For the business press / For
the trade pressFamily e-mails made easy: BITel and Siemens Business Services start
test of workstations without a computerJoint press release from BITel and Siemens
Business ServicesMunich, Aug 28, 2006
You don’t want to buy a PC but still want to surf the
Internet? In Bielefeld this will soon be possible, thanks to Siemens Business
Services and telecommunications provider BITel. The two companies have joined
forces to start the first test of its kind in Germany and offer the general
public a service that was previously only possible in business settings: Access
to the Internet, word processing, e-mail or electronic photo albums – all without
having to buy a PC and worrying about software upgrades, virus infections or
special IT knowledge.
Customers do not need a computer on their own premises; instead,
they connect up via telephone to the mainframe at a high-security data center.
BITel assigns private storage space to each user and takes care of their software.
Fujitsu Siemens Computers sup-plies the monitor, keyboard, mouse and a small
box which the customer connects to their telephone outlet. 49 euros per month
buy instant access to all popular programs for the Internet, e-mail, word processing
and image processing. The offering even in-cludes training courses for the individual
programs as well as a telephone hotline which provides help when it is needed.
« Older people in particular are often afraid to buy a PC with all its attendant
purchasing and especially maintenance hassles, » explains Alfred Kerscher,
CEO of BITel. « Who wants to install complex firewalls if all you want to
do is send e-mail greetings to your daughter? In the future, with our solution
from a single source, you can leave all the un-pleasant details to us. »
Siemens Business Services developed the entire solution together
with BITel and sup-ports its operation. « Corporate customers have used
this so-called thin-client service from us for many years, » says Christian
Oecking, head of Siemens Business Services’ outsourcing business. « They
value the lack of administrative headaches and the high security standard. »
If the service proves successful in its test market, it will
be marketed nationwide.
Siemens Business Services is an internationally leading IT service
provider.
This Siemens Group offers services all along the entire value chain –
from consulting to systems integration, right through to the management of IT
infrastructures. Thanks to its comprehensive know-how and sector-specific expertise,
the company provides measurable added value for its customers. With regard to
outsourcing, Siemens Business Services is among the top ten providers worldwide.
With around 39,000 employees, the Group posted sales in fiscal 2005 (ending
30 September 2005) of EUR 5.4 billion, 75 percent of which was achieved outside
the Siemens organization. Further information at http://www.siemens.com/sbs.
BITel is the leading local telecommunications provider in Bielefeld,
Gütersloh, Halle, Werther and Stein-hagen. As a subsidiary of Stadtwerke
(municipal utilities) Bielefeld and Stadtwerke Gütersloh, it offers telephony
and Internet connections along with associated installation and other services
to private and business customers in the region. BITel counts national and international
carriers among its customers and business partners. With its customized solutions,
24-hour on-site service and attractive products, the company has continuously
expanded its business in recent years. In fiscal 2005, BITel had 75 employees
and generated sales of 15.5 million euros. For more information, go to http://www.bitel.de.
