BUSINESS BYTE: Cisco and Digicel frame agreement to accelerate digital transformation in Caribbean and  Central  America

Wednesday 13^th December 2017 – Kingston, Jamaica. Cisco, the worldwide technology leader, and Digicel, a major telecommunication services provider covering a wide territory in the Caribbean, have signed a Caribbean Countries Digitalization the “Frame Agreement”) outlining their objectives and strategic plans for accelerating the digital agenda and existing digitization policies for 26 countries in the Caribbean and Central America.

Under the Frame Agreement, the two companies will collaborate to develop a digitization vision for each country for both the immediate and the long term, defining areas for implementation and specific projects, such as Healthcare/Telemedicine, Smart Cities, and Connected Schools, as well as to develop an educational strategy based on Cisco Networking Academy.  The goal is to create a pipeline of projects for the future, including infrastructure enhancement and island recovery.

The collaboration with Digicel affirms Cisco’s strategy for a long-term commitment to partnering with national leadership, industry and academia to deliver measurable outcomes faster and more effectively.

“Digitization is a key driver for economic development in any country. Through this partnership with Digicel, our goal is to grow GDP, create new jobs and invest in a sustainable innovation ecosystem across public and private sectors in the Caribbean and Central America,” says Alison Gleeson, Senior Vice President of the Americas, Cisco. “The Cisco and Digicel collaboration will map pathways to growth for countries throughout the region, positioning them for long-term prosperity in the Digital Age.”

The Frame Agreement outlines cooperative efforts to identify national objectives and issues within each country to develop initiatives and facilitate innovation. Cisco will provide knowledge and support based on the company’s core technologies for Enterprise Networking, Collaboration, Wireless, Datacenter and Software.  The agreement also calls for the development of an IT Educational strategy to be implemented at the national level, based on Cisco’s Networking Academy programs.

“Digicel and Cisco share the mutual goal of helping the region become more efficient and globally competitive through digital transformation,” saidVanessa Slowey, CEO Digicel Caribbean and Central America. “Digicel will focus on projects in the Caribbean that are aligned with Cisco’s country digitalization agenda and will partner to develop these projects in specific Caribbean countries in order to transform telecommunications services and create sustainable solutions.”

The initial list of targeted countries includes: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, French West Indies, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Panama, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Cisco and Digicel have been partners since 2009, with Digicel an authorized Cisco reseller for several countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean region. By entering this Frame Agreement, Digicel and Cisco have aligned their visions for improving efficiency, providing security, streamlining processes and enabling innovation and entrepreneurial competitiveness across the region.

Gustavo Sorgente, General Manager CANSAC, Cisco (CANSAC Central America, Northern South America and the Caribbean) 

• ”Cisco’s digitization strategy is a long-term commitment to a partnership with national leadership, industry and academia to deliver real outcomes faster and more effectively.  It aims to accelerate the national digitization agenda to grow GDP, create new jobs and invest in a sustainable innovation ecosystem across public and private sectors.”
• “Cisco is committed to helping countries accelerate their digital transformation and we have developed a framework to work with governments, business and academia to effectively implement digitization initiatives that advance economic development through GDP growth, jobs creation and investment in a sustainable innovation ecosystem.”

David D’Oliveira, Group CEO (Caribbean & Central America) – Digicel Business

• “As digitization accelerates, cutting edge infrastructure will increase a country’s GDP, reduce spending and create jobs. It will allow governments to extend the reach and impact of public services by converting insights into action. It will enable new and diverse groups of entrepreneurs to build businesses that will shape the world, whilst providing more accessibility and opportunities for education and technology-based careers.”
• “Digital transformation can help ensure that countries become more competitive on the global stage. As the world becomes more connected and digital, having the right digital ecosystem in place will be a requirement for achieving economic, social and political success.”
• “As one of the first communications providers in the world to initiate a wide scale transformation agenda, Digicel is excited to be partnering with Cisco in creating pathways to prosperity for the countries within the region.”
• “Working with Cisco to advance the digital agendas of countries in the region underscores Digicel’s commitment to delivering world-class solutions and services that create transformational outcomes.”