Tablet wars heat up with Cisco Cius

Cisco joins the foray into the tablet business with the introduction of the Cius (“see us”), an Android device aimed at the business user. And because it’s from Cisco you know it’s got to have some telepresence/videoconferencing capabilities and then some:

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

HD audio with wideband support (tablet, HD Soundstation)

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

Looks like a very cool device, especially the part where it can be docked onto a phone, but I don’t know why such a small 7″ screen was used.

Also glaringly missing are details on pricing and any carrier tie-in (since it’s 3G/4G capable). With Cisco’s footprint in the business communications space this tablet may make decent inroads into corporations. But the users may still be glad to go home to their iPads.

[via Cisco]

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Tagged as: Android, Cisco, Cius