Focus on voice-data convergence

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NUREMBERG. Elmeg Communication Systems GmbH, a company belonging to Funkwerk AG, merged effective January 1, 2005 with Funkwerk Enterprise Communications GmbH (FEC). Thus, the company forges ahead on its path towards creating a single organizational unit in the telecommunications and IP sectors, a process which began in October 2004 with the merger of artem and bintec Access Networks. The company aims to consistently implement a strategy of complete convergence for voice and data. In Europe, Funkwerk Enterprise Communications GmbH is positioned as one of the leading full-range service providers of professional communications and network solutions. Together with Funktel GmbH, FEC forms the Funkwerk AG division of the same name: Funkwerk Enterprise Communication.

Pioneering voice-data solutions

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The company currently focuses on bundling competences in the IT and telecom sector with the aim of developing and marketing professional voice-data solutions.
“With the integration of Elmeg, we have passed a major milestone on the road towards voice-data convergence,” commented Hans-Ekkehard Domröse, CEO at FEC and Chairman of the Enterprise Communication Division at Funkwerk AG. “We have put the expertise from both these sectors under a single roof, thus creating the best prerequisites to take over a leading role on this market. We are already planning to display our first jointly developed voice-data solution at this year’s CeBIT show.”

“This integration underscores the expanded opportunities we have now opened up to telecom as well as IT resellers by merging these companies,” explained Wolfgang Harderich, CSO at FEC. “Without having to change any existing contracts or their accustomed contact persons, these resellers can add perfectly complementary ITC solutions to their portfolios – making them ideally equipped to serve the converging markets.”

Structural optimization

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In addition to the brand names of bintec for access and artem for WLAN products, FEC will continue to sell the existing Elmeg product lines under this trusted brand name. The company’s head office is in Nuremberg, Germany; the Peine location will remain as a branch office. The merger of the three artem, bintec and Elmeg brands to form Funkwerk Enterprise Communications GmbH has led to the creation of a single powerful organizational unit. Sales will focus on specific customer needs with a broader product portfolio. The development departments will profit from an expansion of know-how and resources, making them able to concentrate more on joint projects and get products market-ready more quickly. Structural optimizations will also affect purchasing, logistics, finances and human resources. On the international level, the foreign subsidiaries operated by the bintec and Elmeg brands will be adapted successively and renamed to Funkwerk Enterprise Communications. In addition to the bintec and artem products, all the foreign FEC companies will now also include the telecom systems in their portfolios.

In terms of organization, Funkwerk Enterprise Communications GmbH is divided into five different divisions. These are Sales & Marketing, Products & Services, Finance & HR, Procurement & Logistics as well as Quality & Manufacturing. Hans-Ekkehard Domröse is the CEO of the company; he is also the Chairman of the Funkwerk AG division of the same name. Other members of the management board include Wolfgang Harderich (CSO), Torsten Urban (COO), Johann Schmid (CFO), Steffen Hermann (CPO) and Harald Kähler (CMO).