How Cisco is Planning to Help Accelerate Digitization in Kazakhstan

Cisco is planning a series of initiatives in Kazakhstan to help accelerate the country’s digital transformation over the next three years.

John Chambers, Executive Chairman of Cisco, said: “The Kazakh Government has embraced an ambitious digital agenda to achieve its goal of becoming one of the top 30 global economies by 2050. Cisco is proud to partner with Kazakhstan to bring this vision to life and contribute to a strong future for the country and its citizens through digitization.”

During a meeting between Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev and Cisco Executive Chairman John Chambers an agreement between Cisco and the Kazakh national infocommunication holding company “Zerde” was signed.

According to the agreement, Cisco will support the Government’s “Digital Kazakhstan” program, with a focus on the following initiatives. The Digital Kazakhstan program is aimed to strengthen the national digital infrastructure and drive economic growth and competiveness.

Smart Cities and E-Government

Through Smart City initiatives, the municipal government of Astana has set out to significantly improve traffic conditions and reduce congestion on its roads. Built to withstand severe weather conditions common in the region, the system will support traffic monitoring, smart lighting, parking, road displays, and environmental monitoring via a Wi-Fi network.

To help improve access to government services, Cisco will create three e-government kiosks in Astana. Citizens can video conference with a government representative about a range of government services, and documentation can be printed at the kiosk. After the three pilot kiosks are installed, Cisco will work with the government to expand the program to other municipalities throughout the country.

Cisco will also develop 4 immersive video systems that can be used for distance learning or as a way to virtually meet with government representatives without needing to travel to Astana. This will play a key role in addressing service gaps in rural areas with low internet penetration or lacking Government Service Centers.

Next Generation Mining

Cisco is partnering with mining companies throughout Kazakhstan to help improve the productivity and efficiency of one of the nation’s leading industries. Cisco is working with Kazatomprom, a national mining operator, to develop a Convergent Digital Mine Network that will connect previously separate networks for voice collaboration, industrial and automation control and office control. By creating a unified platform, the organization will be able to reduce operating expenses and improve decision-making.

Cisco is also working to help improve the safety of the mining industry in Kazakhstan by developing a Collision Avoidance System (CAS). The system provides an early warning indication for mining vehicles that alerts drivers of nearby vehicles and workers.

Strengthening Skills for the Digital Economy

Cisco is expanding its Networking Academy in Kazakhstan to support the government’s goal of growing tech talent pool and preparing the future workforce with digital skills.

Cisco Networking Academy is a non-profit educational program that offers learning materials on IT topics for educational institutions. By collaborating with high schools and universities across the country, the program aims to enroll 10,000 students by 2020.