Cisco deepened its commitment to accelerate Bangladesh’s digital transformation and showcase how digitization can fuel economic prosperity, global competitiveness and sustainable growth. At a press conference held at The InterContinental hotel, Cisco announced that it has doubled its headcount and office space in Bangladesh to accommodate its expanding operations in the region and also opened a depot to serve Bangladeshi customers better. This move is an extension of Cisco’s ongoing initiatives to bolster the country’s digital foundation and help achieve the government’s vision of a Digital Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has already made considerable headway in digitally empowering its citizens, ensuring seamless and affordable connectivity to even the most remote areas, along with mobile banking services for higher financial inclusion. Additionally, the government is issuing digital IDs to over 100 million citizens, which allows them quick access to essential amenities. The surge in internet users and online transactions, thriving e-commerce market, and improving connectivity has opened up new avenues for knowledge workers and digital entrepreneurs in the country, who are virtually crossing geographical boundaries to reach a much larger audience within and outside the country.
To facilitate the digitization of businesses and help them serve global customers, Cisco has introduced products specifically designed for small and medium enterprises that provide them access to simple, secure, and smart enterprise-class technologies. These products are helping SMEs enhance their operations, processes, and services to reduce costs, as well as improve workforce productivity. Cisco is also expanding its partner capabilities and opened a depot in Dhaka to serve Bangla customers faster and better.
According to the Bangladesh Association of Software & Information Services (BASIS), Bangladesh’s ICT product exports contributed $1 billion to the economy in 2018, which is expected to rise to $5 billion by 2021. In order to accelerate Bangladesh’s transformation into a knowledge economy, Cisco has set up 15 Networking Academies across the country to train students in new-age technologies. 38,000 students have been trained so far in Bangladesh, and the number is expected to reach 50,000 by the end of 2020. This commitment is aligned with Cisco’s goal of positively impacting 1 billion people globally and is aimed at creating a pool of highly-skilled technology professionals who will accelerate Bangladesh’s digital transformation.
Sudhir Nayar, Managing Director, Cisco SAARC, said, “Bangladesh is one of the fastest digitizing countries in APJC. Increasing internet penetration, coupled with the rising adoption of mobile devices, proliferation of data, and improving quality of connectivity, is breaking geographical market barriers for businesses and rapidly transitioning Bangladesh into a digital economy. Cisco has been associated with Bangladesh for more than two decades now, and together we have seen the positive impact that digitization brings.”
He added, “The government’s commendable efforts to develop the ICT sector is setting a benchmark for how technology can be wielded as a powerful instrument for empowering people at scale. It is now time to capitalize on the progress made and double down on digitization efforts in the country. Cisco is committed to working with the government, businesses, academic institutions, and partners to bring the benefits of digitization to every citizen.”
