SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 1997--Siemens
  Business Communication Systems today announced the formation of the
  Access Terminal Solutions Group (ATSG) to provide Siemens' advanced
  CAT (Customer Access Terminal) kiosk solutions for a broad range of
  business applications.  The group will focus initially on the
  retail and healthcare industries.  
  
      Peter McLellan, General Manager of the ATSG, said, "Multimedia
  kiosks are among the fastest-growing customer-service tools on the
  market today.  They offer outstanding benefits for consumers and
  can directly contribute to a retailer's customer loyalty and
  profits.  The ATSG group enables us to focus more directly on the
  needs of our retail and healthcare customers and provide industry-
  leading solutions for a wide variety of consumer environments."  
  
      Siemens' CAT kiosk, announced in a separate release today,
  offers advanced multimedia and communications capabilities that
  enable retailers to provide highly personalized customer service.
  For customers, kiosk solutions provide fast, easy access to helpful
  and entertaining information.  In addition to data access,
  telephone services, and smart-card and credit card support, the
  system offers such advanced features as on-site videoconferencing,
  which allows consumers to place video calls to a centralized call
  center to access specialized consultants and other customer service
  representatives.  
  
  About Siemens Business Communication Systems
  
      From switching systems to networks to the internet, Siemens
  Business Communications provides integrated global communications
  solutions that turn diverse technologies into practical
  applications for such major sectors as healthcare, education,
  utilities, retail, public sector, and finance.  The company is part
  of Siemens Private Communications Systems, the world's largest
  supplier of private telecommunications systems, with annual sales
  of approximately $5.8 billion, more than 500,000 customers and a
  million systems installed. Telecommunications and networking
  accounted for more than 20 percent of Siemens AG's sales of $63.6
  billion in the fiscal year 1995-96.  
  
        --30--slw/sf*
  
        CONTACT:  Siemens
                  Karron C. Esmonde, 408/492-6979
                  [email protected]
                         or
                  Siemens
                  Anita Giani, 408/777-4546
                  [email protected]