steam Turbines
- Industrial programmable controls (including Simatic PLC, and Logo! microcontrollers)
- The Siemens Servo life support ventilator line
- MAGNETOM(TM) Espree
- SOMATOM(R) Definition CT
- SOMATOM(R) Sensation CT
- SOMATOM(R) Emotion CT
- AXIOM Artis
- AXIOM Sensis
- Symbia TruePoint SPECT-CT
- Magnetom Avanto, a Tim system MRI
- Magnetom Espree, A Tim system open bore MRI
- Magnetom Trio, A Tim System ultra high field MRI
- Windturbines, 1.3MW, 2.3MW, 3.6MW
- Sinorix(TM)
- Sistore(TM)
[edit] Clients
[edit] Some of Siemens' recently acquired companies
[edit] Management
[edit] Further reading
- Weiher, Sigfrid von /Herbert Goetzeler (1984). The Siemens Company, Its Historical Role in the Progress of Electrical Engineering 1847–1980, 2nd ed. Berlin and Munich.
- Feldenkirchen, Wilfried (2000). Siemens, From Workshop to Global Player, Munich.
- Feldenkirchen, Wilfried / Eberhard Posner (2005): The Siemens Entrepreneurs, Continuity and Change, 1847-2005, Ten Portraits, Munich.
[edit] References
- Footnotes
- ^ BBC News. "Siemens sets up Holocaust fund".
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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