Skip to main content
Siemens technologies

Innovating for tomorrow, since 1847

For nearly 180 years, Siemens has been at the forefront of shaping our world. We've transformed groundbreaking inventions into innovative technologies, tackled the challenges of our time, and demonstrated profound social commitment, to improve people's everyday lives.

A legacy of innovation shaping our world

From electrified cities to digital industries. From the first electric trains to seamless, safer and more sustainable transportation. From the first X-ray systems to the digital age of imaging, diagnostics and therapy. We are building the future. And have been doing so since 1847. Explore some of our most impactful innovations.

Select...

Siemens Pointer Telegraph

An invention pointing into the future

Before the 1850s, information travelled at the speed of transportation – weeks or even months for intercontinental messages, and slowly even within a single country. The advent of electrical telegraphy changed everything. With the pointer telegraph, Siemens made a pivotal contribution to the age of modern communication.

19th-century news: Information’s troubled travels

Imagine a world where news travelled only as fast as a horse, ship, or train. In spite of the growing railway network, in remote regions the flow of information still relied on mail riders. Optical telegraphs were in use to some extent. But their operation was cumbersome, and they worked only during daylight in fair weather. The world was ready for a faster, more reliable way to connect.

Pointer telegraph an important contribution to modern communication

A cable into the future

Technical drawing pointer telegraph

Revolutionizing communication

Electrical telegraphy had the potential to revolutionize communication. An important step was made in 1847 when Werner von Siemens improved the idea of electric telegraphy.

Photo pointer telegraphs

Seamless insulation, battery-free operation

Siemens' innovations included a press (1847) for seamlessly insulating telegraph wires, and the induction pointer telegraph (1856), which operated without a battery.

Photo logo Siemens & Halske

Founding a global company

These advancements not only propelled electrical communications forward but also established the foundation for what would become a global company.

How the Siemens pointer telegraph worked

To avoid handling problems of earlier telegraphs, the Siemens transmitter and receiver devices were identical, each with its own battery. The pointers at both stations rotated synchronously around the radially arranged letters. If someone at the transmitting station pressed a letter, the pointer stopped there – and the pointer at the receiver station likewise stopped on the same letter.

From telegraph to telephone: Siemens communication evolution

The pointer telegraph was only the beginning of communication innovations developed by Siemens. As “telephone fever” swept from the USA to Europe, Siemens entered the market and produced its own, improved version of the telephone on a mass scale. In 1909, Siemens installed Germany’s first dialed, automatic telephone exchange in Munich. Radio technology became another important field for the company.

A black and white overhead photo of an antique Siemens & Halske telephone, showing the base, receiver, and mouthpiece.
An illustration of a worker managing a smart energy grid with solar panels, wind turbines, and power lines.

Smart connectivity for a sustainable tomorrow

Just as people in the 19th century experienced technological disruption, we in the 21st century are navigating an era transformed by artificial intelligence (AI). At Siemens, we are developing a new generation of smart connectivity that leverages AI and digital twins to create resilient, ecologically efficient energy systems for the future.

Learn more