Yes, Apple is still working on the trademark for “App Store”, but that did not stop Cisco from opening its own store called AppHQ. The app store will supply the Android-based Cius tablet. The new Cius will be able to run apps from the Android Market or Amazon AppStore, but it will need IT manager approval. Cisco wants to open the AppHQ as a business friendly distribution mechanism, which will allow IT personnel to control what apps are acquired, the installation of the apps and the management of them on the Cisco hardware for the tablet.
The apps that come into the AppHQ will be validated by Cisco and that includes apps from enterprise users, Android developers and Cisco. The Android Market has proven itself a good place for viruses and other malware and Cisco is hoping to curb this behavior by testing each app as it comes down the pipe, before it is allowed in the AppHQ. The app store is setup in a similar fashion on those on the internet except for the fact that a company can setup, brand, customize and manage their own storefront within the AppHQ.
The amount of apps in the store is likely to be low, but Cisco is using that to lure developers in by saying, “Your app won’t be struggling to be found amongst thousands of others.” The app store will allow your apps to stand out for sure when compared to the Apple AppStore or the Android Market where users are barely able to find new apps and might not even hear of apps that would be essential to them. Cisco says they will have two categories of apps in the market, Market Apps and Business Transformation Apps. The first one is for apps that are written for the Android OS and the other is for developers to call to the Cisco Collaboration API.
The VP of Marketing at Cisco said the AppHQ is, “The industry’s first enterprise-grade application storefront,” during a video conference announcing the store. The VP of enterprise communication at Verizon also made a comment during the video conference saying “the Cius increased productivity of sales teams and improved the effectiveness of sales calls.”
The Cisco Cius will be available on July 31st, just after the release of the HP Touchpad and the price point is going to be in the $750 range.
