Cisco to launch tablet for enterprise
By Jenny • Jun 30th, 2010 • Category: Industry News, Mobile Computer News
- Photo: Cisco
While everybody follows Apple into its foray into the consumer tablet market, Cisco computers is aiming to create its own space by developing a tablet computer aimed at enterprise and business.
Say hello to Cius
On Tuesday, 29 June 2010, Cisco unveiled the Cisco Cius, a light, 7-inch tablet built on Google Android. Cisco is selling the tablet PC to enterprise and business users as a communication and collaboration tool. The Cisco Cius will have wi-fi connectivity, as well as connectivity with mobile networks to connect business users to one another.
Features
Being built on Google Android, the tablet will naturally have access to applications built for that platform. The custom features Cisco are punting, though, are the ability to perform portable video conferencing, as well as native remote access to a user’s desktop computer.
How about that, Apple?
This move is a masterstroke on Cisco’s part, in that while everyone else tries to muscle themselves into the space the iPad has taken an early lead in, the Cisco Cius is pulling in a different direction and aiming at a different (although admittedly overlapping) audience.
Cisco will have the major benefit of having their networking products, including their video conferencing suites, aimed at enterprises as a fantastic cross-selling platform for the Cisco Cius. Furthermore, enterprises tend to buy in bulk, meaning moving a large volume of tablets over brief timeframes is a high possibility for Cisco.
And now, Apple?
Apple won’t feel threatened by the Cisco tablet, but the growing ubiquity of Google Android on tablets has to be cause for concern. The iPad is currently selling like hotcakes, moving 3 million units in three months, while other manufacturers scramble to ship their own tablet computers.
Next to smartphones, the tablet has to be considered the most fascinating market in computing right now, with the as-yet undetermined long-term winner likely to make boatloads of money.
Tags for this article: Cisco, Cisco Cius, google android, ipad, smartphone
