Siemens Enterprise Communications

Siemens Enterprise Communications emerged in July 2008 as a joint venture between Siemens AG and The Gores Group, officially launching operations in 2013 after receiving European Commission approval. This partnership placed The Gores Group in the driver's seat with a 51% stake while Siemens retained 49%, creating an entity designed to inject modernization into the rigid corporate connectivity sector. Headquartered in Munich, the company specialized in unified communications solutions that blended German engineering standards with flexible software interfaces.

The brand underwent a major transformation on October 15, 2013, when it rebranded globally as Unify to signal a shift from hardware-centric products to cloud-integrated platforms. Under CEO Hamid Akhavan during the early years, the firm focused on integrating its OpenScape suite with emerging collaboration tools to compete against giants like Cisco and Avaya. This strategic pivot allowed the company to navigate the rising tide of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) markets across Europe and beyond.

Independent existence ended on May 14, 2017, when French IT services firm Atos acquired the company for approximately €340 million. Following this purchase, Unify became a subsidiary within Atos rather than a standalone operator. The original joint venture structure dissolved completely, though the technology portfolio remains active today as part of Atos' broader digital transformation strategies, including recent alliances with Everbridge for critical event management. [edit]