SINGAPORE--(Marketwire - December 12, 2008) - Cisco (
NASDAQ:
CSCO) today announced that it will
establish EPIC@SG (Enabling Platform Innovation Centre), a technology
centre designed to help retail service providers (RSPs) build and deliver
services over the Next Generation National Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN)
in Singapore. The services will help enable Singaporeans to take advantage
of the collaborative potential of an ultra-high-speed broadband platform.
With support from the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA),
Cisco will invest up to US$18 million over the next three years for the
development of the centre. Cisco will also hire engineers and key managers
to staff the centre, and expects to bring in additional talent to support
on-going development work as needed. EPIC@SG will provide government
agencies, enterprises and RSPs with a platform to conceptualise, develop,
test and deploy new services for businesses and consumers. The creation of
up to 30 next generation services and new RSPs developed through the centre
is expected to add between $150 million to $270 million in revenues to the
Singapore economy, as well as create up to 1,800 high-value information
technology jobs by 2015.
"We are proud to collaborate with the Singapore government to launch what
is Cisco's first EPIC centre in the world. Visionary countries like
Singapore understand that the network is the fourth utility, enhancing
global competitiveness, innovation and standard of living," said Wim
Elfrink, executive vice president, Cisco Services and the company's chief
globalisation officer. "EPIC@SG is a key component in our global strategy
to bring innovation centres closer to where we see new business models and
new world services emerging."
Expected to be operational by July 2009, EPIC@SG will also serve as a
training hub for local technical talent in next-generation networking,
applications and services. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, the
centre will train local talent on the most advanced network technologies
through internship programs with local educational institutions and through
on-the-job training with retail service providers.
EPIC@SG has been designed for government agencies, local and foreign
enterprises, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and startups. They can
come into EPIC@SG's facility to engage the services of experts from Cisco
and other partners and make use of Cisco's networking technologies. All
applications will be standards-based, built on an open Internet Protocol
platform and accessible on any device.
The key benefits for organisations working with EPIC@SG include:
-- No upfront capital investment in infrastructure and equipment.
EPIC@SG offers all the necessary equipment, tools, labs and workspaces
necessary, significantly lowering the financial barrier of entry.
-- Strong application and network integration expertise. EPIC@SG has
architecture and design experts in information communications and
technology, as well as business applications, hardware and networks.
-- Standards-based innovation philosophy. The centre offers the ability
to mix and match components that best fit the needs of the retail service
providers and other organizations.
-- Living lab for next-generation services. EPIC@SG can test the
scalability and impact of new services on the local market, as well as
regional markets, before the services are implemented on a global scale.
About Cisco
Cisco (
NASDAQ:
CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms
how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco
can be found at
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http://newsroom.cisco.com. Cisco products are supplied in Singapore by
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Contact Information: Press Contact:
William Oei
Cisco
+65 6317 5555
loei@cisco.com
Analyst Relations:
Huey Miin Leong
Cisco
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hmleong@cisco.com