Siemens declared today it will sell its 50 per cent stake in PC joint venture Fujitsu Siemens Computers to Fujitsu, its partner in hardware.

Siemens will rake in around €450 million, and plans to have divested its part of the FSC by 1 April next year. CEO Bernd Bischoff resigned for personal reasons, which may mean he personally prefers to quit than be fired. The company's CFO Kai Flore will hold the reigns for the time being. Thus ends what once was known as Nixdorf.

Siemens stated that divesting its share won't mean the end of collaboration and comradeship with Japanese axis ally Fujitsu Group. Both corporations still intend to work together in "various fields of technology" in days to come.

Siemens' getting rid of its share more or less ends large-scale production of PCs and related hardware in German hands. PC maker Maxdata recently sold its brand to Asian company Quanmax, and will perhaps start selling PCs and services to company customers again some time in the future. The only larger brand still in existence is Medion, which sells rebranded PCs and notebooks via established consumer electronic outlets such as grocery discounters Lidl and Aldi.

“We continue to focus our company on the strategic sectors of industry, energy and healthcare. We are happy that our joint-venture partner Fujitsu will acquire our stake in Fujitsu Siemens Computers and will take the company to its next level of success,” declared Joe Kaeser, Siemens’ chief financial officer. 

“We’re inheriting a strong customer base in EMEA, and an R&D capability that can support our global products development - not to mention a tremendously talented group of employees who share our values and commitment to grow with our customers as their trusted business partner," stated Kuniaki Nozoe, president of Fujitsu. X