HANOI, Vietnam, June 3, 2008 - Cisco today kicked off the Vietnam leg of the Asia tour of the Cisco Express-Network on Wheels (NoW), a mobile showcase featuring US$1 million worth of key Cisco® technologies. The 40-foot retrofitted container serves as a platform to bring Cisco's technology to the doorsteps of more than 20,000 customers, business owners and individuals across Asia.
Vietnam is the fifth country after Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia to host the Cisco Express-NoW. The mobile showcase will spend the next three weeks in Hanoi, Danang, Ho Chi Minh City and Cantho.
Rick Justice, Cisco's executive vice president for Worldwide Operations and Business Development; Owen Chan, president for Cisco in Asia Pacific; and Chris Khang, vice president for Cisco's Asia region, were in Hanoi to officiate at the launch of the Cisco Express-NoW.
"The Cisco Express-NoW will help us not only showcase the power of technology in Vietnam's main cities but also reach out to individuals, organizations and communities that we were not able to access before. They will see and touch technologies that are on the leading edge. This is part of Cisco's commitment to contributing to the national transformation by bringing in advanced and emerging technologies as well as transferring the skills needed to use those technologies," said James Chia, Cisco's general director for Vietnam.
The Cisco Express-NoW showcases technology solutions such as unified communications, public safety, digital signage, building automation, energy control and facilities management systems that enable the network to connect people across boundaries. Equipped with satellite and mobile Internet connectivity and rapidly deployable communications, this specially outfitted vehicle can also be called on to provide essential communications services for first responders in the event of a natural disaster.
"The emergence of the network as the platform is changing the entire value chain of technology, which is a crucial business enabler and a catalyst that not only drives greater productivity and continuous innovation, but also enables national transformation. A mobile showcase of advanced and emerging technologies, Cisco Express-NoW will show government and business leaders how they can take advantage of the network to energize their operations," said Christian Hentschel, Cisco's director for marketing, commercial and channels in Asia.
The mobile showcase also features solutions from regional sponsors CNA, EMC, Emerson Network Power, Linksys, Panduit and SingTel. Also participating in the tour are Cisco Express-NoW Vietnam sponsors SBD, FPT Information System, DTS, FPT Distribution and VNPT.
The Cisco Express-NoW schedule in Vietnam includes Hanoi (June 3 to 7), Danang (June 12 to 16), Ho Chi Minh City (June 24 to 28) and Can Tho (July 1). For more details on the exact locations of the Cisco Express-NoW and to register for a demonstration tour, please log on to:
http://www.cisco.com/web/VN/learning_vn/ciscoexpress/ (in Vietnamese) or
http://www.cisco.com/web/VN/learning/ciscoexpress/ (in English).