Cisco Setting up ‘thingQbator’ at IIITM-K

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Global IT networking major Cisco is setting up an incubator for start-ups to nurture and develop ideas in the Internet of Things (IoT) domain at the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala (IIITM-K), in partnership with the NASSCOM Foundation.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged today between Shrikant Sinha, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation and Paul Antony, Kerala Chief Secretary, in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during the inaugural ceremony of the two-day conclave Huddle Kerala, one of Asia’s largest startup ecosystem congregations, which began at The Leela Raviz Beach Resort, Kovalam here on Friday.
Another MoU for establishing the Cisco Networking Academy programme in Kerala through the ICT Academy of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, was also signed at the event. Harish Krishnan, MD, Public Affairs and Strategic Engagements, Cisco India and SAARC, and M. Sivasankar, IT Secretary, Government of Kerala, exchanged the MoU.
Cisco’s thingQbator is an Internet of Things (IoT) laboratory and a “makerspace” that gives access to technology for creators to develop their ideas. It is a project under the company’s CSR mandate and is implemented by NASSCOM through it authorised partners at the college level with the aim of skill and entrepreneurship development among young people in India.
The Networking Academy Program was created by Cisco Systems Inc to meet the growing demand for people with the skills and knowledge required to design, build and maintain computer networks.
Through this program schools, colleges, universities and other non-profit educational institutions are provided with the possibility of integrating a curriculum in computer networking that has been developed by Cisco as part of the institution’s educational offering. The chief guest of the inaugural function, Sharjah Digital Transformation Higher Committee Chairman Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, and Subho Ray, President, Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI)were also present on the occasion.
Huddle Kerala is organised by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in association with Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IAMAI Startup Foundation. Startups, investors, academicians and industry leaders will attend the event, which is expected to have the participation of 2,000 members with 40 speakers in 30 sessions.