Cisco creates 200 cloud jobs in UK

Staff boost will see Cisco's London Meraki operations expand three-fold

Cisco has strengthened its ties with the UK by announcing the creation of 200 new cloud jobs and a $2.5m (£1.67m) investment in a start-up programme.

In July, Cisco announced plans to pour $1bn of cash into the UK over the coming five years, and the latest announcement forms part of that.

As part of the latest round of spending, Cisco will create 200 new "high value" cloud jobs at its Merkai unit, meaning its London operations will expand three-hold by early 2017.

On top of this, Cisco will invest $2.5m in Startupbootcamp - a project designed to accelerate the number of new companies starting up.

Cisco said the move will help it gain insight into early market transitions as well as help "drive select Cisco technology themes" into the programmes the project offers.

Startupbootcamp operates in eight European cities, including London, and boasts that 80 per cent of its companies are still trading and have gone on to receive an average investment of £400,000 each.

Cisco's latest UK investment was settled on between the firm's UK CEO Phil Smith and secretary of state for business Sajid Javid in a meeting yesterday.

Smith said: "We see the move to digitise every business as a strong trend in the UK, and yet there are still huge opportunities to improve productivity by further use of digital technology. That is why we are so excited about the investment and growth we are making in the UK and the kinds of skills, jobs and technologies it represents with this investment today."