Tomato & Gang (must read):
Recently, I posed these questions directly to Siemens.
Today, I received the following response:
Mr. Hayman,
I was the National Manager for Emerging Technologies in 1997 and
responsible for the sale and implementation of new multi-media services in North America. I was fortunate enough the convince Financial Intranet (FNTN) that Siemens was better prepared to provide a "total" solution, worldwide, then any of our competition...
To answer your specific questions:
Q. 1.Financial Intranet publicly refers to Siemens as a "Strategic
Partner." Can you both confirm this claim and define the term as Siemens' understands it?
A. Siemens-Nixdorf, Inc. OEC, the Siemens computer division's Multi-Media development arm considers FNTN a Strategic Partner, as do I. FNTN is one of our first Multi- Media customers in North America. My goal is to make FNTN a Multi-Media showcase and a conduit for new emerging technologies and applications... a goal shared by my European counterparts.
Q 2. Financial Intranet claims to be using proprietary technology
co-developed by Siemens and Financial Intranet. Is this accurate and can you elaborate on the uniqueness of the technology?
A. I would rather use the term "Open Technology with proprietary
enhancements". The FNTN platform uses, as a base, openly available hardware and software technologies. This allows FNTN (and Siemens) to take advantage of the "best-of-breed" products at the most cost effective prices. Proprietary enhancements are then "layered" onto the open platforms, providing performance enhancements and FNTN product uniqueness. When new releases of Hardware, Operating system and application software are released, FNTN can easily upgrade. Siemens uses this approach internally.
Q. 3. Since you are a supplier to Financial Intranet, I would like to
secure some form of recommendation from you concerning their company. I am not looking for stock tips. I would like to know whether or not you would recommend them based on business dealings - particularly in regard to integrity and reliability.
A. I am not quite sure how to answer your question. FNTN is a start-up company and subject to all the risks that new companies face. However, FNTN is current on all payments and has been a good customer. I have known Michael Sheppard for about four years and have high regard for his personal integrity. I have never had occasion/reason to think otherwise.
I hope this answers your questions,
Regards,
(Bob Grenier) |
