siemens project report

A Summer Internship Project Report on

Comparative survey of Siemens enterprise communication products

and customer satisfaction with the current equipments

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Marketing)

By

Anup Nair

(Roll No.31)

Under the guidance of

Prof. Pravin Dange

A Study Conducted for

Siemens Enterprise Communications Group

at

Indira School of Business Studies,

Tathawade, Pune 411033

(2008-10)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Gratitude is the hardest emotion to express and often does not find adequate words to convey the

actual feel. It is my proud privilege to register my sincere gratitude for my company guide Mr.

Sharad Babanne (Executive – Marketing) for giving me the opportunity to work in an

organization of such high repute like Siemens Enterprise Communications Group, and without

whose able guidance and support this project would not have been a learning experience. It was

indeed my faculty guide Prof. Pravin Dange who was the guiding spirit behind this report at

every phase of its development.

The summer training after completion of the first year of Post Graduate Diploma in Business

Management is one of the most important procedures to make the students familiar with the

business interface and its current state of affairs.

The experience of the company is of great importance, and has helped in learning the practical

aspects of Marketing. The company’s team is one of the most dynamic team to work with, and

has helped to gain actual business knowledge and acumen.

Last but not the least; I would like to thank all those who directly or indirectly have extended

their support and co-operation for the successful realization of this endeavor.

2

CONTENTS

Chapter Page No.

3

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Definition and purpose of the project

06

1.2 Scope and objectives of the project

07

1.3 Company profile

08

2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 Theoretical Framework, Background Theory & Hypothesis

14

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Method of research

17

3.2 Type of research

18

3.3 Objectives

19

3.4 Data type and data collection

20

4. REPORT ON THE PRESENT PROJECT

4.1 Understanding products and services

21

4.2 Developing questionnaire

22

4.3 Collecting data

22

4.4 Analysis of data

22

5. CONCLUSION

56

6. LIMITATIONS

57

7. RECOMMENDATIONS

58

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

For any business entity the ultimate goal is to earn profits. And analysis of

current position of the company proves to be a significant step towards future

planning and further profit generation.

The project aims at understanding the current market position of Siemens

Enterprise Communications Ltd. with relation to the 3 segments namely,

large, medium and small, in comparison to its competitors.

The first part of the project was to understand the various products of the

company. This was mainly essential because knowledge of the products

makes any kind of comparison possible which forms the basis of the project.

Next part of the project consisted of developing a questionnaire. This was

important to get a wide exposure to the information about not only the

customers but also the competitors.

The next part of the project consisted of collecting the data with the help of

the questionnaire. Various companies in and around Pune were approached.

5

After collecting all the data, the data was compiled together and analysis of

the data was done.

Conclusions are given and recommendations suggested at the end of the

project. Limitations of the study are also mentioned.

ABBREVIATIONS

Power Generation (PG)

Power Transmission & Distribution (PDT)

Siemens Enterprise Communications Group (SEN Group)

Electronic Private Automated Branch Exchange (EPABX)

Private Automated Branch Exchange (PABX)

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)

Local area network (LAN)

Wide area network (WAN)

Wireless LANs and WANs (WLAN & WWAN)

6

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 DEFINITION AND PURPOSE OF THE

PROJECT

The project is titled:

Comparative survey of Siemens enterprise

communication products and customer satisfaction

with the current equipments

Definition of the project:

7

Quantitative marketing research is the

application of quantitative research techniques to the field of marketing. It has

roots in both the positivist view of the world, and the modern marketing

viewpoint that marketing is an interactive process in which both the buyer and

seller reach a satisfying agreement on the "four Ps" of marketing: Product,

Price, Place (location) and Promotion. The survey here focuses on opinions

and factual information depending on the purpose as mentioned below and

involves administering questions to individual companies.

Purpose of the project:

The purpose of the project is to understand the

satisfaction of customers and also understand the current market position of

the company in comparison to its customers. The importance of the above can

be explained with the help of the following information.

1.2 SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

Scope of the project:

Study of products and services offered to customers of Siemens

enterprise communication

Collecting information on current market position of Siemens

enterprise communication

8

Collecting information on customer satisfaction of Siemens enterprise

communication in comparison to its competitors

Objectives of the Project:

Understand and study various products of the company

Understand Customer classification of the company

Understand Customer’s profitability related to each classification

Understand current market position of the company in comparison to

its competitors

Suggest measures to enhance profitability

1.3 COMPANY PROFILE

ABOUT SIEMENS

The Siemens Group in India is a unique player in the field of electrical and

electronics engineering having the capability to integrate diverse products,

systems and services into turnkey solutions across the life- cycle of a project.

Innovation is its strength. But it’s not the only one. Their customers also

know that they can rely on us to execute quality projects, while delivering

value.

In all areas of their operation, they provide the complete range of offerings. In

the Energy sector, their expertise ranges from power plants to turbines and in

the Industry sector; they build airports, as well as produce contactors. In

Transportation, they deliver complete high-speed trains, right down to safety

9

relays, whereas in Lighting, they illuminate large stadiums and also

manufacture small light bulbs. In Healthcare, they execute complete solutions

for hospitals, as also provide “in- the canal” hearing aids. And, the thread that

connects all the businesses is Information technology.

They have a wide presence across the country, where their operations include

17 manufacturing plants and an extensive network of Sales and Service

offices. They are also part of a vast global network of 475,000 people,

operating in over 190 countries, which serves to enhance their standing.

History

From a humble workshop to a global enterprise

Siemens was founded in Berlin by Werner von Siemens in 1847. As an

extraordinary inventor, engineer and entrepreneur, Werner von Siemens made

the world's first pointer telegraph and electric dynamo; inventions that helped

put the spin in the industrial revolution. He was the man behind one of the

most fascinating success stories of all time - by turning a humble little

workshop into one of the world's largest enterprises.

As Werner had envisioned, the company he started grew from strength to

strength in every field of electrical engineering. From constructing the world's

first electric railway to laying the first telegraph line linking Britain and India,

Siemens was responsible for building much of the modern world's

infrastructure.

Siemens is today a technology giant in more than 190 countries, employing

some 440,000 people worldwide. Its work in the fields of energy, industry,

communications, information, transportation, healthcare, components and

lighting has become essential parts of everyday life.

While Werner was a tireless inventor during his days, Siemens today remains

a relentless innovator. With innovations averaging 18 a day, it seems like the

revolution Werner started is still going strong.

10

Siemens is into:

Automation and Controls: Intelligent system solutions - from

building automation to process control to plant operation systems.

Healthcare: Siemens Healthcare division enables clinicians to

diagnose disease earlier and more accurately, making a decisive

contribution to improving the quality of healthcare

Lighting: Osram, a Siemens company is one of the world's largest

lighting companies. Its lamps can be found on famous landmarks,

building interiors and even living rooms all over.

11

Building Technologies: Siemens Building Technologies specializes

in meeting the growing demand for increased personal safety and

more secure public and private infrastructures by electronic security

and building automation systems.

Energy: Siemens consolidates its innovative offerings in the Energy

sector by combining its full range expertise in the areas of Power

Generation (PG) and Power Transmission & Distribution (PTD).

Information and Communications: As the only company in the

world that has all its Information and Communications competencies

under one roof, Siemens is able to apply a more flexible and faster

approach to customers' needs.

Mobility: Siemens offers products and solutions in railway signaling

and safety systems, traffic control and automation, electrification,

traction equipment for locomotives and multiple unit system and mass

transit vehicles.

Cross-Sector Business: Siemens provides software solutions across

the IT service chain, from consulting and system integration to IT

infrastructure management in the areas of telecommunications,

healthcare, manufacturing, public sector, utilities and government.

About Siemens Enterprise Communications Group (SEN

Group)

The SEN Group is a premier provider of enterprise communications

solutions. More than 14,000 employees in 80 countries carry on the tradition

of voice and data excellence started more than 160 years ago with Werner

von Siemens and the invention of the pointer telegraph. Today the company

leads the market with its "Open Communications" approach that enables

teams working within any IT infrastructure to improve productivity through a

12

unified collaboration experience. Jointly owned by The Gores Group and

Siemens AG, The SEN Group includes Siemens Enterprise Communications,

Cycos and Enterasys Networks. In fiscal 2008, The SEN Group

generated.revenues.of.approximately.3.21.billion.Euros.

Management of the Siemens Enterprise

Communications Group

Chairman of the Board and CEO Mr. Mark Stone.

Executive Vice President- Product Management &

Development

Eve Aretakis.

Chief Information Officer Mr. Gunther Ernst.

Executive Vice President- Global Marketing &

Communications

Mr. Fredy Osterberger.

Executive Vice President- Global HR Mr. Todd Schorr.

President- Worldwide Sales Mr. Mark Vayda.

General Counsel and Executive Vice President Mr. Ralph Pope.

Executive Vice President- Global Operations Mr. Vera Meyer.

Executive Vice President- Data Mr. Christopher Crowell.

Chief Financial Officer Mr. Stephen. P. Jones.

Mission and Vision

Delivering Open Communications with award-winning

solutions

Through the global network of over 6,000 service professionals in more than

80 countries, SEN Group is able to deliver a complete range of enterprise

solutions. They encompass the whole spectrum, from bringing complex

networks and IT environments together, to ideas for simple, everyday devices

that keep everyone in touch. They provide innovative, secure and flexible

solutions that can unify communications for every shape and size of business.

13

It's all part of the company’s vision to create seamless collaboration across

wireless, fixed and enterprise networks. All with rich and intuitive content

that makes the solutions so easy to use, they revolutionize the way in which

people share information. The end result is a way of working

that.they.call.Open.Communications.

Committed to bringing added value to their customers

The Company’s award-winning solutions combine the very latest technology,

with practical, no-nonsense ways to embrace Open Communications. And

with their Open Path migration concepts, it's easy to achieve them realistically

in the business.

Open communications

Information technology has revolutionized the way that companies share

information and ideas. But with all the emails, instant messages, voice mails

and phone calls, it can be difficult keeping track of all the information.

Unified communications brings together all forms of communication into a

single solution. But only Open Communications can integrate that solution

with the current and future applications.

Open Communications solutions have already revolutionized the way that

leading enterprises and organizations manage their communications. IBM,

Commerzbank, Shimano, Nedbank, Anglian Water, Detroit Medical Centre

and the Moroccan Police Force are just some of the names that have already

benefited from our Open Communications.

14

Business Value

Open Communications delivers competitive advantages

Open Communications helps deliver the efficiency and effectiveness that

defines the world's most successful enterprises.

On-demand access to people and information makes for prompt decisions and

speeds up the time it takes to perform processes and tasks. So business can be

the first to respond to customers, get products to market, act on opportunities

or recover from threats and difficulties.

At Siemens Enterprise Communications, a long-term view is taken. The

solutions use open interfaces and standards that converge seamlessly with the

current infrastructure to make the most of any prior investment. But because

they embrace SIP technology, there’s also the freedom to evolve your

communications environment, simply and cost-effectively, to meet future

needs.

Siemens gives its customers the advantages of:

Award-winning unified communications solutions

Business process acceleration and faster decision-making

Improved knowledge-sharing and productivity

Easy collaboration across boundaries and with portable applications

Improved service delivery and increased customer satisfaction

Efficient and secure networking

Products and Services

Whatever the size and structure of the organization, Siemens can put Open

Communications at the heart of any business- with a range of infrastructure,

phones and clients and applications.

Applications

15

A range of sophisticated applications can help increase productivity and

reduce operating costs.

It includes:

OpenScape Video

OpenScape UC Application

OpenScape Office

OpenScape Mobility

OpenScape Messaging

OpenScape ComAssistant

OpenScape Contact Center

HiPath HiMed

OpenScape Xpert

Command Control Centers

HiPath Hospitality Service Center

Infrastructure

The flexible IP and convergence infrastructure products combine security

with expandability and they are cost effective too.

Whatever the size and scope of the organization, Siemens has a range of

future-proof, expandable communications systems- offering a rich set of

functionality for greater performance and maximum ROI.

This includes:

Communication Systems for Large Enterprises

Communication Systems for Small & Medium Businesses

Network Infrastructure and Security

Phones and clients

16

http://www.enterprise-communications.siemens.com/main/Products_Services/Applications/OpenScape-Xpert.aspx

http://www.enterprise-communications.siemens.com/main/Products_Services/Applications/HiPath-HiMed.aspx

http://www.enterprise-communications.siemens.com/main/Products_Services/Applications/OpenScape-ComAssistant.aspx

The phones and clients deliver the highest levels of functionality and

flexibility to any business.

It includes:

Office Phones

Soft Client

Solutions

Everybody’s talking about unified communications as an answer to the

bombardment of communication methods now faced with.

Solutions Areas

At Siemens Enterprise Communications we offer a range of unified

communications solutions that integrate seamlessly into the current IT

environment.

Unified Communications - Enabling presence-based, real-time

communications.

Contact Centers - Improve the way you communicate with your

customers.

Network Infrastructure & Security – Solutions to connect, converge

and comply easily

Voice – Unrestricted communication, now and in the future

Services - Transform your communications approach easily

Aerodynamic - Cut costs without cutting performance

Outsmart - Do more, with less - increase your service levels and

reduce your costs.

Primed - Seize new opportunities - prepare to strike fast and capitalize

on business.

Flexible solutions, for specific needs

17

Unified Communications solutions to grow your business

Reduce your communication costs, reach you environmental goals

Get more for less – increase your asset efficiency

Be the best in your field

Unified communications solutions for any sized

businessCommunications for Large Enterprises are no longer a utility, they’re

an enabler

Specially tailored solutions for Small and Medium Businesses

Unified communications solutions for every type of

businessAutomotive

Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals

Education

Finance

Healthcare

Hospitality

Public Sector

Green solutions

At the forefront of Green communications, Siemens Enterprise

Communications offer a range of solutions that are both good for the

environment and good for business.Siemens Enterprise

Communications Pvt. Ltd.The project is undertaken for the following

branch:Siemens Enterprise Communications Pvt. Ltd.701-705/ Tower B,

ICC Trade Tower403A, Senapati Bapat RoadPune-

411016CHAPTER TWO2.1 REVIEW OF

LITERATURETheoretical Framework & Background

Theory Major players in the emerging unified communications

phenomenon attended the Enterprise 2.0 conference in Boston and essentially

18

agreed that while integrating voice, fax, e-mail, pictures, and video is a white-

hot subject, implementing their related applications has been elusive. "IT

executives don't care how it [unified communications] happens," said Frost &

Sullivan's Melanie Turek, who moderated a UC session. "They just want all

their apps to work together, whenever they need them, whatever they are."

Turek, who is principal analyst for information and communications

technologies at the market research firm, came armed with a new survey of

unified communications -- or UC -- and noted that the buying influence for

unified communications is shifting gradually from department purchases to IT

central purchasing. With the federal government and Homeland Security

promoting teleworking programs, the rapid growth of unified

communications is likely to continue. Turek said the number of U.S.

teleworkers increased by 150% from 1999 to 2005 and she believes that

percentage continues to increase even today.The participants at the "Unified

Communications Comparative Analysis" session approached the subject from

different perspectives, but agreed the UC phenomenon is represented by a

multiplicity of IT and telephony features, products, and services that are being

shoehorned and converged into a happening known as Enterprise 2.0. In an

interview, Turek said she believes unified communications' IT will center on

Microsoft and IBM, with other companies playing strong supporting roles.

And, although still nascent, session initiation protocol, or SIP, is becoming

more important. "IT people should be aware that SIP is the standard," she

said. IBM's Akiba Saeedi focused her presentation on IBM Lotus Sametime

7.5, which has been shifting from a single product to a platform. "Some

people live in Word, some people live in e-mail, some people live in portals,"

she said as she explained that Sametime as a platform can accommodate a

wider variety of users than a product could. "The extensibility of the Lotus

Sametime 7.5.1 client provides access not just to people, but to information

and resources," she said. Saeedi is program director for unified

communications and collaboration products in the IBM Software Group.

Microsoft's Paul Haverstock indicated the software provider is centering

much of its UC effort on Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Haverstock, program management architect 19

at Microsoft, observed that the company also is moving aggressively into

voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. Turek said that Microsoft also could be

intent on playing a dominant role in the telephony side of UC in addition to

the IT side. Avaya's Allan Mendelsohn said his company's one-X product

drive in UC is to create a "seamless experience" for users whether they are

"road warriors, campus roamers, desk workers, or remote workers." "With

Avaya one-X mobile, you're carrying your enterprise in your hand," he said

referring to the mobile part of the Avaya product offering. "You get full

business call control: hold, conference, transfer, assistant support, extension

dialing. It's your office phone." Mendelsohn is senior manager of unified

communications in product marketing at Avaya. Nortel scored an early

advantage in unified communications because it figured out early on that UC

would be important, but the company's effort was slowed when Nortel had to

divert resources and management focus because of an accounting scandal,

now safely behind the company. Nortel has been promoting its Multimedia

Communication Server as a flagship UC product, according to Gary Cattarin,

Nortel senior network architect. Nortel wants to look beyond the UC of today

and develop an environment in the advanced unified communications of the

future. The 5100 has extensive links and connections to both Microsoft and

IBM Lotus products. Ross Sedgewick of Siemens Enterprise

Communications cited the company's OpenScape speech portal product as its

bet that voice communications in UC will remain a dominant application.

With an emphasis on UC presence -- the feature whereby users can tell the

status of other participants on a UC network -- OpenScape users are offered

features ranging from placing a simple telephone call to starting an audio

conference. Turek said, "Presence is fundamental to unified

communications."TelsyteTelsyte is an Australian based market research

and consulting organization that specializes in broadband technologies,

services and metrics. Their reports are based on independent primary market

research conducted by Telsyte's senior consulting staff.

Telsyte's focus includes the technical and business analysis of networking

20

technologies; the comparative analysis of service and product options; and the

application of telecommunications and networking products and services to

meet business requirements. The firm specializes in the following areas:

Broadband Technologies (xDSL, HFC, Wireless, PLC, Satellite)

Telecommunications Strategy

Voice/Data/Video Integration: IP Telephony, VoATM, VoFR, VoIP,

VoDSL and VoMPLS

Data Networking Services: X.25, Frame Relay, ATM, IP, MPLS,

Ethernet, LAN Switching

Mobility Services: Remote Access, Dial IP, ISDN

Internet / Intranet / Extranet Strategies and Trends

LAN / WAN Network Design

Facilities Management/Outsourcing

Service Level Agreements

Benchmarking

Network Equipment Evaluation

Telecommunications Service Evaluation

Service Provider and Tariff Analysis

Service Trends Analysis

Telecommunications Product Marketing Strategies

Primary Market Research on Telecommunications Services and

Products

Telsyte's custom research and consulting abilities in telecommunications

include:

Telecommunications network and design, from SME up to carrier-

grade systems;

Tender preparation and bid management;

Custom service price benchmarking and negotiation;

Service marketing plans and demographic analysis;

21

Market education - courseware preparation and delivery;

Competitive profiling and analysis.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Method of research

Research is defined as human activity based on intellectual application in the

investigation of matter. The primary aim for applied research is discovering,

interpreting, and the development of methods and systems for the

advancement of human knowledge on a wide variety of scientific matters of

our world and the universe.

Here the research is Quantitative marketing research which is the

application of quantitative research techniques to the field of marketing. It has

22

roots in both the positivist view of the world, and the modern marketing

viewpoint that marketing is an interactive process in which both the buyer and

seller reach a satisfying agreement on the "four Ps" of marketing: Product,

Price, Place (location) and Promotion.

As a social research method, it typically involves the construction of

questionnaires and scales. People who respond (respondents) are asked to

complete the survey. Marketers use the information so obtained to understand

the needs of individuals in the marketplace, and to create strategies and

marketing plans.

3.2 Type of research

The research type is self-administered survey.

A survey may focus on opinions or factual information depending on its

purpose, and many surveys involve administering questions to individuals.

When the questions are administered by a researcher, the survey is called a

structured interview or a researcher-administered survey. When the questions

are administered by the respondent, the survey is referred to as a

questionnaire or a self-administered survey. An effective customer

satisfaction survey program should focus on measuring customer perceptions

of how well the company delivers on the critical success factors and

dimensions of the business. These usually include factors like service 23

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_(social_sciences)

promptness, staff responsiveness, and understanding of the customer's

problem.

A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions

and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents.

Although they are often designed for statistical analysis of the responses, this

is not always the case. The questionnaire was invented by Sir Francis Galton.

Self-Administered Surveys include Questionnaires which are:

Faxed, mailed, couriered

Computer delivered

People are intercepted in central locations

Advantage

Allows contact with inaccessible participants

Often lowest cost option

They are cheap

Do not require as much effort from the questioner as verbal or

telephone surveys

Often have standardized answers that make it simple to compile data

3.3 Objectives

The objectives of this survey include:

Understand current market position of the company in comparison to

its competitors

Understand the satisfaction level of the current customers

24

Compare the current products of the company in comparison to its

competitors

3.4 Data type and data collection

The project is based on constructive research and the construct involved here

is Questionnaire. The data collected is thus based on the questionnaire.

25

Various organisations in and around Pune have filled the questionnaire. The

data thus collected from each questionnaire is based on the information that

these organisations have given.

Question types

Usually, a questionnaire consists of a number of questions that the respondent

has to answer in a set format. A distinction is made between open-ended and

closed-ended questions. An open-ended question asks the respondent to

formulate his own answer, whereas a closed-ended question has the

respondent pick an answer from a given number of options. The response

options for a closed-ended question should be exhaustive and mutually

exclusive. Four types of response scales for closed-ended questions are

distinguished:

Dichotomous, where the respondent has two options

Nominal-polytomous, where the respondent has more than two

unordered options

Ordinal-polytomous, where the respondent has more than two ordered

options

(bounded)Continuous, where the respondent is presented with a

continuous scale

A respondent's answer to an open-ended question is coded into a response

scale afterwards.

Question sequence

In general, questions should flow logically from one to the next. To achieve

the best response rates, questions should flow from the least sensitive to the

most sensitive, from the factual and behavioral to the attitudinal, and from the

more general to the more specific.

26

CHAPTER FOUR

REPORT ON THE PRESENT PROJECT

The project was completed in 4 different parts, namely:

4.1 Understanding products of the company

Siemens Enterprise Communications is into a variety of products. Before

developing the questionnaire, it was important to have a thorough knowledge

of the products. The various products can be categorized under 4 heads,

namely:

1. Applications

A range of sophisticated applications can help increase productivity and

reduce operating costs.

It includes:

OpenScape Video

OpenScape UC Application

OpenScape Office

OpenScape Mobility

OpenScape Messaging

OpenScape ComAssistant

OpenScape Contact Center

HiPath HiMed

OpenScape Xpert

Command Control Centers

HiPath Hospitality Service Center

27

http://www.enterprise-communications.siemens.com/main/Products_Services/Applications/OpenScape-Xpert.aspx

http://www.enterprise-communications.siemens.com/main/Products_Services/Applications/HiPath-HiMed.aspx

http://www.enterprise-communications.siemens.com/main/Products_Services/Applications/OpenScape-ComAssistant.aspx

2. Infrastructure

The flexible IP and convergence infrastructure products combine security

with expandability and they are cost effective too. Whatever the size and

scope of the organization, Siemens has a range of future-proof, expandable

communications systems- offering a rich set of functionality for greater

performance and maximum ROI.

This includes:

Communication Systems for Large Enterprises

Communication Systems for Small & Medium Businesses

Network Infrastructure and Security

3. Phones and clients

The phones and clients deliver the highest levels of functionality and

flexibility to any business.

It includes:

Office Phones

Soft Client

4. Solutions

At Siemens Enterprise Communications we offer a range of unified

communications solutions that integrate seamlessly into the current IT

environment.

Unified Communications - Enabling presence-based, real-time

communications.

Contact Centers - Improve the way you communicate with your

customers.

28

Network Infrastructure & Security – Solutions to connect, converge

and comply easily

Voice – Unrestricted communication, now and in the future

Services - Transform your communications approach easily

Aerodynamic - Cut costs without cutting performance

Outsmart - Do more, with less - increase your service levels and

reduce your costs.

Primed - Seize new opportunities - prepare to strike fast and capitalize

on business.

4.2 Developing questionnaire

On understanding the products of the company, a questionnaire was

developed based on the requirements of the company. The questionnaire

included questions that would help Siemens understand the level of customer

satisfaction, its presence in various segments and its market share.

4.3 Collecting data

The questionnaire thus developed was taken to various organisations in and

around Pune. The total number of organisations is 60 which includes 20 each

of small, medium and large enterprises. The entire data thus collected was

compiled together.

4.4 Analysis of data

29

The most extensive part of the project was the analysis of data. The data

collected was put together question by question. The analysis of the entire

questionnaire is explained as under:

Q1.Which of these equipments are present in the company?

1 EPABX

2 Video Conferencing

3 Wi-Fi

4 Data Networking

5 Audio Video Integration

This was an introductory question. The details of each product can be

explained as under:

EPABX:

A term used synonymously with Electronic Private Automated Branch

Exchange (EPABX) and Private Automated Branch Exchange (PABX).

Similar to a central office exchange but smaller. A central off exchange can

accommodate 10,000 subscribers. PBX systems are typically designed to

accommodate from 20 to 10,000 subscribers or station Private Branch

Exchange- A small, privately-owned version of the phone company's larger

30

central switching office. Residing in an enterprise, a PBX is a piece of

equipment that is responsible for switching calls between enterprise users.

The PBX allows the users to share a specific number of external phone

lines, saving the added cost of having an external phone line for each user-

Piece of telecommunications equipment installed in a company's office,

which makes it possible to connect many internal telephone lines to city

telephone lines. A Private Branch exchange (also called PBX, Private

Business exchange or PABX for Private Automatic Branch exchange) is a

telephone exchange that serves a particular business or office, as opposed to

one a common carrier or telephone company operates for many businesses or

for the general public.

Video Conferencing:

A videoconference (also known as a video teleconference) is a set of

interactive telecommunication technologies which allow two or more

locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions

simultaneously. It has also been called visual collaboration and is a type of

groupware. It differs from videophone in that it is designed to serve a

conference rather than individuals.

Videoconferencing uses telecommunications of audio and video to bring

people at different sites together for a meeting. This can be as simple as a

conversation between two people in private offices (point-to-point) or involve

several sites (multi-point) with more than one person in large rooms at

different sites. Besides the audio and visual transmission of meeting activities,

videoconferencing can be used to share documents, computer-displayed

information, and whiteboards.

Wi-Fi:

Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance for certified products based on the

IEEE 802.11 standards. This certification warrants interoperability between

31

different wireless devices. In some countries the term Wi-Fi is often used by

the public as a synonym for IEEE 802.11-wireless LAN (WLAN). Not every

IEEE 802.11 compliant device is certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, which may

be because of certification costs that must be paid for each certified device

type. The lack of the Wi-Fi logo does not imply that a WLAN-device is

incompatible to certified Wi-Fi-devices.

Wi-Fi is supported by most personal computer operating systems, many game

consoles, laptops, smartphones, printers, and other peripherals. Wi-Fi uses

both single carrier direct-sequence spread spectrum radio technology (part of

the larger family of spread spectrum systems) and multi-carrier OFDM

(Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) radio technology. The

regulations for unlicensed spread spectrum enabled the development of Wi-

Fi, its onetime competitor HomeRF, Bluetooth, and many other products such

as some types of cordless telephones.

A Wi-Fi enabled device can connect to the Internet when within range of a

wireless network connected to the Internet. The coverage of one or more

interconnected access points — called a hotspot — can comprise an area as

small as a single room with wireless-opaque walls or as large as many square

miles covered by overlapping access points. Wi-Fi technology has served to

set up mesh networks, for example, in London. Both architectures can operate

in community networks.

Wi-Fi also allows connectivity in peer-to-peer (wireless ad-hoc network)

mode, which enables devices to connect directly with each other. This

connectivity mode can prove useful in consumer electronics and gaming

applications.

Data Networking:

32

Networking is the engineering discipline concerned with communication

between computer systems or devices. Networking, routers, routing protocols,

and networking over the public Internet have their specifications defined in

documents called RFCs. Computer networking is sometimes considered a

sub-discipline of telecommunications, computer science, information

technology and/or computer engineering. Computer networks rely heavily

upon the theoretical and practical application of these scientific and

engineering disciplines.

A computer network is any set of computers or devices connected to each

other with the ability to exchange data. Examples of different networks are:

Local area network (LAN), which is usually a small network

constrained to a small geographic area.

Wide area network (WAN) that is usually a larger network that covers

a large geographic area.

Wireless LANs and WANs (WLAN & WWAN) are the wireless

equivalent of the LAN and WAN.

All networks are interconnected to allow communication with a variety of

different kinds of media, including twisted-pair copper wire cable, coaxial

cable, optical fiber, power lines and various wireless technologies. The

devices can be separated by a few meters (e.g. via Bluetooth) or nearly

unlimited distances (e.g. via the interconnections of the Internet).

Networking is a complex part of computing that makes up most of the IT

Industry. Without networks, almost all communication in the world would

cease to happen. It is because of networking that telephones, televisions, the

internet, etc. work.

Audio Video Integration:

Audio video conferencing is a shorthand way of describing a virtual

conference where no one has to leave her office to meet up with the rest of the

33

group. A virtual conference may use telephones, televisions, computers,

conferencing software, collaborative software, file sharing, headsets, the

Internet, or any combination of these equipments and tools. Slide

presentation, streaming audio, and document sharing are some of the extras

you can incorporate into this conferencing method. The ultimate goal is to

make the meeting as realistic as possible, where everyone can see each other,

hear each other, view and modify projects, and so on – all at a cost that

eventually pays for itself in travel savings.

Audio video conferencing lends a rather impersonal air to meetings, and

socializing and bonding don’t take place as they would in the real world.

You can set up for audio video conferencing in a number of different ways.

The older method, still great for a wide variety of teleconferencing purposes,

is to have one group in one room, another group in another room (perhaps in

another city or country), and have them talk to each other. Each of the two

groups utilizes a television, a video camera mounted on the television, a

speakerphone, and perhaps some file sharing software for collaboration on

computer projects. The newer style is online audio video conferencing,

wherein each participant has her very own station in her very own office. This

utilizes a computer, the Internet, a web cam, a headset, and file sharing

software. This new method allows for even greater ease of planning and

attendance, applicability to collaboration, and mobility. You could attend a

web conference on the beach while the other attendees are on a train, at home,

in a restaurant, or anywhere else.

The response to this question is as under:

Small enterprises:34

EPABX- 17

Wi-fi- 1

Video conferencing- 0

Data Networking- 0

Audio-Video Integration- 0

This can be presented diagrammatically as under:

02468

1012141618

No of companies

EPABX Wi-Fi Audio VideoIntegration

Products

Current usage of small enterprises

Series1

Medium enterprises: ECD

EPABX- 20

Wi-fi- 11


Data Networking- 0



35

0

5

10

15

20

No of companies


Products

Current usage of medium enterprises

Series1

Large enterprises:

EPABX- 20

Wi-fi- 18


Data Networking- 6



0

5

10

15

20

No of companies


Products

Current usage of large enterprises

Series1

36

Analysis of the question:

Small enterprises prefer the use of Epabx only.

Medium enterprises are using both Epabx and wi-fi.

Large enterprises mostly make use of all the above except audio video

integration. Very few large enterprises use audio integration. The

number is as less as 5 companies out of 20 companies discussed in

this project.

Q2.Which EPABX equipment brand is currently being used?

1) SIEMENS

2) AVAYA

3) Any Other

This question can be divided into 3 categories as EPABX is used by all the 3

segments.

Small enterprises:

The results were:

Siemens- 0

Avaya- 4

Other- 16

This can be diagrammatically presented as under:

37

Epabx equipment brand-small enterprises

Siemens

Avaya

Other

Medium enterprises:

The results were:

Siemens - 4

Avaya- 2

Other- 14


Epabx equipment brand-medium enterprises

Siemens

Avaya

Other

For large enterprises, the results were:

Siemens- 11

Avaya- 2

Other- 738


Epabx equipment brand-large enterprises

Siemens

Avaya

Other


Siemens has its presence only in the large enterprises segment.

Siemens is also present to a small extent in the medium enterprises

segment.

Siemens has no presence in the small enterprise segment.

Q3. Which Video Conferencing equipment brand is currently being used?

1) SIEMENS

2) AVAYA

3) Any Other

Video conferencing is used mainly by large enterprises. Therefore only this

one segment is considered.

39

The results were:

Siemens- 13

Avaya- 1

Other- 6



Siemens has a huge market share in the large enterprises segment in

relation to this product.

Siemens can enter the medium enterprise segment if it can create a

need of the above product in the market.

Q4. Which Wi-Fi equipment brand is currently being used?

1) SIEMENS

2) AVAYA

3) Any Other

40

Video-conferencing equipment brand-large enterprises

Siemens

Avaya

Other

Wi-fi is used by both medium and large enterprises. Thus this question is

divided into 2 categories as under:

Medium enterprises:

The results were:

Siemens - 5

Avaya- 1

Other- 14


Wi-fi equipment brand-medium enterprises

Siemens

Avaya

Other

Large enterprises:

The results were:

Siemens- 10

Avaya- 2

Other- 8


41

Wi-fi equipment brand-large enterprises

Siemens

Avaya

Other




Siemens can enter the medium enterprise segment if as it has little

presence in this market.

Q5. Which Data Networking equipment brand is currently being used?

1) SIEMENS

2) AVAYA

3) Any Other

Data Networking is used mainly by large enterprises. Therefore only this one

segment is considered.

The results were:

Siemens- 14

Avaya- 1

Other- 5

42


Data networking equipment brand-large enterprises

Siemens

Avaya

Other






Q6. Which Audio Video Integration equipment brand is currently being used?

1) SIEMENS

2) AVAYA

3) Any Other

Audio Video Integration is used mainly by large enterprises. Therefore only

this one segment is considered. This equipment is used by very few

companies and under this survey only 5 organisations make use of this

equipment.

The results were:

43

Siemens- 3

Avaya- 0

Other- 2


Audio-video integration equipment brand-large enterprises

Siemens

Avaya

Other






44

Q7. Are you satisfied with the EPABX equipment that is in place?

1) Yes

2) No.

Epabx equipment, as mentioned earlier too, is used by all segments. Thus, this

question is divided into 3 as under:

Small enterprises:

The results were:

Yes- 7

No- 8


Epabx equipment satisfaction-small enterprises

Yes

No

45

Medium enterprises:

The results were:

Yes- 5

No- 15


Epabx equipment satisfaction-medium enterprises

Yes

No

Large enterprises:

The results were:

Yes- 15

No- 5


46

Epabx equipment satisfaction-large enterprises

Yes

No


The customers of small enterprises segment are least satisfied with the

product being used currently.

The customers of large enterprises segment are most satisfied with the

current product being used.

The customers of medium enterprises segment are more satisfied with

the current product being used than the small enterprises segment.

Q8. Are you satisfied with the Video Conferencing equipment that is in

place?

1) Yes

2) No.

Video conferencing is used mainly by large enterprises. Therefore only this

one segment is considered.

47

The results were:

Yes- 15

No- 5


Video-conferencing equipment satisfaction-large enterprises

Yes

No


The satisfaction level of customers is very high with relation to above

product.

48

Q9. Are you satisfied with the Wi-Fi equipment that is in place?

1) Yes

2) No.

Wi-fi is used by both small and medium enterprises. Thus this question is


Medium enterprises:

The results were:

Yes- 8

No- 12


Wi-fi equipment satisfaction-medium enterprises

Yes

No

Large enterprises:

49

The results were:

Yes- 13

No- 7


Wi-fi Equipment satisfaction- large enterprises

Yes

No


The customers of the medium enterprise segment are not too satisfied

with the current product being used.

The customers of the large enterprise segment are more satisfied with

the current product being used.

Q10. Are you satisfied with the Data Networking equipment that is in place?

50

1) Yes

2) No.

Data Networking is used mainly by large enterprises. Therefore only this one

segment is considered.

The results were:

Yes- 12

No- 8


Data-networking equipment satisfaction-large enterprises

Yes

No


The customers are satisfied with the current product being used.

Q11. Are you satisfied with the Audio Video Integration equipment that is in

place?

51

1) Yes

2) No.

Audio Video Integration is used mainly by large enterprises. Therefore only

this one segment is considered. This equipment is used by very few

companies and under this survey only 5 organisations make use of this

equipment.

The results were:

Yes- 3

No- 2


Audio-video integration equipment satisfaction-large enterprises

Yes

No


The customers of the large enterprise segment are more satisfied with

the current product being used.

Q12. How frequently does the equipment needs to be maintained?

52

1) 6 months

2) 1 year

3) 3 years

4) > 3 years

Various companies have various maintenance requirements. The question is


Small enterprises:

The response to this segment was as under:

6 months- 2

1 year- 4

3 years- 6

> 3 years- 12


0

2

4

6

8

10

12

No of companies

6 months 1 year 3 years > 3 years

Duration

Maintainenance requirements- Small Enterprises

Series1

Medium enterprises:

53


6 months- 3

1 year- 5

3 years- 8

> 3 years- 4


0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

No of companies


Duration

Maintainenance requirements- Medium Enterprises

Series1

Large enterprises:


6 months- 9

1 year- 5

3 years- 4

> 3 years- 2


54

012

3456

789

No of companies


Duration

Maintainenance requirements- Large Enterprises

Series1


Small enterprises hardly have any maintenance requirements.

Medium enterprises maintenance requirements range from 1 year to 3

years.

Large enterprises maintenance requirements are very high.

Q13. Are you satisfied with the service from the current service providers?

1) Very Good

2) Good.

3) Bad

4) Cant Say

Small enterprises:


Very good- 2

Good- 7

Bad- 5

55

Can’t say- 4


0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

No of companies

Very good Good Bad Can't say

Customer satisfaction of current service providers- small enterprises

Series1

Medium enterprises:


Very good- 2

Good- 5

Bad- 7

Can’t say- 4


56

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

No of companies


Customer satisfaction of current service providers- medium enterprises

Series1

Large enterprises:


Very good- 6

Good- 9

Bad- 3

Can’t say- 2


0

2

4

6

8

10

No of companies


Customer satisfaction of current service providers- medium enterprises

Series1

57


Large enterprises are more satisfied with the current service providers.

Medium enterprises are somewhat satisfied with the current service

providers.

Small enterprises are satisfied with their current service providers.

Q14.Any Future needs for the any of the equipment in future?

1 EPABX

2 Video Conferencing

3 Wi-Fi

4 Data Networking

5 Audio Video Integration

This question can again be divided into 3 categories namely,

Small enterprises:

Most companies in this segment did not respond to this question. There were

no future needs to this segment.

Medium enterprises:

The response to this question was as under:

EPABX: 4

Video Conferencing: 9

Wi-Fi: 12

58

Data Networking: 5

Audio Video Integration: 6

This can be explained diagrammatically as under:

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

No of companies


Products

Future needs of medium enterprises

Series1

Large enterprises:


EPABX: 2

Video Conferencing: 5

Wi-Fi: 6

Data Networking: 3

Audio Video Integration: 4

59

This can be explained diagrammatically as under:

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

No of companies


Products

Future needs of large enterprises

Series1


Small enterprises have no future needs.

Medium enterprises have an increased demand for video conferencing

and wi-fi in the future and other products which are not used currently

are also expected to be in demand from this demand.

Large enterprises have an increased demand for almost all the

products.

Q15. How frequently do you update your systems?

1) 3 month

2) 6 months

3) 1 year

4) > 1 year

Various companies have various update requirements. The question is divided

into 3 categories as under:

60

Small enterprises:


3 months- 2

6 months- 2

1 year- 8

>1 year- 12


0

2

4

6

8

10

12

No of companies

3 months 6 months 1 year > 1 year

Duration

Update requirements- Small Enterprises

Series1

Medium enterprises:


3 months- 2

6 months- 6

1 year- 8

61

>1 year- 4


0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

No of companies


Duration

Update requirements- Medium Enterprises

Series1

Large enterprises:


3 months- 6

6 months- 8

1 year- 4

>1 year- 2


62

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

No of companies


Duration

Update requirements- Large Enterprises

Series1


Small enterprises hardly have any update requirements.

Medium enterprises update requirements range from 1 year to 3 years.

Large enterprises update requirements are very high.

Q16. Any Expansion plans?


Small enterprises:

Yes- 6

No- 14


63

Expansion plans- small enterprises

Yes

No

Medium enterprises:

Yes- 9

No- 11


Expansion plans- medium enterprises

Yes

No

Large enterprises:

64

Yes- 3

No- 17


Expansion plans- large enterprises

Yes

No


Very few large enterprises have expansion plans.

A large number of medium enterprises have expansion plans. Thus,

the medium enterprises segment can be considered as an emerging

market for the above mentioned products.

Small enterprises also have little expansion plans.

Q17. What is the purchasing method that your organization follows?

65

1 Going online

2 Dealers

3 Distributors

4 Referrals

5 Any other(Specify)

The results were:

Small enterprises:

Going online- 2

Dealers- 8

Distributors- 6

Referrals- 4

This can be represented diagrammatically as under:

012345678

No of companies

Goingonline

Dealers Distributors Referrals

Methods

Purchasing method- small enterprises

Series1

Medium enterprises:

Going online- 4

66

Dealers- 6

Distributors- 8

Referrals- 2


012345678

No of companies

Goingonline


Methods

Purchasing method- medium enterprises

Series1

Large enterprises:

Going online- 8

Dealers- 6

Distributors- 4

Referrals- 2


67

012345678

No of companies

Goingonline


Methods

Purchasing method- large enterprises

Series1


Small enterprises prefer using dealers for making purchases.

Medium enterprises prefer using distributors for making purchases.

Large enterprises prefer the use of online services for making

purchases.

Q18.Which is the most important factor in the purchasing decision of the

equipment in the organization? (Rank the parameters from 1 to 5 as per

preference)

Price

Quality

Brand Name

After sales Service

Low Degree Maintenance

68

The results were:

Small enterprises:

Price

Quality

Brand Name

After sales Service



0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

No of companies

Price Brand Name Low DegreeMaintenance

Factors

Factors affecting purchasing decision- small enterprises

Series1

Medium enterprises:

Quality

Brand Name

Price

After Sales Service


69


0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

No of companies


Factors

Factors affecting purchasing decision- medium enterprises

Series1

Large enterprises:

Quality

After Sales Service

Brand Name


Price


0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

No of companies


Factors

Factors affecting purchasing decision- large enterprises

Series1

70


For small enterprises, price is the main factor for making the purchase

decision.

For medium enterprises, quality and brand name are the main factors

for making the purchase decision.

For large enterprises, quality and after sales service are the main

factors for making the purchase decision.

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION

Siemens Enterprise communication focuses on large enterprises. Its presence

can be felt in some of the medium enterprises. The customer satisfaction of

the existing customers of Siemens is very high. Also, market share of

Siemens in comparison to its competitors is huge. Siemens is considered

market leader in large enterprises segment.71

With the help of this survey, customers answered questions related to both

Siemens and its competitors. The survey included questions on the products

of Siemens comparing them to the products of its competitors. It also

included questions related to satisfaction of customers.

On thorough analysis of the survey, it can be concluded that:

Siemens caters only to the needs of large enterprises and some

medium enterprises.

The existing customers of Siemens are more satisfied with its products

compared to its competitors.

There is a market in the small and medium enterprises segment.

For enterprise communication equipments, quality of product and

after sales service holds huge importance.

Siemens is known market-wide for its quality and service.

Increasing profitability is the main objective of every organization. Thus, this

survey helps Siemens understand its current market position as well as help

make the organization aware of the prospect untapped market.

CHAPTER SIX

LIMITATIONS

The project suffers from certain limitations. This may affect the analysis, so

mentioning them becomes crucial.

72

The limitations are:

The survey is restricted to organisations in and around Pune only.

The number of organisations in the survey is not very large.

The analysis may have some faults as most companies are not willing

to give complete information. Also, the given information may or my

not be fully correct.

CHAPTER SEVEN

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the survey conducted and the data collected and analyzed, the

following steps can be recommended to Siemens Enterprise Communications

with respect to each segment:73

Large enterprises:

In case of large enterprises, Siemens has a huge market share. So in this

case, Siemens should focus on customer satisfaction to retain its current

standing and not loose its market share.

Medium enterprises:

According to the survey conducted, medium enterprises segment has a

huge potential. Medium enterprises are expanding rapidly. Siemens does

not have huge presence in the medium enterprises segment. Therefore,

Siemens should focus to expand in the medium enterprises segment. Also,

various medium enterprises make use of only a few products. A latent

demand for the other products exists. Siemens also has the option to cater

to these demands as well.

Small enterprises:

Siemens follows a policy of not entering the small enterprises segment.

And to a large extent, it can be said as per this survey that it follows the

right policy. Small enterprises are not expanding and have little scope as a

market for Siemens Enterprise Communications.

Book Reference:

74

Philip Kotler, “Marketing Management”, Eleventh Edition Pearson

Education Asia 2003.

Kothari C. R. “Research Methodology”, Second Edition, New Age

International Publishers 2008.

Journal Reference:

Title: Development of Real-Time Enterprise Communication Service for

Ubiquitous Age

Author: KUROSHITA KAZUMASA(Fujitsu Ltd.); NASUNO

YOUICHI(Fujitsu Ltd.); TANIGUCHI KATSUAKI(Fujitsu Ltd.)

Journal Title: Fujitsu Sci Tech J

Washington Business Journal: Friday, April 3, 2009

Title: 2009 Minority Business Leaders

Author: Bill Bouie

Conference:

Enterprise 2.0 conference in Boston, June 22- June 25, 2009

Website:

www.enterprise- communications . siemens .com

www.wikipedia.com

75

http://www.wikipedia.com/

http://www.enterprise-communications.siemens.com/

siemens project report

Documents