Cisco Systems, an international leader in networking for the Internet, announced Monday, July 9, the official opening of its new Levant headquarters in Beirut.
Cisco expects to be investing over $10 million in this new regional headquarters over the next five years, in human resources, infrastructure, laboratory and demo equipment and training. Cisco Lebanon will be a base for ten full-time staff.
Cisco has been present in Lebanon for three years as a small representative sales office. The Beirut headquarters will now on act as a regional hub, supporting activities in all Levant countries, and will also be used to support marketing, education and training initiatives. The new facilities will operate as a fully-fledged subsidiary, with dedicated technical, pre- and post-sales support, as well as laboratory facilities.
“Lebanon is facing unprecedented challenges in its reconstruction: it needs to undertake massive rebuilding of physical infrastructure, and at the same time create the groundings for an economy that will thrive in the Internet age,” said Rowland Griffiths, regional director of Cisco Systems Middle East.
“It is vital to the economic success of this region that certain basics are urgently addressed: a legal framework to promote and support e-commerce, a world-class telecommunications infrastructure, and a business environment that encourages sustainable foreign investment,” he added. “Cisco is investing in Lebanon now, at this crucial phase in the reconstruction phase, to help business and government here in laying this groundwork.”
According to a company release, Cisco has seen annual revenues increasing by 160 percent year on year, in the Levant market. Major clients include LibanCell, FTML, Fastlink, MobileCom, TerraNet, FibreLink Networks, OGERO, Jordan Telecom and a number of major financial institutions.
Cisco Systems is headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco’s regional Middle East office is located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). ― (MENA Report)
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