The umi-- Cisco's oddly named take on home videoconferencing (pronounced YOU-me)-- will be seeking a better life in enterprise pastures as the company reorganises its consumer product business.
Cisco will be integrating it within its Business Telepresence line-- selling it through enterprise and MSP channels. Away from the living room and into the boardroom, then?
The umi was supposed to introduce Cisco's TelePresence to the consumer market, as a console and camera connecting to HDTVs. However consumers clearly did not to bother-- not when there's Skype for free.
The umi's future? Analysts say it could go in 2 ways-- either as a videoconferencing from home/telecommuting solution (even if Cisco already has a PC-based desktop system from its Tandberg acquisition) or as a business-to-consumer connection system for distance learning and the like.
Go Cisco Restructures Consumer Business
Go umi
