Last week Dimension Data and Cisco celebrated the 25th anniversary of their strategic business relationship, and acknowledged key wins and future plans.

In 1991, the companies began partnering in South Africa, and this has since grown to nearly 150 countries around the world. Under Dimension Data's leadership, the pair have launched a number of campaigns in security, cloud, collaboration, Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI),  and digital practice.

Brett Dawson, Dimension Data CEO, says, “Partnering with Cisco plays a key role in ensuring that we consistently deliver world-class solutions and services to our clients to accelerate their ambitions.

“Our market is changing but our partnership is more relevant than ever. Our clients need to capitalise in bold ways on the promise that digitisation and big data provide. And, we're committed to help them do it - together.

In the past 25 years, Dimension Data has grown and expanded its 'as-a-Service' offerings on Cisco infrastructure and the companies have teamed on the Internet of Things to deliver solutions for sports and recreation, Connected Healthcare and Connected Cities.

In fact, the pair provided Everything as a Service solutions for the Australian Hosted G20. In a world first, the Australia Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, responsible for the 2014 G20 Leaders' Summit in Brisbane, used cloud to deliver a highly secure networking and virtual desktop to keep world leaders and media seamlessly connected, as well as ensure significant cost savings for this annual event, Dimension Data says.

Furthermore, First Bank in Australia was fully adopted cloud computing with the help of Dimension Data and Cisco. As a digital business, ING DIRECT Australia relies on technology to provide its 1.5 million customers with a seamless banking experience.

In the past two years, the companies have introduced new initiatives aimed at ‘building a better future', such as helping the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) create a sustainable workplace of the future called the Living Planet Centre in its London head office.

Furthermore, as the Official Technology Partner of the Absa Cape Epic, Dimension Data provides all the technology and communications for the mountain bike race that sees 1,200 amateur and professional mountain bikers traversing roughly 800 kilometers of Western Cape scenery over the eight-day event.

To commemorate their 25th anniversary, Dimension Data and Cisco are jointly funding and participating in 25 community projects.

Throughout the year, employees from both companies will complete projects to improve their local communities, such as: assembling bicycles for children affected by natural disasters and conflict; virtually connecting children in hospice care with their classmates; supporting musical education; and building and improving schools and community gardens.

Dimension Data is supporting the Cisco Takeback and Recycle Program in order to meet Dimension Data's October 2014 goal of preventing 4,000 metric tonnes of e-waste from going to landfills by 2018.

 “We'd like to thank Dimension Data and our customers for helping us achieve this historic milestone of 25 years of partnering,” said Chuck Robbins, Cisco CEO.

“The magnitude of our alliance and how we've been able to create new opportunities and grow together with Dimension Data is tremendous. We couldn't be more excited to see what we will accomplish together in the next 25 years."