Feb. 10 (Bloomberg) — Wim Elfrink, chief globalization officer at Cisco Systems Inc., talks with Bloomberg’s Margaret Brennan about his company’s performance and business strategy. Elfrink also discusses Cisco’s role in the creation of a “smart city” computing center in Holyoke, Massachusetts. (Source: Bloomberg)
HOLYOKE – Cisco Systems Inc. wants to turn Holyoke into a model showing how Cisco’s communications technologies can help revitalize communities and provide better and more efficient education, public safety, business growth, transportation and health care.
“We’re using technologies to help form our communities and deliver services to our citizens,” said Wim Elfrink, chief globalization officer and executive vice president for Cisco. “We’re using technologies to help form our communities and deliver services to our citizens.
HOLYOKE – Cisco Systems Inc. and the city of Holyoke are partnering to make the city the first Smart + Connected Communities Neighborhood in the United States.
The plan is to use Cisco’s technology to improve health care, education, public safety and economic opportunities in downtown Holyoke. The San Francisco-based company already is working on initiatives to redevelop used mill buildings in Barcelona, Spain, and to renew the Toronto waterfront. This will be Cisco’s first project with a smaller city.
HOLYOKE – One of the private firms involved in the planned $80 million high-performance computing center will discuss a collaboration with the city at a press conference on Wednesday.
Mayor Elaine A. Pluta is scheduled to participate in a tele-conference with Wim Elfrink, executive vice president and globalization officer with Cisco Systems Inc., a computer networking giant.
The second meeting of the Holyoke Innovation District Design and Development Task Force will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at Holyoke Heritage State Park. A formal agenda will be available approximately a week prior to the meeting date.
For more information about the Task Force and previous meetings, please see “About the Project” on this website.
When BusinessWest launched its Difference Makers program a year ago, it did so with many goals in mind. The first, of course, was to recognize people and institutions making important contributions to the health and well-being of this region. Beyond that, through the telling of their stories, we wanted to inspire others to make a difference as well.
