Feature Story

Government of Brazil signs agreement with Cisco to boost digitization

How Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration program is bringing new tech to Brazil.
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The Brazil Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Cisco via a virtual event on May 27th—the agreement works to boost digitization and accelerate technology skills development in the country. Hosted over Cisco TV, the event included Brazil’s Executive Secretary Julio Semeghini, Secretary of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Paulo Alvim,  and Secretary of Telecommunications Vitor Menezes Minister Marcos Pontes, Secretary Vitor Menezes, Cisco’s Global Innovation Officer Guy Diedrich, SVP and Brazil Country Sponsor John Kern, Cisco President Latin America & SVP in the Americas Jordi Botifoll , and Brazil Country Manager Laercio Albuquerque.

As a part of this agreement, Cisco announced the launch of “Brasil Digital e Inclusivo”, the company’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program that will spur the creation of initiatives and projects in education, healthcare, agribusiness, public safety, cybersecurity, smart cities, energy and manufacturing. Among the initiatives, the program will support Brazilian public healthcare system with telemedicine and remote patient monitoring digital platform, develop new talents in cybersecurity operations through the Cisco Cyber Education Program, help transform education with innovative smart and connected schools, and build an Industry 4.0 Experience Center to be used on professionals training on industrial networking and cybersecurity technologies for Industry 4.0.

An inclusive future for Brazil

Brasil Digital e Inclusivo aims to stimulate and promote innovation within the country, leveraging emerging technologies, like IoT, big data, AI/ML and 5G, to support government and private sector journeys to digital, with security built by design. Under the program, Cisco is partnering to Brazil’s  Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications (MCTIC) to develop an intelligent digial platform to collect and analyze data from  all Brazilian science, technology, and innovation ecosystems, supporting real-time monitoring and information-driven public policies and actions, fostering innovation and promoting a better industry environment in Brazil. Another initiative includes COVID-19 response, where Cisco is supporting some Brazil’s healthcare, education and justice institutions with collaboration technologies, cybersecurity and networking infrastructure for hospitals, schools and courts. Ultimately, the goal is to positively impact the country’s economy and society, helping to create a more digital and inclusive future for all in Brazil.

See also: Cisco hopes Wi-Fi can be the bridge to close digital divide

The CDA program has successfully brought digital progress and transformation to 34 countries around the world, including Mexico, Canada, Italy, France, Germany and more. By partnering with national leadership, industries, and academia, Cisco is able to update legacy technology, provide skills and education, grow the country’s GDP, create new jobs, and improve quality of life.

Analyst Patrick Moorhead recently wrote in Forbes that the CDA program truly depends on the partnership and trust between Cisco and national leaders.

“…What immediately struck me was ‘trust’ and the very deep relationships that exist between Cisco and country leaders,” he writes, “Cisco earns the trust by showing empathy, competency and action and the country rewards them with contracts to transform their countries.”

A history of Cisco and Brazil’s partnership

Cisco has worked with the country of Brazil for 25 years, establishing a partnership that has developed the country’s telecommunications and connectivity infrastructure. Cisco was an official supporter of Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, providing networking and security during and after the event. Just one part of Cisco’s work to digitally transform Brazil was deploying smart urban solutions within Rio de Janeiro.

All of these efforts and more made the big games in Rio one of the most connected and secure games ever. Cisco’s work in Brazil helped connect people and infrastructure, but it also trained professionals, connected business leaders, and educated students. Cisco Networking Academy (NetAcad) is present in all Brazilian states and is within 650 academies throughout the country. The program trained more than 62,000 students in Brazil in 2019, totaling more than 297,000 students since NetAcad was implemented in the country in 1998.

Part of investing in the future of Brazil means investing in students as well. With courses in networking, security, programming, and other essential IT skills, NetAcad helps prepare students for careers of the future.

With the signing of the most recent MOU, Cisco and Brazil will continue their partnership to bring education, opportunity, and transformation to the country. Learn more about Country Digital Acceleration here.

 

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