Doha • United Development Company (UDC) has signed up with Cisco to set up a world-class digital infrastructure with host of next generation services and high - speed connectivity in The Pearl-Qatar, the multi-billion dollar man-made island offshore Doha. The QR 55bn ($ 15 bn) Pearl-Qatar which is expected to host more than 41,000 regional and international residents by 2011, will utilise Cisco® technology and service solutions. Mannai Corporation, a Cisco Gold Certified Partner, will be handling the supply, installation and testing of the telecommunications network solution. The deployment of an infrastructure based on Cisco technology entails the design of a network that will help provide residents with differentiated and customisable services anytime, anywhere and to virtually any device, said Cisco Gulf and Pakistan Managing Director, Sam Alkharrat. These include wired and wireless home networking, high-speed connectivity and IPTV services, he said at a news conference here yesterday. "Today's announcement of collaboration between Cisco and UDC is a major step forward in accelerating the adoption of technology solutions by harnessing two of Cisco's major capabilities: Networking and Connected Real Estate solutions. This project will attract residents from across the globe and spark additional foreign investments while greatly benefiting the operators, owners and tenants of the island," said Alkharrat. UDC, the developers and promoters of The Pearl-Qatar will also deploy the Cisco Connected Real Estate solution, a multi-service Internet Protocol (IP) platform and network framework that integrates multiple technologies and allows for the convergence of data, voice and video simultaneously. The Pearl-Qatar Executive Vice President, Assets Management, Eric Lebrun said: "This iconic island is set to completely revolutionise Qatar's landscape, and is part of the country's ambitious plans to provide a new generation of high-bandwidth services to both residents and visitors alike. We are building one of the world's smartest developments that will redefine smart living on a global level." "We have chosen to work with Cisco as we are confident that our strategic collaboration will enable not just end-to-end connectivity, but also create world-class experiences through changing the way that people interact with content, services and each other, in a highly secure way." The Peninsula

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