Global IT giant Cisco has announced setting up of Internet of Things (IoE) Innovation Centre in Visakhapatnam and Technology Center of Excellence and Research Lab at Tirupati.
The decisions were disclosed after Cisco Executive Director John Chambers, President (Asia Pacific & Japan) Irving Tan, and President (India & SAARC) Dinesh Malkani held talks with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu here on Thursday in connection with launching of Andhra Pradesh Fiber Grid.
Role model
Later, briefing reporters on the MoU, Mr. Chambers, who is also chairman of US-India Business Council, said they were looking at AP to become the role model for other States in digitalisation as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India Campaign.
As part of the Golden Mile Project, Cisco has started deploying key technologies in the 5-km area, including Smart Wi-Fi, Smart Safety & Security, Smart Lighting, Smart Parking, Smart Transports, Smart Bus Stops, Smart Kiosks, Remote Expert for Government Services (REGS), and Smart Education in Vijayawada.
AU research programme
Mr. Chambers said they would sponsor a research programme at Andhra University to develop and customise digital technologies and solutions for rural AP and expansion of the Golden Mile Project with their partnership.
IT Advisor to Government J.A. Chowdary later told The Hindu that the IoE Innovation Centre in Visakhapatnam would encourage innovation and enable partners and startups to evolve solutions around IoE and engage in rapid prototyping.
This is expected to act as a platform to bring startups, accelerators, developers, researchers, ecosystem partners, and venture community together to showcase possibilities of the IoE.
Mr. Chowdary said Cisco would invest in an advanced Technology Center of Excellence and Research Lab in the Institute of Digital Technology (IDT) at Tirupati with focus on cyber security, smart city, and manufacturing solutions.
He said the centre would be developed on the lines of International School of Business (ISB) to help train graduate engineers in advanced digital technologies and solutions and equip them with skill sets required for the digital era.
Cisco has agreed to sponsor and collaborate with Andhra University for a 12-month research programme to identify and explore the possibility of developing and customising digital technologies and solutions for rural AP.
Expansion plans
The company announced plans for the expansion of Cisco Networking Academy in 70 colleges to train approximately 10,000 students in AP over next three years.
The IT giant plans to locate Center of Excellence and Research Lab
at Tirupati
