Cisco wants to drive this seaside town's future into the digital age

Cisco has announced today (October 18) that it has signed an agreement with Southend-on-Sea Borough Council to explore the digital future of the town.

Cisco is aiming to help the council’s strategy to create opportunities for those living in and visiting the area through energy saving, carbon reduction as well as sustainable growth. It also aims to reduce costs and increase communication with citizens and businesses.

The project will use technology that has been shown around the world, including Manchester’s CityVerve scheme, which helps to monitor carbon dioxide levels and develop smart transportation solutions to improve public safety.

Stuart Higgins, head of smart cities and internet of things at Cisco, said: “The ambition to share the benefits of digital technologies shouldn’t be limited to organisations or even big cities.

“What Southend-on-Sea Borough Council aims to achieve is testament to that, and we are thrilled to be working with them and our partners to help enhance lives.”

The initiative will aim to create a technology hub in the closest seaside town to London.

Nick Corrigan, head of digital futures, Southend-on-Sea, commented: “Innovation is vital to the UK’s success as a global nation, and we are delighted to be playing a key role in this.

“We want to further enable our citizens and businesses to grow and evolve, in line with the rest of the UK and with competition globally. With Cisco’s proven expertise in the developing smart cities and technology sector, it is the perfect partner to help drive this initiative forward and demonstrate the potential of our borough.”

This announcement demonstrates Cisco’s commitment to support digitisation in the UK. Cisco’s digitisation strategy is a long-term partnership with government, industry and academia to deliver real outcomes faster and more effectively for the country.

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