Cisco to set up Internet of Everthing innovation centre in Vizag

Centre part of proposed initiatives in MoU with AP govt

Cisco will set up an internet of everything (IoE) Innovation centre in Visakhapatnam to drive regional innovation and will enable partners and start-ups to build solutions around IoE and engage in rapid prototyping.

The innovation centre is one of the initiatives proposed by the company in an MoU signed with Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday.

Among other initiatives, Cisco will also invest in an advanced Technology centre of Excellence and Research Lab in the Institute of Digital Technology at Tirupati, focused on cyber security, smarty city and manufacturing solutions.

The MoU was signed as a part of the inauguration of India's first statewide broadband project-AP Fiber Net, in Visakhapatnam in the presence of Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Cisco executive chairman Irving Tan among others.

The government has developed an aerial fiber grid called AP Fiber Net using the existing power line poles at a cost of little over Rs 330 crore. The government proposes to provide a broad band connection at Rs 149 per month for an 15 mbps to all the households in the state.

This broadband connection can be used for multiple services like voice calling, TV and internet. Cisco has collaborated with the state government to design and implement AP Fiber Net.

As part of the initiative to boost research, Cisco will sponsor and collaborate with Andhra University in Visakhapatnam on a 12-month research programme to identify and explore the possibility of developing and customising digital technologies and solutions for rural Andhra Pradesh, company said.

The company has also announced plans for the expansion of Cisco Networking Academy in 70 colleges to train around 10,000 new students in the state.