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Cisco drops Cius tablets after the BYOD crush, plans upgrade to Android 4.0 out of kindness
Cisco had grand plans for a Cius tablet on every fast-paced executive's desk, but those dreams appear to have been dashed not long after getting off the ground. Senior VP OJ Winge says the company will "no longer invest" in the design, leaving the already rather creaky Android 2.2-based, 7-inch tablet to an eternal slumber outside of occasional specialized orders. It's not hard to see what hastened the Cius to its early demise, as Winge pins it on companies and customers encouraging a BYOD (bring your own device) strategy that likely brought more than a few iPads and beefier Android tablets into the space Cisco wanted to occupy. Before existing Cius owners start videoconferencing with themselves out of sheer despondence, though, there's a silver lining: the company now expects to take the Cius' firmware all the way from Android 2.2 to 4.0 in one fell swoop near the end of the summer. You may not be living Cisco's 2010-era vision, but at least you'll have Chrome for Android.
Cisco Cius headed to Verizon late summer, IT departments celebrate
Usually the trumpets blare when a new Android-based slate hits the town, but the IT-friendly Cisco Cius isn't really the type to get all hot and bothered over. We've had plenty of signs that this deceptive looking not-a-video-phone was coming to Big Red's Enterprise accounts and official word from the operator means your side of the cubicle will be getting some locked-down, Angry Birds-less tablet love later this summer. There's a whole bit of 4G LTE buzz buzz buzz in the release, but we have to stress that it's mobile hotspot only -- meaning this WiFi-equipped pad isn't the full office-on-the-go you might've hoped for. Out-of-context Moses and the Greeks PR allusions after the break.
Cisco Cius Android tablet hands-on (video)
In the market for a $750 Android tablet with an IT-controlled closed ecosystem, Atom processor, and a requisite middle man to place your order? Then you probably work for a corporation. Cisco's Cius Android tablet was designed with a Cisco infrastructure in mind, focusing heavily on security and integration with other products. Sure, you can watch HD video or play Angry Birds (if IT is willing to flip the switch on game downloads), but you'll mostly be using the Cius to join WebEx presentations, TelePresence conferences, and access custom enterprise apps -- this is not the tablet to give your kids, for someone just looking to browse the web, or really for anyone not working at a company that already depends heavily on Cisco services. Basically, if a Cius magically appears on your desk one day, you'll know it's right for you.%Gallery-127444% Today Cisco launched AppHQ, a custom app store created to give IT departments complete control over device app loading, allowing them to limit access only to enterprise apps, or the entire Android Market. We went hands-on with the tablet and AppHQ at the company's offices in NYC, and were impressed with the tablet's ability to integrate seamlessly with Cisco services. Even though Cius isn't intended to be used for entertainment, it's designed to be both your primary portable device and desktop workstation -- so that ability to play HD video will definitely come in handy. You can access all of Cisco's popular communications tools, making private calls as you walk, joining a video conference from the train over AT&T or Verizon LTE, and then slipping the device into its dock once you reach the office, which adds speakerphone functionality, three USB ports, video out, and even Ethernet connectivity. You can use Cius to access an offsite virtual Windows desktop, using a mouse, keyboard, and monitor to control your primary machine. The tablet has begun rolling out to some clients and will be available worldwide on July 31st. You'll need to reach out to your Cisco sales rep to make a purchase, but jump past the break for a quick look in our hands-on video.
Cisco Cius on AT&T: crystal clear corporate communication coming this fall
Cisco's Cius hopped on Big Red's bandwagon a few months back, and now it's bringing its high-def corporate communications skills to AT&T. And not only will Ma Bell be selling the seven-inch slate, its AT&T Foundry division will make business-friendly apps for the device. Don't go bugging the bossman for one just yet, however, as the Cius won't be riding AT&T's waves of 4G HSPA+ until this fall. PR's after the break.
Cisco's Cius Android tablet now orderable, requisite 'field representative' still MIA
Cool your jets, buster -- Cisco's still no closer to rejoining the consumer realm. If you'll recall, this here Android tablet was actually introduced at the front-end of the year, but it remains one for the business sect. Rivaling the PlayBook as the working man's tablet, the Cius is now orderable through your Cisco field representative and / or authorized Cisco channel reseller. Of course, tracking him / her down on a Friday is another thing entirely, but you can expect the first shipments to go out "this month." Excited? Jazzed? Bubbling over? You betcha.
Cisco's Cius tablet gets the Verizon LTE treatment
It looks like Verizon's gone and added yet another device -- make that two -- to their 4G LTE network. The company announced Thursday that it will offer the business-savvy Cius tablet on LTE starting this March, and will also offer LTE interfaces for Cisco's second generation Integrated Service Router. Verizon says it's got about one-third of the US covered with LTE, which offers downstream speeds between 5Mbps and 12Mbps, and will have the other two-thrids blanketed by 2012. If you're lucky enough to live in that first one-third, the Cius tablet, which sports a 7-inch diagonal touchscreen and weighs about 1.15lbs, could become your preferred form of business communication -- it offers HD video streaming, real-time video, and multi-party conferencing. Cius will also have 3G capability for those unfortunate souls operating outside of the LTE sphere. Verizon isn't ready to settle on a data plan for the tablet, as its main functions have potential to eat up a ton of bandwidth, but they're pretty sure employers will be the ones footing the bill.
Jawbone Icon for Cisco is the for-business Bluetooth headset compatible with VoIP phones
Got a workplace fancy enough to warrant $500 video conferencing VoIP phones? Then Aliph's got a Bluetooth headset you might like to own. From what we can tell from the press release, the Jawbone Icon for Cisco doesn't have anything new in terms of audio quality or styling -- the old adage of don't fix what ain't broke -- but instead adds upgradable firmware and allegedly seamless switching between a Cisco Unified IP Phone (or that Cius tablet) and your personal cell. The idea is that you could walk around all day untethered, and never need to bend over to pick up calls from either phone. The headset's already shipping in the US and Canada with top-tier Cisco phones. Hear that? That's the sound of the last vestiges of humanity fading away as the Bluetooth cyborgs take over. PR after the break.
