Cisco Systems, the world's largest networking equipment manufacturer, is collaborating with the Xiamen government to develop the city's software industry while jump-starting adoption on the mainland of the company's advanced videoconferencing system.
Fredy Cheung Sze-wah, Cisco's managing director for southern China and Hong Kong, declined to provide financial terms for the strategic partnership unveiled on Saturday, but said the use of a TelePresence system in Xiamen was Cisco's first for the public sector in Asia.
Launched in October last year, Cisco's TelePresence system uses high-definition video, wideband spatial audio and a unique camera and lighting set-up to link two rooms so that they resemble a single conference room. Installation costs between US$79,000 and US$299,000.
Cisco's strategic initiative will focus on the Fujian city's software park, home to overseas-funded and domestic small and medium-sized enterprises. 'The company will share best practices and provide the technology platform for the Xiamen Software Park to train networking professionals and help develop e-government internet protocol-based applications, such as unified communications, to enhance public service,' Mr Cheung said.
The TelePresence platform will be the first to be installed at the Cisco Innovations Experience Centre inside the software park.
'We expect this solution to enhance communications and collaboration among various Xiamen government departments. We also hope that it will have a profound impact for the widespread adoption of the technology among governments across Asia,' Mr Cheung said.
The mainland is Asia's largest market for videoconferencing equipment, according to consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. Demand is projected to grow at an average rate of 14.8 per cent annually from 2005 to 2012, when the market will be worth US$235 million.