Video isn’t necessarily a winner
Cisco has been attempting to kick start the video market for ten years, especially IPTV (that’s why IP Multicast still exists). The telepresence stuff hasn’t been profitable yet, and videoconferencing market is so dire that Cisco went a bought Tandberg to pump some cash into it.
To date, video looks like a loser. But Cisco is obviously not giving in.
It’s not Innovation
Google produced the hardware design for all the silicon and sent out reference units. Google produced the Android Operating System, seeded it and marketed it. Developed and tested an API. Then made it open source (and it’s based on Linux).
Google has created and promoted a community that will develop for Android so that Cisco can buy cheap developers.
Hardware can be manufactured by existing contract manufacturers so the Cisco doesn’t evan value add to that part.
Cisco does the following:
- Design some plastic to go around the CPU, RAM and battery
- Cisco writes the equivalent of Microsoft Word for Windows that integrates with existing IP Telephony platforms that they already have. This includes APIs for third party developers.
And that’s supposed to be innovation ?
It’s not Shipping
- Cisco says 2011. Recent experiences in manufacturing and delivery problems
- If you can’t deliver one switch that costs quarter of a million dollars, that’s already designed and in production how can I believe this date ?
- The world can change between here and next year.
Did I point out it’s not shipping. And Cisco can change their mind at any time. Be very careful.
It’s not the first
It’s not the first Android tablet announced, and many will be shipping before the end of the year. It’s won’t look so cool when it’s “just another tablet”
Cisco, Apple and Facetime.
I speculate that Cisco and Apple will get together and integrate Facetime into IP Telephony. Facetime is already SIP enabled, and only needs a small amount of work to access a directory service.
And Apple got to use the name “iOS” with Cisco’s permission, what’s the payback ?
Keep Cool People
No really. It’s not exciting. The show isn’t over until the fat lady sings and so far it’s only the first act.
The EtherealMind View
Look, how hard was this to do ? Cisco has invested almost nothing to make this product. They have access to the manufacturing, a team of developers in India and an existing market to sell the product to.
This isn’t innovation. This is ME TOO, I want to follow the market and make computers like HP and IBM.
Mark my words, when you have Servers in the Data Centre and Tablet on the desk, then Desktop PCs are just around the corner.
