Enterprise-wide solutions seems to be the catchphrase of the moment, its latest enthusiast being the UK subsidiary of Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG, the new company formed from the marriage of Nixdorf Computer with Siemens Data Systems, which has been briefing the press on what it has been up to since the October merger. The company has been split into six separate divisions to target specific markets, such as the commercial market, retail, finance and insurance, and government and public sector. A special products division has been set up to handle the high speed printing and supercomputer markets, while a further division has been devoted to consultancy, training and maintenance, software, integration and network services – services accounts for a staggering 50% of Siemens Nixdorf UK’s UKP150m revenues. Graham Williams, the company’s newly-promoted marketing and business development director – his previous title sounded very similar, but had fewer words – differentiates its enterprise-wide approach from that of the likes of IBM and DEC, saying that all the hardware and software it supplies, whether second sourced, is marketed under the Siemens Nixdorf badge – it doesn’t promote other companies’ products. And Siemens Nixdorf favours the direct sales approach, with less than 10% of sales made through value-added resellers – these target niche markets such as dental practices and general practitioners. The company claims full support for open systems, and prides itself on helping customers integrate their existing investments with new technology. Targetted company turnover for the short-term is UKP400m. New products are a close guarded secret, to be unveiled at Cebit in Hannover from March 13.
