Cisco CEO John Chambers announced Wednesday in Beijing the next phase of its corporate strategy for China, marked by new public-private collaborative programs within the country that deliver upon its US$16 billion multi-year innovation and sustainability initiative first announced in November 2007.
According to Cisco in a statement, the firm's multi-year innovation and sustainability initiative in China includes R&D, education, procurement, investment and training.
Cisco said it has signed an MoU with China's National Development and Reform Commission with a focus on next-generation Internet and green R&D programs, leadership training, best practice sharing and business development investments. The vendor also signed an MoU with China's Ministry of Commerce, under which Cisco will work with the ministry to help implement the Thousand-Hundred-Ten Project for China's business process operations industry. Cisco added that it will provide training to improve the skills of employees of China's business process operations companies through this program.
"The next stage of our strategy for China reflects the country's importance to Cisco's global growth strategy and to our long-term business model, built upon next-generation innovation in collaboration and Web 2.0 technologies," said Cisco chairman and chief executive officer John Chambers.
In addition, the IT vendor collaborates with Peking University to create the 'Guanghua Cisco Leadership Institute' to develop talent in China to meet the needs of government and global enterprise leaders, including the NDRC. The institute, according to Cisco, represents a US$20 million investment from the company over the next three to five years and focuses on creating research and executive development programs based on a curriculum of teamwork, collaboration and Web 2.0 technologies.
Other initiatives under the firm's corporate strategy include the set-up of the 'Cisco China Strategy Board' and the appointment of Jim Sherriff as chairman, Cisco China, senior vice president of Global Operations.
Cisco said the Cisco China Strategy Board is a cross-functional executive board of senior leaders across Cisco's global business, to evolve and drive the vision and strategy for Cisco in China. The firm added that Sherriff is responsible for implementing the company's vision and strategy for China and representing Cisco's global business operations through direct engagement within the country. Sherriff and executive vice president of Global Operations Randy Pond will co-chair the Cisco China Strategy Board, which also includes Owen Chan, president of Cisco Asia Pacific and Thomas Lam, president of Cisco China.
