Cisco and Telenor Group Sign New Joint Purpose Agreement to Deliver More Inclusive, Secure and Flexible Services

Over the past two years, the pandemic has highlighted the limitations of global networks, challenged business operations and cyber security as many businesses converted to a remote or hybrid work model, and put a spotlight on the digital divide. With this new agreement, the companies will leverage synergies through collaborative pilot projects that address the digital divide through Cisco’s Networking Academy (NetAcad) and Telenor’s existing sustainability programs and strong local presence in markets, creating a foundation for collaboration on youth empowerment, digital skills, and safe connectivity. Initial pilots are planned for Bangladesh and Thailand.

The companies plan to enhance Telenor’s services beyond connectivity for business customers and tailor more cybersecure, scalable and flexible “as- a-service” solutions to fulfill customers’ needs. An initial pilot is planned for the Norwegian market to support its advanced customer base. The shared goal is to apply the findings from the pilot to Telenor’s global operations in addition to new markets, and to offer a more cybersecure and cyber-aware global blueprint. Furthermore, Telenor is joining Cisco’s accelerator program, enabling its customer-facing security team to master Cisco’s products and to ensure closer collaboration between the two companies for joint value creation.

Cisco and Telenor will launch new innovative projects, including collaboration and security solutions to protect users working from anywhere. The companies will test new ways for these solutions to enable the future of seamless, remote work. The companies will also collaborate to further automate Telenor’s internal security operations, enabling faster responses to cybersecurity threats. As part of the new agreement, Cisco will support Telenor's hybrid multicloud strategy across multiple vendors and environments with advanced technology and tools to further enhance workload orchestration, automation and performance as well as provide in-depth visibility, threat intelligence and protection.

“Both Telenor and Cisco’s core business is about connecting people," said Sigve Brekke, CEO, Telenor Group. “Together, we have a unique opportunity to leverage our combined strengths to champion cyber security, digital capabilities and advanced skills. The JPA also strengthens our efforts to fully digitalise our operation and deliver more value to customers through news services beyond connectivity, for example with new models that addresses business customer’s security needs.”

“Cisco and Telenor share fundamental values, and with this agreement, we are strengthening our relationship to improve sustainability by piloting unique projects that aim to create a more inclusive future that connects everyone," said Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO, Cisco. “By leveraging innovative Internet and mobile technology, we can also inspire people to make a positive impact in their communities and close the digital divide.”

The strengthened collaboration will be governed by a committee chaired by Telenor’s Ruza Sabanovic, EVP and Chief Technology Officer, and Cisco’s Jonathan Davidson, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Mass-Scale Infrastructure, who will ensure structured deliveries for their common goals.

In 2018, Cisco and Telenor Group initiated a strategic relationship to support digital transformation and have since collaborated on enhancing connected experiences for Telenor customers with improved 5G, cloud, data analysis, IoT, Open vRAN, Smart City, and security solutions, through several iterations of the JPA.

Telenor Group is a leading telecommunications company across the Nordics and Asia with 172 million customers and annual sales of around USD 13 billion (2021). We are committed to responsible business conduct and driven by the ambition of empowering societies. Connectivity has been Telenor's domain for more than 160 years, and our purpose is to connect our customers to what matters most. Telenor is listed at Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker TEL. For more information, visit https://www.telenor.com/

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your data, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future. Discover more on The Network and follow us on Twitter.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.