Digicel and global technology giant Cisco are working together on a “digitisation vision” for Bermuda, as well as 25 other countries in the Caribbean and Central America.

The two companies have signed an agreement aimed at “accelerating the digital agenda” in the region, looking at a project that could stimulate economic growth and enhance competitiveness in the countries in which Digicel does business.

Under what is described as the “Frame Agreement”, the two companies will develop a digitisation vision for each country for both the immediate and the long term.

This will involve defining areas for implementation and specific projects, such as healthcare/telemedicine, smart cities, and connected schools, the companies said in a statement today.

They will also aim to develop an educational strategy based on Cisco Networking Academy. The goal is to partner with “national leadership, industry and academia to deliver measurable outcomes faster and more effectively” and to create a pipeline of projects for the future, including infrastructure enhancement and island recovery.

Alison Gleeson, senior vice-president of the Americas, Cisco, said: “Digitisation is a key driver for economic development in any country. Through this partnership with Digicel, our goal is to grow GDP, create new jobs and invest in a sustainable innovation ecosystem across public and private sectors in the Caribbean and Central America.

“The Cisco and Digicel collaboration will map pathways to growth for countries throughout the region, positioning them for long-term prosperity in the Digital Age.”

The Frame Agreement outlines co-operative efforts to identify national objectives and issues within each country to develop initiatives and facilitate innovation. Cisco will provide knowledge and support based on the company’s core technologies for enterprise networking, collaboration, wireless, data centre and software.

The agreement also calls for the development of an IT educational strategy to be implemented at the national level, based on Cisco’s Networking Academy programmes.

“Digicel and Cisco share the mutual goal of helping the region become more efficient and globally competitive through digital transformation,” said Vanessa Slowey, CEO Digicel Caribbean and Central America.

David D’Oliveira, group CEO (Caribbean & Central America), Digicel Business, said: “As digitisation accelerates, cutting-edge infrastructure will increase a country’s GDP, reduce spending and create jobs.

“It will allow governments to extend the reach and impact of public services by converting insights into action. It will enable new and diverse groups of entrepreneurs to build businesses that will shape the world, whilst providing more accessibility and opportunities for education and technology-based careers.”

The initial list of targeted countries includes: Bermuda, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, French West Indies, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Panama, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Cisco and Digicel have been partners since 2009, with Digicel an authorised Cisco reseller for several countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean region.