SINGAPORE, 17 Apr 2013 – Cisco, the worldwide leader in IT, today announced the opening of its new regional headquarters in Singapore, marking 20 years of operations in the country. The new office will house Cisco's operations for Singapore and the region, including operations, sales, marketing, human resources, finance and Cisco Services. It will also feature a Customer Briefing Center (CBC), where Cisco's latest technologies and solutions are available for demonstrations to, and proof-of-concepts with customers and partners. Singapore is the headquarters for Cisco's operations in Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China.
Located at UE Biz Hub, within the Changi Business Park, Cisco's new office brings together 1,000 employees from Cisco's previous four offices around the island. Reinforcing Cisco's commitment to a connected workplace and sustainability, the new office in Singapore combines intelligent building structures and efficient energy consumption. Some of the green initiatives by Cisco include:
- Using Cisco TelePresence® to reduce global travel: saving 700,000 tons of attributable CO2 emissions,
- Implementing motion based sensors for energy efficient control of lighting,
- Quarterly e-waste exercise: responsibly disposing electronics and recycling where possible,
- Power down system: IP phone screens are switched off after hours and on weekends,
- Reduction in paper use: badge and password-access printing to limit waste,
- Utilization-based space allocation, which combined with mobility technologies enable employees to sit at any desk, on any floor, hence reducing real estate footprint, using less infrastructure resources, and providing flexibility to allow for team expansion.
Cisco celebrates 20 years in Singapore this year having played a part in helping Singaporeans go online for the first time in 1994. Over the years, Cisco has introduced leading-edge technologies that have transformed the way Singaporeans work, live, play and learn. For example, in 2000, Cisco and IDA created Singapore's first Internet Home, completely transforming a four-room Housing Development Board (HDB) flat in Bishan. The Internet Home, at that time, boasted always-on, broadband Internet access connecting nearly every household appliance and device in the flat.
Cisco has also made significant contributions to developing networking technology skills training in Singapore, through its partnership with 15 educational institutions through the Cisco Networking Academy™ Program. Over 46,000 students in Singapore have been trained using the Program since 1998.
The Networking Academy® Program is the flagship of Cisco's social investment programs worldwide. The Networking Academy uses a public-private partnership model to create the ‘world's largest classroom' working with educational institutions, nonprofits, governments and other international and local agencies. The program teaches students worldwide the skills needed to build, design and maintain networks, thereby improving their career prospects while meeting the global demand for networking professionals. Cisco has established over 10,000 academies in 165 countries, helping individuals build ICT skills and prepare for industry-recognized certifications and entry-level ICT careers in most industries. Students develop foundational skills in ICT while acquiring career skills in problem-solving, collaboration and critical thinking.
Cisco History:
The concept of connecting the unconnected has been with Cisco since its inception. The husband and wife team of Len Bosack and Sandy Lerner wanted to email each other from their respective offices located in different buildings but were unable to do so because of technological shortcomings. Beginning to experiment with connecting detached networks, Bosack and Lerner ran network cables between two buildings on the Stanford campus, connecting them first with bridges, and then routers. Their vision was to enable disparate networks to talk with one another and share information reliably. With that idea in mind, the multi-protocol router was born.
Since then Cisco has shaped the future of the Internet by creating unprecedented value and opportunity in using the network as a platform for transforming how people connect, communicate and collaborate.
Spokesperson quotes:
- Gary Moore, Cisco president and chief operating officer
"Singapore stands out as a shining model in the world of what can be achieved by an economy through information and communications technologies (ICT). Singapore's vision is very much aligned with Cisco's especially when it comes to Internet and education, two of the great equalizers in life. These have formed the foundation for Singapore's success and Cisco is proud to have played a role in both of them from building the Internet infrastructure to developing the skills in young Singaporeans through the Cisco Networking Academy program."
- Josh Soh, managing director for Cisco in Singapore and Brunei
"We are proud to play a part in building an intelligent and connected Singapore and we continue to work closely with our Cisco Networking Academy program to build a 21st century, future-ready workforce in Singapore."
About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com. Cisco products are supplied in Singapore by the channel partners of Cisco Systems International B.V. and Cisco International Limited, each being a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc.
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