CYBERJAYA, Malaysia - January 25, 2005 - Multimedia University (MMU) and Cisco Systems have set up the first center in Malaysia dedicated to IP Communications solutions. Inaugurated by YB. Dato' Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik, Minister of Energy, Water and Communications of Malaysia, the MMU-Cisco Internet Protocol (IP) Communications Innovation Centre will allow end-users to experience the technologies that enable the integration of voice, video and data over an IP infrastructure.
The centre, fitted with US$170,000 worth of IP Communications and networking equipment will also serve as a lab for the development of XML (Extensible Markup Language) applications for Cisco IP phones, as well as a resource for both systems integrators to deploy value-added services on a Cisco IP Communications platform.
Cisco IP Communications lets organizations consolidate all communications onto one network, helping lower infrastructure costs and management expenses. In addition, besides cutting costs, Cisco IP Communications helps companies boost productivity with integrated data applications, as well as delivering unified voice, email, and fax messaging.
During the tour of the MMU-Cisco IP Communications Innovation Centre, Dato' Seri Dr Lim was given a demonstration of the power and flexibility of the Cisco IP phone. "We are fully committed to the reshaping of our economy into a knowledge economy and will thus need a workforce skilled in ICT. We also see that in the near future, ICT literacy will be as important as print literacy is today for the achievement of the rights and powers of democratic citizenship," he said.
"The competitive global environment means that organizations need to constantly stay ahead of the curve. Cisco IP Communications systems have been providing companies around the world with a crucial advantage - lower operational costs and a more efficient workforce. Malaysian companies cannot afford to be left behind. MMU and Cisco share the same vision for this lab to be a catalyst for the adoption of such technologies," said Johnson Khoo, managing director, Malaysia, Cisco Systems.
According to Prof Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon, president of Multimedia University, "MMU is proud to partner with leading technology companies like Cisco to further develop competencies in existing and new areas in IP Communications. Such collaborations will contribute significantly to the country's agenda of increasing the pool of technology and research-based human capital capable of competing on the global stage."
"This is definitely a strong boost to MMU's commitment to R&D human development in Malaysia. With all the resources in place, we are able to increase our R&D efforts and focus on cutting-edge research areas." he added.
About Multimedia University
Being the first government approved private university in Malaysia, Multimedia University (MMU) plays an important role in providing world class education within the broad sphere of telecommunications, multimedia, computers, digital art, animation, information technology, software development and management.
With IT and Multimedia evolving at high speed, MMU is strategically placed within the MSC to capture and to capitalise the continual technology transfer from external industries, and to create new inventions, innovations and technology to benefit the nation. In its effort to enhance research and development activities, the university has identified various key niche areas and formed 25 Centres of Excellence where academic staff and students collaborate on various research interests. Collaborative efforts with leading international companies have strengthened its reputation further as an international academic institution.
At present, MMU has more than 17,000 students in its Cyberjaya and Melaka campuses, pursuing their undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the fields of Engineering, Information Technology, Management and Creative Multimedia.
