UANI

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) is a multinational telecommunications, hardware, software, and services company working with communication system providers in 150 countries (Company Website. “About Us”).

Nokia and Siemens created the jointly-owned subsidiary in 2006, merging their respective network infrastructure divisions. The 50/50 joint venture is incorporated in the Netherlands and headquartered in Finland (Ovum. “Siemens and Nokia to merge network infrastructure divisions,” 6/19/2006). 

Board control is held by Nokia, with Nokia President and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo serving as company Chairman.

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On June 22, 2009, amidst the post-election unrest in Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported that in 2008, the Nokia Siemens Networks had sold equipment to Iran that contributed to the Iranian regime’s ability to monitor and censor Internet, voice and mobile communications.

The “monitoring center [Lawful Interception Gateway (LIG)],” sold to the government’s telecommunications monopoly TCI (Telecommunications Company of Iran), intrinsically provides the regime “the capability to intercept any communications that runs over them.” The equipment also has lawful uses, such as “intercepting data for the purposes of combating terrorism, child pornography, drug trafficking and other criminal activities carried out online.”

Reportedly, the Iranian government began to make extensive use of this technology during the post-election unrest. The regime likely used the equipment to perform “deep packet inspections,” allowing the government to monitor online communications such emails, Internet phone calls, Facebook, Twitter, Instant Messaging, etc (The Wall Street Journal. “Iran's Web Spying Aided By Western Technology,” 6/22/09).

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Nokia Siemens also continues to provide services to two cellphone companies in Iran. The company spokesman also said that “Forty million people in Iran have gotten cellphones over the last couple of years.”

Between 2000 and March 2010, Nokia Siemens received $21.5 million in U.S. federal funds (The New York Times. “Profiting from Iran, and the U.S.”, 3/6/10). As of June 29, 2010, USASpending.gov now lists that Nokia Siemens has received nearly $26.7 million from the U.S. government, with the overwhelming majority of those funds ($23 million) coming from the Department of Defense (USASpending.gov, 6/29/10).

According to its website, Cisco is “the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate.” (Company Website)

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Business Monitor International states, “Cisco Systems Inc (USA) designs, develops, manufactures and provides technical support for high performance computer networking products and systems. The company specialises in end-to-end networking solutions and is aimed at three key markets - enterprises, service providers and commercial.” (Business Monitor International, subscription required)

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The Business Monitor International lists Cisco of Iran, based in Tehran, as a subsidiary of Cisco Systems, USA.
(Business Monitor International, subscription required)

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In its Partner Catalog, Cisco has an entry for “Iran (Islamic Republic of)” with 24 Cisco Technology Developer Partners and one Cisco Solutions Partner. (Company Website)

The Cisco Learning Network includes the Iran Networking Academy as one of its groups. (Company Website)

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Cisco of Iran (ICCO) is listed as on a page of Iranian companies. (Iranian Company Website)

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Cisco’s Export and Contract Compliance page cites Cisco’s compliance with American regulations, including Export Administration Regulations and Wassenaar Arrangement. Iran is noted in Cisco’s Export and Contract Compliance page as one of several countries where certain Cisco Solutions products may not be delivered. (Company Website)

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Cisco’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy states, “Our corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are designed to provide long-term benefits to our employees, customers, shareholders, partners, and individuals in communities around the world. We focus on three main areas: Employees, Environment, and Social Investments” (Company Website).

In its Code of Business Conduct, Cisco claims to be a “good corporate citizen” and states that, “As a global company, we stay on top of laws and regulations as they apply to doing business around the world” (Cisco Code of Business Conduct).

Wincor Nixdorf, according to its website, is one of the world’s leading providers of IT solutions and services to retailers and retail banks.  Their IT solutions "help boost process efficiency in banking and retail industries High levels of availability and quality Solutions for cost-efficient operation of IT systems Banking."

The company has subsidiaries in over 41 countries and has an overall market presence in over 100 countries. (Company Website)

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Wincor Nixdorf is listed on the website of Iranian company Informatics Services Corporation (ICS) as a business partner (ICS Company Website).  Likewise, WN lists ICS as one of its banking partners on its own website.  (Company Website) 

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The company's policy on "Social Corporate Responsibiliy" is as follows:

“Success …depends on…achieving a balance between economic, environmental and social objectives – one that is indispensable if we wish to enjoy the confidence of the public over the long term.”  The policy also cites three key values: Caring for the environment, Focus on people, and Social responsibility.  (Company Website)

In their 2010 10-k forms for the SEC, Arbinet Corp. disclosed few details regarding their business in Iran.

“As a worldwide exchange of international communications traffic, we do a small amount of business with telecommunications carriers in Iran and Sudan representing approximately 0.1% of annual revenues in 2006 and 2007 and approximately 0.4% of our annual revenues in 2008. We believe our business dealings with the telecommunications carriers in Iran are permitted transactions under the applicable U.S. sanctions regimes administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), which permits certain transactions related to the receipt and transmission of telecommunications involving those countries. To our knowledge, we have no agreements with the government of Iran. We take seriously our obligation to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including OFAC sanctions programs, and have a comprehensive OFAC compliance program, including training for key employees and written policies and procedures." (10-K for ARBINET Corp, 3/17/2010)

In a correspondance with the SEC in 2009, Mobile TeleSystems disclosed details regarding their signed agreements with Iran.

"The Company has roaming agreements with operators in Iran.  The International Roaming Agreement between OJSC “MTS” and Mobile Company of Iran (“MCI”) was signed April 24, 2006.  The International Roaming Agreement between OJSC “MTS” and “Taliya Iran” was signed November 18, 2006.  The International Roaming Agreement between OJSC “MTS” and MTN Irancell was signed May 25, 2008." (CORRESP for MOBILE TELESYSTEMS OJSC, 11/27/2009)

In a correspondance with the SEC in 2009, Deutsche Telekom disclosed few details regarding their investments in Iran.  

"We have bilateral agreements with operators in Iran that provide for termination of traffic into the country and traffic originating from the country.  We have roaming agreements with network operators in Iran.  Roaming agreements allow our mobile customers to make and receive voice calls, send and receive data, or access other services when traveling outside the geographical coverage area of the home network, by means of using another operator’s network." (CORRESP for DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG, 11/27/2009)

• LG has a company website for Iran in Farsi.

• "The lawmakers underlined a finding by the Congressional Research Service that 20 non-US firms may be in violation of the Iran Sanctions Act.

  They include Totalfina Elf of France; Italy's ENI; Bow Valley of Canada; the Netherlands' Royal Dutch Shell; Norsk Hydro of Norway; Russia's Lukoil; GVA Consultants of Sweden; Sheer Energy of Canada; LG of South Korea; Norway's Statoil; and Inpex of Japan." (AFP, “US lawmakers urge Obama to use Iran sanctions powers,” 10/21/09)

• "GIANTS WITH A FOOT IN TEHRAN: Total, Shell, Statoil, BNP Paribas, Commerzbank, MTN, UPS, Linde, Technip, Nokia, Ericsson, Peugeot, Renault, OMV, Societe Generale, ENI, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Siemens, LG, Samsung, Bosch, Valeo, Nestle, Unilever, BAT, Japan Tobacco." (The London Times, "American pressure threatens UK firms," 5/27/06)

• "According to "Tehran Times", Iranian authorized dealers of the audio-visual, air conditioning systems and cellular phones affiliated to the Goldiran Co. got together in the Islamic Republic of Iran's Broadcasting (IRIB) Hall of Conferences in Tehran. The party was thrown in honor of S.S. Kim, chief executive officer and Vice President of the LG Electronics.

  Kim who is also the chief executive officer of Korean LG Electronics Company and among the 20 top economic managers in the world has received many awards in different managerial fields." (InfoProd, “Iran: Senior Managers of LG Electronics Hold Meeting in Tehran,” 11/18/04)

• "Iran signed a $1.6 billion contract with South Korea's LG Construction Co. Ltd. to further develop its huge South Pars offshore gas field in the Gulf.

  With the signing on Sunday, LG took a 42 percent stake in the project. The remaining 58 percent is held by the state-owned energy firms connected to the National Iranian Oil Company." (Associated Press, “Iran, LG of South Korea sign $1.6 billion gas deal,” 9/16/02)

The Guardian Council, comprising six Islamic clerics and six lay jurists, has in effect become an upper house of parliament. The council can vet all legislation passed by the Majlis and veto any laws that it judges do not comply with Islamic law or Irans constitution. Its influence was most apparent in 2004 and 2005 when it ratified legislation giving the Majlis retroactive veto power over two major foreign investment contracts, those of Turkcell (Turkey) and Tepe-Akfen-Vie (a joint Austrian-Turkish consortium). (Economist Intelligence Units Country Commerce Select, The operating environment: Political conditions, March 19, 2008) Listed by U.S. Government as doing business in Iran. (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, List of Companies Doing Business With State Sponsors Of Terror, Removed from the internet in July of 2007)

Yet months after the sanctions went into effect, a similar network based in Malaysia began asking U.S. companies for the same kinds of technology, the Justice Department documents show. The orders were primarily from a firm that called itself Vast Solution and was headed by Majid Seif, an Iranian national. Seif was named in the federal indictment as a co-conspirator in an international plot to acquire components for Iranian-made IEDs. (Washington Post, Iran Using Fronts to Get Bomb Parts From U.S., Joby Warrick January 11, 2009)

Listed by U.S. Government as doing business in Iran. (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, List of Companies Doing Business With State Sponsors Of Terror, Removed from the internet in July of 2007)