Cisco made big news recently with its release of its own tablet computer, the Cisco Cius, designed for business users and collaboration. The tablet marks Cisco’s debut in the client computer space, plus it pits Cisco against the ultra-popular Apple iPad tablet. Here’s why the Cius may very well be an iPad killer.
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Cisco's B2B Legacy
Let's face it, Apple is an out-and-out consumer company. Many IT leaders have expressed hesitation at jumping on the iPad bandwagon for just that reason. Meanwhile, Cisco has been in the B2B space for years and it knows how to cater to enterprises. This will be a huge factor in pushing Cius out to the workforce.
Cisco's Consumer Ambitions
With the acquisition of Pure Digital last year, Cisco said that it intended to leverage the team there that helped lift the consumer-friendly Flip Video from total obscurity to a runaway sales hit on future consumer projects at Cisco. While the first Cius may be a business device, we wouldn't be surprised if Cisco made modifications to cater to the consumer market later.
Android Platform Opens Development
Apple's restrictive development policies put up barriers for business developers looking to port custom systems over to the iPad. Meanwhile, Google's stance on open development policies for Android has created a lot of fans within the IT development community.
Cisco's Channel Support Trumps Apple
Apple's got a long history of channel conflict and ambivalence toward its partners. Cisco's hearty supply of partners will go a long way toward amping up Cius sales throughout a wide range of verticals and business sizes.
Docking Station A Security Blanket For Non-Techies
Think of the optional docking station—equipped with a familiar telephone handset—as the 'gateway drug' for technophobes to get used to the newest mobile apps.
High Quality Camera
Cius offers a front-facing camera that turns it into a portable video conferencing client for professionals and others on the go. Plus, a second outward-facing 5-megapixel camera is capable capturing both still images and video. One of the biggest disappointments in Apple’s iPad? No camera.
Integration With Cisco Borderless Network Ecosystem
Cisco built Cius from the ground up with the idea that it would seamlessly integrate with a wide range of their popular collaboration and unified communications tools. Cius fits snugly within the Borderless Network architecture Cisco is building up at the moment, a big selling point for businesses that want mobile devices to just work without complication.
Cisco Is More Security Aware
Cisco's security infrastructure is so much more robust than Apple's. With enterprises more security conscious than ever, this play a huge factor if Cius comes head-to-head with iPad in a bake off.
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