Cisco Umi - A Bust In The Home, A Boon For SMBs

Tony Bradley says that Cisco's Umi telepresence-quality home videoconferencing product could actually save SMBs money over business-targeted alternatives.

"This week Cisco unveiled Umi, its high-definition telepresence system aimed at consumers. While the concept is impressive, it is also costly for consumers. However, for small and medium businesses, Umi offers a valuable business tool that may actually enable them to cut costs.

As a consumer technology, Cisco Umi is unlikely to gain much traction--at least initially. The concept is nice, but it is expensive. The $600 equipment costs and $25 monthly fee are out of the range of discretionary spending for most consumers and fall into the realm of frivolous luxury. Besides, this first version of Cisco Umi doesn't even quite meet the vision originally laid out by Cisco, and it still has some kinks to work out."