Cisco opens logistic facility in Bangalore

BANGALORE: Cisco India opened its service logistic facility in Bangalore. It
is one of the top four revenue contributors for Cisco’s Asia operation
excluding Japan.

The facility is Cisco’s seventh of its kind in Asia. The opening of the
facility was driven by the revenue generated in the country and increased demand
for Cisco technology. This is expected to reduce both time and cost of shipping
the products to the country from its Singapore center.

Cisco's Asian operations vice president, Gary Jackson, said, "With this
facility we should be able to deliver a product on request within one business
day to any part of the country." AFL, the Indian subsidiary of DHL will
handle the transportation of the product. "This facility is more of
customer satisfaction and on time delivery capabilities from Cisco's stand
point," he added.

With 3000 odd products under its wings, Cisco has invested a couple of
hundred million dollars in this facility for stocking the products. The company
caters to a mainstream of 15 to 20 partners in the country and has offices in
all the four metros and Bangalore.

Cisco is also planning along with its consultants to address the 12 per cent
luxury tax on IT products imposed by the Karnataka government, in addition to
the existing four per cent sales tax. Cisco Service Operations program manager,
Ravi Punjabi, said, "We will comply by the system. But we hope the
government re-looks into the issue. However, the sole purpose of catering to the
channel partners will be achieved when the product is delivered within a
business day of the request." Hence, the channel partners will have to pay
more for the products till the government takes a stand on the luxury tax within
the next 10 days as promised by the IT minister.