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Siemens AG (, ) is the world's largest conglomerate company. Its international headquarters are 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 461,000 people (2005) in 190 countries and reported global sales of €75.4 billion in fiscal year 2005.

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. Siemens also benefitted from slave labour during the war from Nazi concentration camps and has been implicated in a number of other more recent scandals such as the Iraqi "Oil-for-Food" programme.

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 Company 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.

In 2004, Siemens took over the mantle of official Formula One timekeeper, replacing TAGHeuer. Siemens new look meant more grey looking graphics for F1.

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.

Chief Executives

Key business areas and subsidiary companies of Siemens AG

Siemens AG's six key business areas are:

The company is also active in:

Products

  • 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
  • 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

Clients

Some of Siemens' recently acquired companies

Management

References

  • Greider, William (1997). One World, Ready or Not. Penguin Press. ISBN 0-713-99211-5.

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.

See also

External links

Siemens | Companies of Germany | 1847 establishments | Electronics companies | Networking companies | Conglomerate companies | Home appliance manufacturers | Brands | Companies listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange | Rail vehicles manufacturers | Rolling stock manufacturers | Siemens AG | Siemens AG | Siemens AG | Siemens AG | Siemens (industrie) | Siemens AG | Siemens AG | シーメンス (株式会社) | Siemens AG | Siemens AG | Siemens AG | Siemens AG | Siemens AG | Siemens AG | Siemens | Siemens | Siemens | Siemens | 西门子公司

 

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