Oasys Innovations recently supported Siemens Enterprise Communications in a project to establish a new Innovation Centre at the company's Head Office in Midrand. Both companies are leaders in their fields of competence - infrastructure for exhibitions and events, and communication technology respectively.
Fred Maurus, Siemens Enterprise Communications Divisional Manager Technology Management and Marketing: “With an annual investment of R3.4 billion in research and development, we have a real challenge to prepare the market for the accelerated integration of best practice solutions on their business communications platforms. Our commitment to getting these new innovations to the market place is demonstrated through a new Innovation Centre, which subscribes to the importance that we attach to a knowledge-based customer and user community. Now they will all have every opportunity to experience hands on the new trends such as Fixed/Mobile Convergence and Unified Communications. This is not a virtual experience, as we can demonstrate actual working solutions.”
Maurus says that, as a consequence of the company's anticipation for the future of communication, they have introduced a communications environment called “Lifeworks” which can be experienced in the Innovation Centre. It is an enabling strategy that creates a seamless, integrated and secure communication environment through customers sharing knowledge of how they and end users would like to share information on demand. That is to access people, information and applications irrespective of the location, device or the network.
Says Maurus: “Together with our supplier for exhibitions and displays, Oasys Innovations, we have created a hi-tech centre that can hold its own in any international corporate organisation.”
Oasys Key Account Executive, Ehrardt Nieuwoudt: “Our experience in the design and construction of showrooms for well known brands and dealerships in the ITC and automotive engineering fields, has given us a head start to support Siemens with their initiative. Our briefing for a design was very clear, in that the client wanted to achieve a stylish environment with immaculate finishes and visitor comfort, yet with the relevant subtleties which underscore the Siemens brand. The Centre has a concept of flow with continuous tops and user friendly workstations that reflect well on their creative concepts of communications integration and Lifeworks. This allows consultants to demonstrate more than one product at a time, giving visitors optimum standing position to view the demonstration. Other features include system- interconnectivity, backlit graphics which provide for ambient lighting when the room is used for presentations from a custom built curved podium, a glass walled lounge as well as a custom server room to house the compact servers and panel racks - to mention only a few of the features.”
Maurus concludes: “Companies have ever-increasing demands to maximise performance in a growing competitive market and a tight economy. A strategy to improve on competence ownership is evident in every industry, and the value chain is becoming more all-inclusive, which allows for sub-contractors such as Oasys Innovations to support us in our quest to creatively share innovations with our customers and potential users.”
