In line with its commitment to collaborate with the government in its vision of a Digital India, Cisco announced the ‘Cisco Smart City’ as a blueprint for the future of smart and connected communities in India.
The Cisco Smart City, unveiled along with the announcement of the next phase of the company’s India site, symbolises what the digitization of a country means for the future of work, education, healthcare and the electronic delivery of citizen services.
As part of the inauguration, Cisco demonstrated the possibilities of the government’s Digital India program where infrastructure would be offered as a utility to every citizen, governance and services would be on demand and citizens would be digitally empowered. Using the Internet of Everything, Cisco showcased how connected education, connected healthcare, smart buildings, connected transport and smart parking can transform the way cities and communities are designed, built and renewed to ensure economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Spread over 2.6 million square feet, and designed as a campus-as-a-city for thousands of Cisco employees to work, play and learn, the Cisco Smart City is a spectacular showcase of how a pervasive physical network infrastructure can easily connect to devices (such as sensors, information access points and mobile devices) and with a high degree of security. The Cisco Smart City also demonstrated how intelligent networks could enable digitally empowered citizens through the availability of government services in real time, online and on mobile platforms.
R Chandrashekhar, President, National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) said, ” Rapid urbanisation brings with it a new set of challenges. More so, when the current infrastructure like transportation, power, water and waste management are already overburdened. Technology will play an integral and key role in addressing these challenges. This presents new vistas of opportunity for the entire IT ecosystem and an opportunity to work cohesively with the government to help transform India. Cisco’s Smart City is a great working example of how technology companies can help the government better appreciate and leverage the role of technology in tackling these infrastructure challenges and help realise its larger vision of a Digital India.”
During the launch, Cisco highlighted its collaboration globally with smart cities such as Barcelona, Spain, and showcased how Cisco and Barcelona Council have helped transform the city into a blueprint for sustainable urban development.
Based on Cisco’s larger vision of smart+connected communities which enables transformation of physical communities into connected communities, today the company’s roster of 90 global greenfield and brownfield Smart+Connected Communities projects include the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor in India, where Cisco is developing the ICT master plan for four pilot cities in the $90 billion flagship public sector infrastructure project.
IWim Elfrink, Cisco Executive Vice President for Industry Solutions and Chief Globalisation Officer said, “Cities are growing at the rate of 10,000 people per hour even as we accelerate toward a world with more connected devices. For every two people connected around the globe, there are 5 others who soon will be. And for every device connected to the Internet, 10 more will join it in the near future. Through the Internet of Everything, we can help countries, cities and communities embrace sustainable urban development and enable economic, social and environmental sustainability.”