By Stephen Pounds

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Monday, April 18, 2005

BOCA RATON — Andy Mattes isn't worried about any ill effects from the telecommunications downturn.

The 43-year-old chief executive of Siemens Communications Inc. sees a glitzy and bright future for telecom. The unit employs 858 people at its U.S. business in Boca Raton.

A native of Germany, Mattes is on his third stint in the U.S. and his second in Boca, where he worked from 1987 to 1991.

Back then, there wasn't the World Wide Web and its accoutrements — voice over Internet phone calls, instant messaging and high-speed Web browsing from coffee shop booths.

It's a new world in telecom, and Mattes brings 20 years of experience to a discussion with The Palm Beach Post about what's happening locally at Siemens and the future for phone service.

Continues @ Palm Beach Post