Delhi, Sept 25, 2014: L&T Technology Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Larsen and Toubro, announced today that it is entering into a strategic collaboration with Cisco to explore potential IoE opportunities for Transportation & other industry verticals and joint go-to-market opportunities globally.

Cisco and L&T Technology Services will make joint contributions to a Global Solution Centre to showcase innovative and breakthrough connectivity and convergence based solutions. The Solution Centre which will be housed within the L&T Technology Services facility in Bangalore will focus on both technical and business considerations of connected transportation as well as ways to make Rails and mass transit more productive, intelligent and safe. The Solution Centre will offer a range of products and services addressing both on-board and trackside deployments in a variety of applications.

The collaboration will focus on bringing together the best-in-class, complementary capabilities of Cisco’s end-to-end IoT architecture and robust vertical solutions with L&T Technology Services’ deep understanding of the needs of the industrial sector along with global technology services capabilities.

Cisco is a leader in designing IoE solutions based on the company’s advanced IP-based technologies. IoE solutions have deep relevance across a number of industries and Cisco’s recently announced Cisco^® Connected Transportation Solutions is at the forefront. Cisco Connected Transportation Solutions includes Cisco Connected Station, which integrates multiple in-station networks and retail communication systems into a standards-based IP network, Cisco Connected Trackside, a ruggedized IP infrastructure platform designed to support operational services, lower costs of network operations, and reduce complexity of older, proprietary networks, Cisco Connected Train for onboard, IP-based communications, including Wi-Fi services, entertainment, video surveillance, and automated operations, and Cisco's positive train control (PTC) system, which can determine the train's location and speed, and augment the safety measures set by the train operator or engineer.

L&T Technology Services will collaborate with Cisco to develop new solutions and customize existing solutions based on needs of the target market. As the pre-eminent infrastructure major, L&T, with its strength in the transportation infrastructure and as a market leader in rail transportation, will provide its expertise and a view into the market opportunities available.

The joint collaboration will - focus on assessing the business value of various IoE solutions for the railway segment, and plans include expanding to other areas such as manufacturing, defense, CPG and the off-highway transport segment.

India and the Middle East are seeing a robust opportunity in the infrastructure sector. The current market scenario in India is optimistic; with the Indian governments relaxing metro eligibility requirements, new metro projects are expected to be launched every year. Several new freight corridors as well as highspeed lines are also planned. The market opportunity in India for signaling and telecom is expected to be about $1.8B over the next 3 years.

The size of the opportunity and the need towards improved safety and security, converged networks for greater mobility, and increased operational efficiency and productivity will help transform the transportation and mass transit industry. The collaboration between Cisco and L&T Technology Services will include networked mobility and innovations for connected stations and connected railway infrastructure; smart video surveillance systems with edge analytics for securing stations and rail cars; and complete railway infrastructure with converged communication systems for emergency response.

Executive Quotes

Dr Keshab Panda, Chief Executive, L&T Technology Services, said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Cisco to provide the transportation and mass transit industry with world-class IoE solutions that benefit customers. Cisco’s leadership in the Internet of Everything and our engineering prowess and deep infrastructure expertise offer the industry an excellent opportunity to leverage their existing infrastructure investments and adopt IP systems to dramatically improve their services and create a safer and more connected customer experience.

“The Internet of Everything is a reality today and will only continue to create unprecedented opportunities. Our collaboration with L&T Technology Services, with its deep engineering expertise in the region, will play an important role in fuelling IoE innovation in multiple industries,” said Wim Elfrink, chief globalisation officer and executive vice president, Industry Solutions, Cisco. We are using the intelligence of the network to enhance commuter safety, communication and transport efficiency by connecting the unconnected, such as people, mobile devices, GPS tracking systems, sensors and data. Together we can offer a safer and more productive customer experience in the transportation and mass transit industry.”

About Larsen & Toubro

Larsen & Toubro is a major Indian multinational in technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services, with global operations. Its products and systems are marketed in over 30 countries worldwide. A strong, customer-focused approach and the constant quest for top-class quality have enabled L&T to attain and sustain leadership in its major lines of business over seven decades.

About Cisco

isco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com.

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Bipasha Chakrabarti

+91 99003 11575 or bipchakr@cisco.com