Siemens eyes MS route for OpenScape

Vendor relaunches unified messaging and collaboration package

Siemens has relaunched its unified messaging and collaboration package, OpenScape, following Microsoft's introduction of its Live Communications SME server product last week.

"Siemens is not very good at generating market awareness, so it's positive to see it marketing OpenScape," said Gartner research director Steve Blood.

He also praised Siemens' decision to go for the same look as Windows XP on the PC interface.

Siemens is aiming the product at 'iworkers' and will target Microsoft's channel.

Tim Bishop, head of strategic marketing at Siemens Communications, said: "Half of the UK's workers are information workers. They work wherever they are, and are technology-ready."

Rob House, head of collaboration solutions at Siemens Communications, said a lot of OpenScape's functions rely on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), and IP telephony standard.

"This needs a SIP infrastructure, and Microsoft is the only firm with a scalable SIP infrastructure," House said.

"Communications Broker integrates with the user's existing environment using a SIP gateway, so users aren't tied to a specific telephony architecture vendor."

However, Blood said: "Everyone says they will build around Microsoft's channel, but what does Microsoft's channel know about this? I think tier-ones and tier-twos selling into verticals will have the most success."