With one product announcement, Android goes from Enterprise outcast to forerunner.
If your enterprise doesn’t use a VoIP call center from Cisco or Cisco networking equipment in your server room, it still likely uses Cisco’s Webex for video calling. Pretty soon those Cisco (CSCO) salespeople are going to be calling up your director of IT pitching them on what appears to be a very cool little Android tablet called Cius.
It may one day soon replace your office phone. And your mobile phone. And maybe even your laptop.
Cius is a 7-inch Android tablet that does a few things that will get business users excited. First, as an Android device, it has a solid browser that operates over Wifi or 3G/4G (and they even say via Ethernet — this is Cisco after all). Business-based web apps can be accessed locally or through a VPN client. It also appears to offer a virtual desktop through a Citrix-type client for legacy applications.
The main focus of the tablet appears to be video conferencing, and it taps into all of Cisco’s VoIP and Telepresense software. They even mention 720P video conferencing, which would seem to indicate a very densely pixeled screen and HD camera.
Cisco also mentions a collaborative Android Marketplace relationship where they offer developers a chance to work with Cisco’s technology and, at the same time, Cius users can dive into the Android Marketplace (assuming with the IT director’s blessing) for apps.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz_9Jn7MYG4]
Cisco runs down the specs below:
Applications Capabilities:
- 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3G/4G data and Bluetooth 3.0 help employees stay connected on and off-campus
- HD video (720p) with Cisco TelePresence solution interoperability for lifelike video communication with the simplicity of a phone call
- Virtual desktop client enables highly secure access to cloud-based business applications
- Android operating system, with access Android marketplace applications
- Collaboration applications including Cisco Quad, Cisco Show and Share, WebEx, Presence, and IM
Tablet Highlights:
- 7” diagonal, high-resolution color screen with contact-based touch targets delivers an elegant, intuitive experience
- HD Soundstation supports Bluetooth and USB peripherals, 10/100/1000 wired connectivity and a handset option
- Detachable and serviceable 8-hour battery for a full day of work
- Highly secure remote connections with Cisco AnyConnect Security VPN Client
- HD audio with wideband support (tablet, HD Soundstation)
