The VAR Guy

The VAR Guy has been cordially invited to preview the upcoming Cisco Cius tablet this week at an event in New York City, so our resident blogger plans to lace up his wingtips and don his fedora for this hands-on event. What will be top of mind, and what does The VAR Guy hope to find out? Read on for the quick rundown …

First, a refresher: Cisco’s Cius tablet has been in the public horizon for more than a year, and we still know very little, other than this: it’s an Android-based tablet that will integrate with Cisco’s UC TelePresence solutions. Cisco hopes the Cius will become the de facto enterprise tablet, too, since Android allows a level of flexibility that presumably iOS does not and enables Cisco to modify and tweak the OS to its needs.

That’s all well and good, and tech specs are fun to compare on paper, but nothing beats a hands-on test drive. That’s why The VAR Guy will be anxious to put the Cius through its paces in real life. Here’s a Top 5 list of what our resident blogger will be grading the Cisco Cius on:

1. Speed: Android has been known to underperform on some devices, even high-end ones such as the Xoom. The VAR Guy will be looking for fluidity and overall stability with the Cius, and he’ll be comparing that to what’s going on under the hood.
2. User Interface: Presumably, the Cius will be running a custom version of Android, complete with a custom user interface. The VAR Guy will see what tweaks Cisco has made to integrate the Cius into UC and TelePresence solutions, while also looking to see if any other operating system-wide modifications have been made to suit the enterprise better.
3. UC/TelePresence Quality: The VAR Guy has been told the Cius preview event will also demo it in action with TelePresence. Expect either “oohs” and “aahs” or noises that convey displeasure, depending on how well the Cius performs.
4. Hardware: How does the Cius feel? Are buttons placed in intelligent and easy-to-use locations? Are there any engineering flaws or great engineering designs? How heavy is it? How durable is it? Can The VAR Guy toss it in his bag and hit the road? (Not that he would.) Our resident blogger will provide a thorough examination, short of a drop test.
5. Accessories: It’s been known that the Cius will have a dock, which doubles as an “HD media station,” featuring an Ethernet jack and ports for a handset. If they’re on display, The VAR Guy will play with them, too. Cisco also noted Bluetooth and USB peripherals are supported by the Cius, but what kind, exactly? Can third parties natively develop hardware for the Cius? Our resident blogger will find out.

If you’ve got anything specific you want The VAR Guy to tinker with, let him know. Our resident blogger has no fear when it comes to pressing Cisco on its tablet strategy. Amid the sea of tablets drenching the enterprise market, Cisco is making a brave (and perhaps brazen) move with the Cius. The VAR Guy will want to see what kind of tricks Cisco has up its sleeve to get Cius into the workplace and, subsequently, the channel.

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