Cisco Announces Cius Tablet For Businesses

Submitted by lalit on June 30, 2010 - 7:42am.

Cisco unveiled Cius tablet designed for business customers offering mobile collaboration and virtual desktop integration with anywhere, anytime access to the full range of Cisco collaboration and communication applications. The 1.15 pounds Android based tablet features 720p front side webcam for HD video conferencing and a 5-megapixel camera on the back.

Hardware features on the tablet will include 7-inch touchscreen, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, integrated 3G/4G support and Bluetooth 3.0. On the software side, it will offer full telepresence interoperability, HD video streaming, multi-party conferencing, email, messaging, browsing and ability to produce, edit and share content stored locally or centrally in the cloud.

Main features of Cisco Cius will include:

  • The Cisco Cius is a lightweight portable business computing tablet offered with an optional HD audio station equipped with a telephone handset speakerphone, HD DisplayPort and USB ports.
  • The Cisco Cius tablet features a front-mounted 720p HD camera which refreshes at up to 30 frames per second; a seven inch, high-resolution widescreen super VGA touch-target display for real-time and streamed video, and single-button TelePresence interoperability that can be utilized either when the tablet is docked, or being used remotely via Wi-Fi.
  • The tablet has a 5-megapixel rear facing camera that can transmit streaming VGA quality video and capture still images, and dual noise-cancelling microphones for audio conferencing.
  • Cisco Cius features an eloquent contacts-driven user experience, designed to enable users to quickly reach their important contacts.
  • An on-board accelerometer readily orients applications for viewing in portrait or landscape modes as users rotate the device to their preferred viewing orientation.
  • Cisco Cius supports 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi for enterprise campus mobility and 3G cellular services when off-campus. 4G services will be available at a later date. Bluetooth and Micro-USB means users can work untethered and share data with a PC.
  • A detachable and serviceable battery offers eight hours of life under normal usage.
  • Cisco Cius provides support for the comprehensive suite of Cisco collaboration applications including Cisco Quad, Cisco Show and Share, Cisco WebEx Connect, Cisco WebEx Meeting Center, Cisco Presence, and interoperability with Cisco TelePresence.
  • Cisco Cius is supported by Cisco Unified Communications Manager and is easily integrated into existing Cisco customer environments.
  • Cisco Cius helps ensure a more secure mobile collaboration experience by leveraging Cisco Any Connect VPN Security, part of the Cisco Borderless Networks architecture.
  • Virtual desktop integration provides IT organizations with the ability to host software applications securely in the data center and to utilize the Cisco network to deliver those applications ‘as-a-service’ anytime, anywhere. Cisco Cius thereby supports data center consolidation and reduced software licensing costs.
  • Cisco Cius offers businesses the ability to take advantage of the ever-expanding ecosystem of cost-effective, third-party applications, supported by the Android operating system, while controlling user access policy.
  • Cisco will help expand Android developed applications for business by offering Cisco Collaboration Application Protocol Interfaces (APIs) to developers through a Software Developer’s Kit (SDK).

Customer trials of Cisco Cius will begin in the third quarter of calendar year 2010, with general availability in the first quarter of calendar year 2011.