India's Reliance Group has formed a strategic partnership with Cisco Jasper (formerly the M2M provider Jasper, acquired by Cisco in March 2016) for the launch of a new venture, Unlimit, dedicated to providing Internet of Things (IoT) services to Indian enterprises.
They say Unlimit will be 'equipped with the diverse resources of the Reliance Group, the nimbleness of a start-up, high-profile partnerships, and an international management team' and will 'tap into the growing potential of the IoT market in the country.'
They say Unlimit makes Reliance the first telecommunications services provider in India to set up a dedicated IoT business unit. Unlimit customers will be able to use the Unlimit ControlCenter, based on the former Jasper platform for the management of multiple SIMs in M2M devices, and Reliance's mobile network.
'The partnership with Cisco Jasper, which is the industry standard for managed connectivity that simplifies the delivery of IoT services, provides the new venture with a distinct range of service offerings with global delivery standards,' they say.
Cisco and Reliance say that their new IoT service will also play a role in the Digital India project, a government program committed to building 100 smart cities.
'Reliable connectivity and the ability to easily manage the multitude of connected services involved in smart cities are two key requirements to ensure the success of the Digital India initiative. The combination of Reliance's powerful mobile networks and Cloud Services with the global Cisco Jasper IoT connectivity management platform provides a full suite of solutions for smart city initiatives throughout India.'
Separately, Cisco says it is expanding its commitment to India by hiring world-class IoT engineering talent in India to join the Cisco Jasper team in the Cisco Innovation Center in Bengaluru.
Jahangir Mohammed, the co-founder and CEO of Jasper, and now GM of Cisco Jasper, said: 'We are a company with deep roots in India, as both myself and one of my co-founders were born and raised here. It is inspiring to see both the Government and enterprises throughout India invest in IoT to advance both the country and commerce, which is why we are making our own investment in this market. Reliance Group's deep commitment to advancing IoT throughout the country makes them an ideal partner.'