Cisco, a worldwide leader in networking and security, has on Tuesday formalized three strategic collaborations including Telekom Malaysia (TM) and Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) to drive artificial intelligence (AI)-led innovation and address the growing AI skills gap in Malaysia.
In a statement, the company announced its collaboration with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to launch an AI hackathon aimed at bridging the AI skills gap and providing students with valuable hands-on experience working with technology.
Additionally, it outlined its strategy to empower Malaysian businesses to leverage AI to unlock new business opportunities.
Cisco noted that AI can potentially deliver a $115 billion uplift to Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP).
While it generates new opportunities, it also introduces new security risks and threat vectors that must be defended against, it said.
Cisco therefore detailed its strategy to help businesses in Malaysia address these challenges at scale by building trusted infrastructure to help companies power, support, and secure AI workloads, and incorporating AI across Cisco’s entire portfolio to simplify the customer experience.
“The potential for AI to enhance productivity, streamline processes, and unlock new avenues for growth is immense. It offers Malaysia an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen our global competitiveness while ensuring inclusive development for all citizens,
“By embracing AI, we can tackle pressing challenges, modernize key sectors, and secure long-term prosperity,” said Fabian Bigar, Secretary General of the Ministry of Digital, Malaysia.
Cisco also signed two collaboration agreements under its Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program in Malaysia.
CDA is its co-investment and co-innovation platform that operates in 50 countries around the world. With CDA, Cisco aims to power economic resilience and social inclusion by unlocking the value of digitization.
The first collaboration with TM will focus on helping JDN modernize its digital infrastructure.
TM will build a secure, agile network for JDN’s Putrajaya campus, enhancing network performance, reliability, and capacity to support bandwidth-intensive applications such as AI/machine learning technologies.
Cisco will provide AI-powered collaboration tools such as Webex Boards and Cisco Spaces to drive seamless and secure employee workspace experiences.
With features like AI-powered 3D maps and real-time insights on room availability and occupancy trends, employees can efficiently navigate the office while enabling JDN to optimize its space utilization.
In collaboration with PNB, Cisco will equip PNB’s innovation lab, network operations center, and open collaboration areas with AI-powered networking, internet of things (IoT), collaboration, and security technologies as it transitions to a new office.
The innovation lab, featuring Cisco’s Webex, Meraki devices, and ThousandEyes will enable PNB to test and develop sustainable workplace technologies.
Cisco ThousandEyes’ AI-driven intelligence in the Network Operations Center will enhance PNB’s ability to detect, diagnose, and remediate disruptions impacting the user experience.
Cisco Webex Boards will facilitate inclusive work experiences with AI-enhanced video, audio and other capabilities. PNB will also leverage Cisco Spaces to create smarter workplaces for employees.
“Cisco has a role to play in every step of the AI revolution. Our unique position to combine the power of the network with industry-leading security, observability, and data enables us to offer visibility and insight across customers’ entire digital footprint,
“What we have announced today with partners like TM and PNB demonstrates how our AI innovations can help businesses in Malaysia enhance their operations, improve customer experiences, and drive sustainable growth,” said Hana Raja, Managing Director for Cisco Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Cisco, MDEC, and UTM have announced the launch of an AI Hackathon open to all university students from engineering and computer science faculties across the country.
The hackathon will provide a platform for students to develop AI-driven solutions that could transform education, from personalizing learning experiences to automating administrative tasks for staff.
The session begins with training sessions provided by Cisco – the hackathon’s technology partner across networking, security, collaboration and data centers – which students will use to develop their ideas.
The students will also receive guidance and coaching through one-on-one mentoring sessions with Cisco solution engineers.
A maximum of 20 teams, each consisting of two to five members, will compete in the hackathon.
In addition, MyDIGITAL Corporation, an agency under the Ministry of Digital that monitors and facilitates the execution of initiatives under the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MDEB) and the National 4IR Policy, recognized its collaboration with Cisco as a Technology Immersion Partner for its Executive Digital Leadership (EDL) Program, with a MoU document exchange between the two parties.
EDL aims to equip C-suite executives from the public and private sectors with an understanding of how different technologies work and how to integrate them successfully within their organizations.
Cisco will introduce its IoT course under its Cisco Networking Academy curriculum – one of the world’s longest-running skills-to-jobs programs – into EDL.
This course will provide an overview of IoT and demonstrate how it drives digital transformation across multiple industries.
To date, Cisco Networking Academy has provided over 150,000 learners in Malaysia with in-demand digital skills including networking, cybersecurity, and data science working together with 120 higher learning institutions and organizations offering Networking Academy courses.
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