Cisco announced earlier today that they are in the process of developing an Android-powered tablet, dubbed Cius, for the business market.
Cisco was careful to assert the tablet’s role as a tool for professional users, rather than a media-oriented consumer device. Clearly Cisco is attempting to get to the office before the iPad gains traction in this sector, and by the looks of the Cius, they may succeed. The mock-up of the device, shown below, is fairly interesting. It sports a 7” screen around a large bevel with a sizable external speaker (presumably for conferencing purposes). The standard Android hardware buttons, minus search, are featured below the screen.
UPDATE: One of our readers was kind enough to provide us his hands on experience with the device, thanks @JimmyGadget !
The features and specs as indicated in the press release are below:
- 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
- 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)
Certainly promising on paper, but only time will tell if Cisco is going to deliver. I would certainly be interested in getting my hands on one for web conferencing!
Credit: CrunchGear, @JimmyGadget