Monday, November 26, 2001		Article

Cisco’s MOU with Andaman & Nicobar

INITIATIVE will empower next generation of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with advanced Internet and networking skills.Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the administration of Andaman & Nicobar Islands to set up a Cisco Networking Academy Program in the Union Territory. The MOU was signed between Shri Prakash Kumar, Secretary Information Technology, Andaman & Nicobar Administration and Rajeev Chopra, Vice President, India and SAARC Region, Cisco Systems.

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands Government is stretched over an area of more than 700 km from north to south with 36 inhabited islands out of 572. Besides creating a high bandwidth communication backbone across the UT, Andaman & Nicobar Islands is working towards providing a citizen-enabled IT infrastructure through its recent IT initiatives.

As a part of the MoU, a Regional Networking Academy will be established in the Union Territory, which will receive networking equipment, comprehensive training, the Networking Academy curriculum, and technical support from Cisco Systems. The Regional Academy will in turn set up Local Networking Academies in polytechnics and colleges across the state. To help maintain the highest quality of training and education at these institutions and other networking academies around India, Cisco will implement the Cisco Networking Academy Quality Assurance Plan.

"The Andaman and Nicobar Administration is one of the many forward looking state and UT governments in India that have recognised the importance of Internet and networking technologies," Rajeev Chopra, Vice President, India and SAARC Region, Cisco Systems said. Established in October 1997, the Networking Academy program is an e-learning model that delivers Web-based educational content, online testing, student performance tracking, hands-on labs, and instructor training and support. With a curriculum developed by education and networking experts, the Networking Academy program is offered at technical schools, colleges and universities, community-based organizations, and other educational programs around the world.