If I can have a go at the german: "Siemens' Turnovers "before the gates" - The Siemens contract contributed 1 million euros to the 48.3% increase in turnovers to 4.2 million euros." The phrase "ante portas" would usually refer to someone who is directly outside a town or fort, like an invading army. I think the sense here is that the inputs from Siemens are such an important component of that company's business that the drive to service their needs could dominate how the business is run. I'm happy to discuss this further, "bei Bedarf".