Cisco Unveils Plans for Tunisia Office

TUNIS, Tunisia, April 22, 2008 - Cisco today reconfirmed its commitment to support the economic development of Tunisia by unveiling plans to open its first office in the Tunisian capital. With the North Africa region emerging as a key area of growth for Cisco, the company's announcement comes at a time when Tunisia has begun to harness the power of information and communications technology (ICT) to drive its development.

"The new office will mark yet another milestone for Cisco in Tunisia," said Adel Dahmani, general manager, Cisco Tunisia. "The vision of the country's leadership has allowed it to transition quickly to a 'connected' world. Tunisia continues to reap the benefits of technology and offer the most innovative communication services to its citizens."

As part of its new office plans, Cisco has now finalized arrangements to move to new permanent premises in Tunis, the capital city. Cisco Tunisia currently employs 12 business and technical professionals, all Tunisian, working on local and regional projects in and outside the country, and is looking to grow its current presence in the country.

Cisco Networking Academy: Bringing ICT skills to a Tunisian workforce

In an effort to play an active role in the development of a skilled Tunisian workforce, Cisco is working closely with the country's public and private organizations to roll out education-specific programs that are designed to narrow the ICT skills gap in Tunisia. For example, Cisco has provided substantial funding, technology and resources to the Tunisian education sector via the Cisco® Networking Academy®.

The Networking Academy provides ICT skills to students globally to improve their career and economic opportunities. Networking Academies operate in high schools, colleges, universities, technical and military schools, community-based organizations and government bodies in over 160 countries. Its curriculum teaches the design, development and implementation of the networks that underpin businesses and other organizations. In addition, its advanced technology curricula in areas such as security, wireless and IP telephony provide exposure to the latest technology skills in those fields. It also has a module teaching basic IT skills.

The first Networking Academy in Tunisia was founded in El Ghazala, l'Ariana, September 2001.There are now 12 networking academies in the country. École Supérieure des Communications de Tunis (Sup'com) integrates the Networking Academy curriculum into the school's normal course of study. All second-year engineering students at Sup'com are required to take the first semester of the four-semester CCNA® curriculum.

"Tunisia has all the right ingredients to create a successful ICT industry locally, with a skilled workforce and a fast-growing technology infrastructure. This is why Tunisia is an important area of growth for Cisco in the north Africa region. We see a great opportunity to provide advanced technology solutions and services to market segments such as the telecoms industry and the public sector by utilizing our strong strategic partner relationships and technical expertise. With this in mind, we are taking the necessary steps to enhance our presence in Tunisia," Dahmani concluded.