Cisco to build a digital campus for Indian School of Business

Indian School of Business-Hyderabad (ISB), one of the country's top management schools, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with US-based networking giant Cisco to build a digitally intuitive campus.

According to a statement, the digital campus is based on Cisco’s secure core network, unified voice, video, and wireless communications. This will lay the framework for connected campuses, educators, administrators and students, who will all have access to digital tools.

The connected classroom solutions will leverage Cisco’s networking and collaboration solutions like WebEx Boards, which will help students to learn anywhere, anytime, and on any device, the company said.

Students and educators will have secure access to educational resources by using their smartphones, tablets and other connected devices, it added.

Cisco will provide integration of its Webex and Wi-Fi solutions with student engagement platform Involvio to offer a suite of tools and dashboards for better student engagement. This will also enable everyone at the B-school to collaborate with sector experts from across the world, the statement said.

Also, by utilising pan-campus Wi-Fi access, sensors, analytics, context, and location-based services and digital signage, ISB can enable higher levels of operational efficiency to campus administration and management, Cisco added. 

This will include solutions like smart lighting and connected vehicles, student behaviour, and security. In addition, network analytics will help make data-driven decisions while managing the facilities.  

“We have an opportunity to shape well-rounded, highly skilled students who can meet the demands of an increasingly digital world,” said Sameer Garde, president, Cisco India & SAARC.   

The initiative is part of Cisco’s country digital acceleration (CDA) programme, an effort to partner with national leadership, industry, and academia to foster inclusive growth and innovation, the company said.

ISB dean Rajendra Srivastava said that digital transformation in the education sector is a must to address the challenge of disruption. 

“The future of jobs is strongly connected with digital transformation, and in this context, the delivery of education must have a strong digital content," he added.