Cisco announced Cius (pronounced See-Us) during Cisco Live on June 29th. Cius is a computing tablet targeted at mobile enterprise workers offering anywhere connectivity and cloud integration.
Cius can be inserted in a docking station where it can use an IEEE 10/100/1000 wired network and a separate monitor for a regular desktop experience or it can be taken on the go.
The main features of the Cius tablet are:
- Intel Atom 1.6-Ghz processor
- 7” high-resolution color touch screen
- 32GB flash memory
- USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 3 support for keyboards, mice and headsets when inserted into the docking station
- IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n wireless network connection for inside the campus and 3G/4G support for outside the campus
- Secure remote connections with Cisco AnyConnect Security VPN Client
- HD forward facing video camera for teleconferences
- 5Mp rear facing camera for video/photo capture
- HD audio with wideband support (tablet, HD Soundstation)
- OS - Android
- Browser – Firefox
- Support for creating/editing files and videos
- Built-in accelerometer
- Detachable and serviceable 8-hour battery
- Weight - 1.5 pounds or 0.52 kg
According to Cisco, Cius has been built with the following features in mind:
- Mobility – online from anywhere; the device has the following connectivity options: 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3G/4G data and Bluetooth 3.0
- HD Video (720p, 30fps) – Cisco boasts having the ability to carry HD teleconferences in the same manner as a phone call from anywhere using Cisco’s TelePresence Interop conference solution. It also supports regular voice calls.
- Virtualization – provides a secure way to access applications in the cloud
- Collaboration- a suite of collaboration apps accessed from the desktop or the Cius tablet: Cisco Quad, Cisco Show and Share, WebEx, Presence, and IM
- OS – based on Android; it opens Cius to the Android market place, and Cisco promises to open up Cius’ API to Android developers
- UX – contact driven user experience; this means one can open up a communication link with another worker by selecting the contact and choosing a collaboration option.
One of the features helpful for the enterprise is cloud integration. Cius has a thin virtual desktop client application which combined with SaaS is offering access to apps and data storage in the cloud.
The tablet is supposed to hit the market during Q1/2011, the price being undecided yet. It is interesting to see how Cius will affect Apple’s iPad presence in the enterprise.
