Siemens Improves Communications, Safety and Security for University Community Through Strong Customer Support and Installation of End-to-End IP Phone System

Siemens Communications, Inc. (NYSE: SI) today announced that Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, has chosen Siemens to upgrade its campus-wide phone system. The new end-to-end IP phone solution streamlines business processes, saves money and improves communication, safety and security on the 2,400-student campus.






A Catholic institution nestled in the hills of eastern Ohio, Franciscan University needed to upgrade its data infrastructure and improve overall communications. “Due to the growth of the campus phone system over the years and the different solutions designed to accommodate that growth, we did not have a unified system that allowed us to easily dial between buildings,” said Kevin Sebolt, Director of the university’s Office of Information Technology.






Siemens’ vendor-neutral products, its superior design flexibility and its conscientious customer service convinced Franciscan University to choose Siemens over all other competitors. “Siemens’ relationship with Enterasys, our legacy provider, was a key factor in selecting Siemens as our VoIP vendor,” Sebolt said. “The capacity and resiliency of their solutions, as well as the positive feedback we received from staff and administration after observing how easy the handsets are to use, were all determining factors in the decision.”






The university replaced its existing multiplatform infrastructure with a campus-wide HiPath 4000 communications solution. The solution design includes four levels of backup to achieve the highest possible level of business communications continuity should an unforeseen incident occur. A HiPath Xpressions Voice Messaging System acts as their general voicemail system and enables university personnel to broadcast messages to targeted audiences or the entire campus in case of emergency. When passing university 911 calls on to the local police, the Siemens equipment automatically generates e-mail alerts for campus facility, IT and security departments as well. The university completed installation of the system last September.






The flexibility of the system proved its worth in January, when Franciscan had to move a significant number of analog phone lines between two buildings, said Ron Walczak, principal consultant with Walczak Technology Consultants, Inc., a communications technology consulting firm, who helped Franciscan design, procure and install the system. The HiPath 4000 and Siemens’ support enabled university staff to move the lines, saving the university thousands of dollars in moving costs, reprogramming and tech support. “That kind of fast and inexpensive telecommunications move, add and change is significant to the university’s ongoing expense model,” he said.






Franciscan University selected Siemens’ end-to-end IP communication solution because Siemens is a trusted partner for organizations seeking excellent system support as well as top-notch voice and data systems, said Diane Salvatora, Vice President for the U.S. Central Region at Siemens. “This is especially true,” she said, “for higher education institutions looking to improve communications, safety and security on their campuses.”






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 numerous fields, including medical technology; power systems; automation and control systems; transportation; information and communications; lighting; building technologies; water technologies; and services and home appliances. Based in Munich, Siemens AG and its subsidiaries employ 460,000 in 190 countries. Eleven of Siemens’ worldwide businesses are based in the United States and are supervised from Siemens’ U.S. corporate headquarters in New York City. Siemens’ American operations produce annual sales of $18.8 billion and employ approximately 70,000 people in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.






About Siemens Communications, Inc.






Siemens Communications, Inc. is one of the world’s leading vendors of Open Communications solutions for enterprises of all sizes, enabling business processes to be more productive, faster and more secure - with any device, network or information technology infrastructure. A wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens AG, the company is based in Boca Raton, Fla., and employs 17,000 employees globally.