Cisco Systems, the world's largest supplier of networking equipment, has completed its most extensive collaboration with a local academic institution as it helps launch a new laboratory today for the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Researchers at the advanced enterprise infrastructure laboratory, part of the university's department of computing, will use a range of networking technologies from Cisco to develop e-commerce, unified communications and wireless applications that businesses in Hong Kong could adopt.
The project involved more than HK$7 million worth of equipment, software and services sponsored by United States-based Cisco and partner Macroview Telecom, a leading networking systems integrator in Hong Kong.
Barbara Chiu Cheuk-mun, the general manager of Cisco's operations in Hong Kong and Macau, described the facility as 'one of Cisco's most significant collaborative efforts with the education sector in Asia'.
The laboratory, which has platforms for fixed-line local area network (LAN), wireless LAN infrastructure, network security and digital signage systems research, has already started participating in several major initiatives.
One of these projects is called the 'Intelligent Airport', which aims to develop advanced wired and wireless networks for future airport terminal operations. The effort is being led by scientist Ian White, head of the school of technology at the University of Cambridge in Britain.