Cisco eyes e-governance revenues

Cisco India is in the process of rolling out new e-government solutions and devices for verticals such as agriculture, healthcare and education, targeting specially the rural India.

Currently, sectors like power and utilities make up for the largest chunk of its revenues earned from the government sector.

Cisco will partner with various organisations for implementation of its new solutions.

Cisco invests close to $4 billion in its research and development globally every year.

According to Harsh Marwah, national business development manager "� government and defence, Cisco India, "Since 60 per cent of the population live in rural India, we are looking at launching solutions to provide simplicity to the farmers and the sector at large."

Cisco's new agriculture solutions and devices are expected to help farmers know the trends in farming and how the yield can be improved. Also, it is expected to help farmers identify treatment for their seed and soil.

Some of the farmers can use their own knowledge expertise to directly sell products in the markets with the help of Cisco solutions and devices, thereby making it possible to do away with the middle-men. Cisco also plans to roll out new solutions for the healthcare sector.

"Most government-run hospitals depend on manual labour, which may not be accurate always. Cisco's new tailor-made solutions and devices for the healthcare sector would not only identify patient's problems promptly but will also aid the doctors in deciding on the treatment," Marwah said.

Cisco will also roll out solutions for the educational sector. These are expected to encourage and endorse the need for e-learning and e-education, specially for the rural India.