MTN has announced a partnership with Cisco Jasper to enable their business customers throughout Africa to deliver Internet of Things (IoT) services worldwide.
The operator will be the first in South Africa to deploy Cisco Jasper Control Centre, the leading automated connectivity management platform for IoT. The partnership also represents Cisco Jasper’s initial expansion into South Africa.
Mariana Kruger, General Manager for ICT Solutions at MTN Business, said that the partnership would entrench MTN’s position in the IoT and connected vehicles space and will give IoT device and vehicle manufacturers the opportunity to leverage MTN’s expansive network. While this solution will initially be rolled out in South Africa, plans are in place to leverage MTN’s data centres across its 22 points of presence across Africa.
“Our business customers in nearly every industry are looking to innovate and transform their businesses by offering connected services,” said Kruger. “The combination of our powerful mobile networks and Cisco Jasper’s leading IoT platform will empower our customers to deliver new connected services that generate recurring revenues, while also enhancing their customers’ experiences. More enterprises globally rely on Cisco Jasper Control Center than any other IoT platform, and we are excited to bring its capabilities to our customers.”
Kruger added that MTN is starting to reap the benefits of the substantial investment it has made in its network, and the strategic partnerships it has forged in the IoT space.
“Over the past three years, we have invested substantially in our network and have forged strategic partnerships with leading global players in the IoT space. These interventions have put us in a better position to provide our customers with a distinct customer experience. The partnership between Cisco Jasper and MTN has several synergies - both companies have the capacity and expertise to provide IoT services to enterprise customers. In addition, the technologies that we have invested in give MTN the ability to provide cutting-edge and tailored propositions to our clients, while delivering a secure and fool-proof connection.”
