BOCA RATON, Fla. and PLANO, Texas -- Siemens Networks LLC and GENBAND Inc. today announced that Siemens has transferred its DCO (Digital Central Office) circuit-switch business and exclusively licensed other technology, enabling GENBAND to provide open interfaces for next generation network solutions to both the DCO and the Siemens North American EWSD installed base. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Siemens will continue to service and support the installed base of 1,100 EWSD switching systems.

GENBAND, a long-time Siemens technology partner in which Siemens has an investment, will acquire the DCO business which includes personnel, the product portfolio as well as its service and support infrastructure for more than 2,500 DCO host and remote switches across North America. "Our vision and mission relative to transitioning today's central office has been to deliver best-of-breed, standard-based, IP infrastructure products to service providers world-wide," said Charles D. Vogt, GENBAND's president and CEO. "We are excited about the opportunity we have to offer our products and solutions to an expanded base of customers. With our growing portfolio of IMS-based infrastructure products and multimedia applications, GENBAND is committed to providing service providers with flexible and cost-effective next-generation VoIP and multimedia solutions."

"GENBAND is a highly-respected industry leader that will provide DCO customers with a wide range of support and options to help keep them competitive and responsive to their market's changing needs," said Harald Braun, President and COO, Siemens Networks.

Genband Inc.