Hinduja Group flagship Ashok Leyland and Cisco signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) under which the companies intend to develop sector-specific solutions that help enable vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. The companies plan to work together to deliver solutions that will focus on transportation management, incident and emergency medical response, as well as mobile security targeted initially at government and defence sectors.
Ashok Leyland and Cisco hosted a preview of the first solution from this collaboration, the iBUS2, which combines user-friendly mobility with best-in-class connectivity, at the Auto Expo 2010 in New Delhi.
iBUS2 offers state-of-the-art digital communication equipment that wirelessly communicates in real-time with a remote control centre for the exchange of critical information required for decision making. With an integrated wireless communication network (long range mobile and short range Wi-Fi communication), the iBUS2 allows safety personnel to transmit a wide range of critical data including voice, information, pictures and streaming video.
iBUS2 forms part of the iBUS series from Ashok Leyland that integrates relevant technologies with mobility solutions. The new iBUS2 solution answers a long-felt need in security preparedness, with its innovative features facilitating intelligent responses to emergencies. Cisco’s Smart+Connected Health solutions as well as its Smart+Connected Safety and Security solutions for incident response are integrated into the iBUS2.
The iBUS2 can be uniquely configured for other potential applications such as citizen services, ‘Business-on-Wheels’ for corporate, banking and retail customers as well as ‘Service-on-Wheels’ for healthcare, tele-medicine and interactive e-learning.
According to R Seshasayee, MD, Ashok Leyland, “Ashok Leyland has been a leader in the Indian bus market, providing the widest range of models and has also pioneered innovations in mass transportation in the country. This MoU heralds the next step for us, of moving from fully-built vehicles to intelligent mobility solutions. We are happy that in Cisco we have a technology leader to collaborate with us in reaching the benefits of technology to the masses, as showcased here in iBUS2.”
Naresh Wadhwa, president and country manager, Cisco India & SAARC, said, “This is a significant initiative from Ashok Leyland and Cisco and we are confident the collaboration will break new ground in the transportation industry. The vision of the collaboration is to enhance the value of our solutions by combining the unique capabilities, expertise and experience of Cisco and Ashok Leyland in the combined communication solution that is enabled by the network as the core platform.”
Cisco’s Smart+Connected Communities initiative is designed to provide cities and communities with smart and connected solutions for utilities, safety and security, connected real estate, transportation, health care, learning, sports venues and government services.
