Los Pelambres Mining Co. at the Forefront in Using Cisco Collaboration Technology

Using Cisco Jabber, Company Offices in Valle del Choapa and Salamanca Can Easily Communicate With Each Other

Santiago, Chile, August 12, 2013 – Los Pelambres Mining (MLP), located in the Chilean region of Coquimbo, became one of the first companies in the country to incorporate collaboration over smartphones as a productivity tool for its employees within the mining environment. The company, part of the wider Antofagasta Minerals Group, is one of the five largest mining companies in the world.

Thanks to the Cisco Jabber™ application, tools such as email, voice, presence and videoconferencing are now possible in locations lacking 3G coverage, even at altitudes of 3,500 meters (about 11,500 feet), where the Los Pelambres mine is located.

“The solution consists of enabling a Wi-Fi network, in addition to the existing one, in three critical points of the transport, fluid and dam management operation (Estación Disipadora 0, Punto Bajo Camisas and Punto Bajo Quelén). From these distant points, the supervisors extend their offices in a virtual way, being able to collaborate in ways that were not possible before,” said Juan Carlos Pulgar, senior engineer of Operation and Services Support, Los Pelambres Mining Co.

According to Francisco Bastías, a senior engineer of the Information Technology Department of the mining company, “at Pelambres we are convinced that innovation will thrive by providing the ability to collaborate across a variety of devices and in social spaces (physical and virtual) which encourage the exchange of ideas among people, and that is why it is important to integrate state-of-the-art technology in a simple way that connects people and facilitates decision making.”

Sergio Torres, mining account manager from Cisco Chile, said: “Today’s technology allows people from any place, at any time and from any device to be connected, from a bank, an airport or a working place distant from any urban point. In a working environment with complicated conditions such as altitude, humidity, dust and vibration, the requirements are different. Extending the carpeted office environment to the interior of a mining tunnel requires communications of an excellent level, ruggedized wireless devices, and versatile and user-friendly solutions where availability, operating continuity and security are essential to the customers. These form the pillars of the Cisco Connected Mine product strategy.”

“Cisco is working to enable the mining industry to be more productive through the use of technology. Our main competitive advantage is that we are able to offer a solution for end-to-end communication to our customers. This chain starts at the corporate end of a mining company but can end at the outdoor sensors for environmental monitoring.”

About Los Pelambres Mining Company

Los Pelambres Mining Company is located at an altitude of 3,500 meters, with average temperatures of minus 3 degrees C. The company employs approximately 5,500 people, 61% originating from the region of Coquimbo. The vision of integrating equipment from different brands and models is framed within a project called “Conecta2”, awarded at the CETIUC 2011 conference.

“Minera Los Pelambres is a reservoir located in the Andes Mountains in the town of Salamanca, Coquimbo Region, Chile. The company is 60% Chilean capital through Antofagasta Minerals group and 40% in Japanese consortium consisting of Nippon Investment LP & Mitsubishi and Marubeni LP Holding BV. The mine produces copper and molybdenum concentrate.

For more information visit www.pelambres.cl.

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