Always-on Society – Life at Work

Johann-Heinrich Schinke is sitting in front of his laptop in Munich. The screen displays a list of his contacts’ addresses. Schinke decides to call his colleague Michael Maier in San Diego. Behind Maier’s name are several icons that stand for various types of communication Schinke can select. He skips over the symbols for e-mail and instant messaging and opts for the highlighted voice icon. "It means Michael is currently accessible by phone," says Schinke while putting on his headset and clicking on the telephone icon. Soon Schinke has a connection to Maier, even though he doesn’t know if he’s reaching his colleague on the latter’s cell phone, fixed-line phone or PDA. "Hello Michael, please don’t hang up," says Schinke, "I’m going to get Werner Schmid hooked up as well." Schinke then looks for Schmid’s name, clicks on the icon and Schmid’s phone begins ringing in Florida. As soon as Schmid picks up the receiver, a three-way conference call can begin. Schinke then calls up a document onto his screen in order to discuss it with his colleagues.

"In 2010, 65 % of the work at companies will be performed by teams separated in terms of space, time or in some cases both. In 2000, this figure was only 45 %," says Dr. Stephan Scholz, head of Carrier Development at Siemens Communications (Com). In the future, employees in project teams will therefore be even more dependent on having access to up-to-date personal information, such as that contained in address books or schedules. And access to corporate data is just as important, regardless of what kind of terminal or infrastructure is being used or if employees are on the go. Broadband applications for all types of multimedia data transmission are therefore needed. Siemens has now developed the first solutions to make life easier for the mobile "office workers" of the future.

"Until recently, it was often difficult to establish immediate contact with colleagues on normal workdays, as many of them were on the road or in meetings. You’d end up leaving one or more messages on the answering machine and sending an e-mail. The person you tried to reach had to listen to all the messages and then delete them," says Schinke, who is responsible for the product definition of multimedia applications in the Enterprise Systems business area at Siemens Com. "I just demonstrated our solution to this problem. Called LifeWorks, our concept combines previously separate networks such as company LANs, mobile communication systems and fixed-line networks into one system that enables uninterrupted communication."

The key component of LifeWorks is a software-based switching station known as Softswitch. It functions as a cross-network control and connection interface that directs and forwards incoming signals. The media-independent Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) plays a key role here, as it’s the world’s first protocol that can be used in all communication environments (fixed line, Internet and mobile wireless). According to experts from Siemens, SIP will become the dominant protocol for multimedia communications in the future. Because all SIP user access data is centrally stored on a single server, it’s possible to determine at all times if and how anyone can be contacted, irrespective of the time, network, location or device.

Voice, Data and New Customers. Developed by start-up company Siemens Network Convergence (SNC) in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Softswitch has helped Siemens gain new customers. One of these is the New York-based company Cablevision, whose 100,000 subscribers can now use their TV cables to make phone calls thanks to Softswitch. Telephone companies Bellsouth and SBC have also begun to introduce the Siemens system. "LifeWorks enables network operators to offer new, innovative services," says Eve Aretakis, head of SNC. "That sets them apart from their competitors and allows them to tap new sources of income."

The first marketable LifeWorks product is HiPath OpenScape. "In addition to three software components for presence, collaboration and communication, the system consists of terminals and a gateway that creates a bridge between telephone and IP networks," explains Rudolf Bitzinger, head of technology, Enterprise Systems, at Siemens Com. HiPath OpenScape brings together telephone and e-mail communication, voice-controlled services, text messaging, calendar functions and instant messaging—a service that lets users chat and exchange data in real time. Furthermore, it is possible to conduct network-independent video conferences with several participants, and for several individuals to jointly work on documents and files of all types. This is a particularly important aspect, since it substantially reduces the number of business trips required.

The system’s core architecture was designed by Com employee Randy Wuerfel in San José, California, who was named Inventor of the Year at Siemens in 2003 in recognition of his patent registrations. HiPath OpenScape is easy to use, as all applications are administered via a uniform PC interface developed in cooperation with Microsoft. The system is now only usable with Windows, but it will be adapted for Linux as well in the future. Users define when and through which terminal they can be contacted, allowing them to remain inaccessible if necessary. The system also comes with a VIP function that gives preferential treatment to certain callers. If the person to be contacted is inaccessible, the system determines to whom or through what medium contact attempts should be forwarded. The system’s biggest advantage is that users can be accessible at all times at a single number, wherever they are. What’s more, the system always selects the least expensive route.

Virtual cell phone secretary. HiPath OpenScape is already being used by the Greek hotel chain Grecotel, the German Military College near Munich and a German furniture manufacturer. Now developers are working to integrate mobile communications into the system. "We want to have all the features available on mobile devices as well," says Dr. Thomas Werner from the Mobile Networks division at Siemens Com, who coordinates Siemens-wide activities in the Mobile Enterprise segment as part of the top⁺ Innovation program. "That would make it possible to transmit voice messages or e-mails to a smartphone without needing to call them up separately," he adds.

Researchers synchronized the Outlook content by using the Sync ML open standard. This enables data synchronization, ensuring that cell phones, PDAs, laptops and PCs are always up to date, even across great distances. Siemens has integrated SyncML into its cell phones, making it possible for cell phones to receive e-mail. As a result, in the near future, mobile network operators will be able to transmit new cell phone software via their networks, which will simplify service.

In August 2004, Siemens unveiled its SK65 cell phone—a first step toward the mobile office. The phone is equipped with a BlackBerry function for forwarding e-mails to mobile phones (see  "Cell phones become walkie-talkies" in the Trend article). Another step is the virtual secretary for mobile devices, which allows users to select profiles such as "Conference" or "Vacation" to determine for which individuals or services (such as text messages or MMS) they will be reachable. Callers who also have the Presence Service Virtual Secretary installed in their phones can immediately see in their address books which profile the intended recipient has activated. When callers click on the name, they are told when the recipient is scheduled to be done with a meeting and if he or she currently accepts text messages or might still take urgent calls. Siemens Com is now checking how this intelligent filter function might be integrated into the next generation of cell phones.

Werner’s team has also developed a system that’s already being used by more than 50,000 people in Norway and Sweden, most of whom work for companies with large numbers of mobile employees. Called mobile Private Branch Exchange (PBX), this solution serves as a cell phone network switching station. "It lets people conduct conference calls and address groups via their cell phones," says Werner. "This is particularly convenient in the service sector, where teams of maintenance technicians form so-called hunting groups. If the first person on the list is not reachable, the call is forwarded on down until somebody accepts the commission."

But it’s not just the mobile communications sector that’s changing: Fixed-line networks are now also being transformed. Voice and data communication are being combined, and the next generation of telephone networks will transmit voice communication via Internet Protocol (IP). To do so, the networks cut the voice signals into small packages that are transmitted individually before being recombined at their destination. This approach is a sensible alternative for companies, as most of them already have an IP infrastructure. "Voice-over-IP (VoIP) will play a key role in the future because it costs less to transmit voice signals through data channels," says Dr. Tilo Messer, who is responsible for innovations strategy at Siemens Com’s Chief Technology Office. In addition, the price of the corresponding terminals is becoming increasingly attractive, and voice transmission quality has recently improved considerably.

But even VoIP keeps users tied to wires. It would be more convenient, however, if employees were reachable when moving about at the company. To achieve this goal, the method of choice is clearly wireless LAN ( WLAN). And with the help of VoWLAN (Voice-over WLAN), WLAN infrastructures could also be used for voice communication and services in the future. "A VoWLAN handset would allow employees to use their phones at other workstations or while attending a meeting," says Messer.

Wireless Broadband Internet. But there’s still room for improvement when it comes to bandwidth and transmission range. Siemens has teamed up with Intel and the WiMAX Forum (an industry organization) to standardize new broadband radio technologies. Siemens Com will probably launch the first WiMAX components on the market next year (see  Roads to the Mobile Internet). "WiMAX is an addition to systems such as DSL and UMTS," says Werner. "It has advantages in areas where cables can’t be laid, and can be used to connect whole regions to the Internet."

Evdoxia Tsakiridou