Home Telepresence Product Delivers Amazingly Clear and Lifelike Video Get-Togethers Through Existing HD Televisions
SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - October 6, 2010) - Cisco (
Cisco umi, which includes an HD camera, a console and a remote, takes advantage of Cisco's heritage in business telepresence, to deliver an immersive video experience that fits into every home, automatically adjusting to lighting conditions and various room sizes to provide superior video and audio performance.
Once Cisco umi is connected to an HD television and a wired or wireless broadband connection, a remote control provides access to an on-screen user interface, through which users can make umi calls, access video messages, manage contacts, and customize their profile and settings. Users can also record their own umi videos, which they can share on Facebook™, on YouTube™, or via email. Users can even keep in touch with people who don't have umi by placing and receiving video calls from any computer with a webcam and Google video chat.
"Cisco is bringing people together, driving new video experiences that change the way we communicate, connect, and enjoy entertainment -- in the home, at work, and on the go," said John Chambers, chairman and CEO of Cisco. "Cisco umi will bring the unique telepresence experience into living rooms and change the way we are able to be together with family and friends. We envision a future where technologies like this will play a role in connecting consumers with businesses to enable the delivery of new services, ranging from education, to health care, to financial services -- to the home."
"Cisco umi is the ultimate way to capture the simple joys of being together with our distant friends and loved ones, whether they are around the corner or across the country," said Marthin De Beer, senior vice president of Cisco's emerging technologies business group. "From singing happy birthday every year to reading bedtime stories every night, umi lets friends and families experience life's special moments together."
Cisco is also working with Verizon to bring the umi experience to Verizon FiOS customers early next year. The two companies have been conducting successful trials of Cisco umi over Verizon's 100 percent fiber-optic network, which delivers what a 2010 PCMAG.COM reader's survey rated the fastest Internet speeds in the United States.
"Verizon's high-IQ networks are incredible incubators of innovation that connect our customers to the things and the people they care about, how and when they want," said Eric Bruno, vice president, of consumer product management at Verizon. "We plan to be the first service provider to offer Cisco umi to our customers, delivering an amazingly clear and lifelike experience that brings family and friends into your living room."
Cisco is working with Best Buy to bring the Cisco umi experience to Magnolia Home Theatre stores this holiday season. Within Magnolia Home Theatre stores, consumers will be able to experience Cisco umi, get expert advice on the product and required broadband, as well as purchase Cisco umi, with installation and support provided by The Geek Squad.
Cisco umi Key Features and Benefits
Opportunities to see Cisco umi
This fall, Cisco will kick off a major marketing campaign that will offer many opportunities for consumers to see the umi experience:
Pricing and Availability
Cisco umi is scheduled to be available for preorder on October 6 from umi.cisco.com and October 18 from bestbuy.com. It is scheduled to be available to consumers on November 14 in Best Buy/Magnolia Home Theater stores, bestbuy.com and umi.cisco.com for the suggested retail price of $599 with a monthly fee of $24.99 for unlimited umi calls, video messaging and video storage.
Videos
John Chambers discusses the impact of new video experiences like Cisco umi
http://www.youtube.com/v/TgOdtA_H2Ug?fs=1&hl=en_US
Cisco umi video overview
http://www.youtube.com/v/t9cksI9VvKg?fs=1&hl=en_US
Supporting Resources
Technorati Tags
Cisco, umi, Cisco umi, Home TelePresence, Cisco Consumer, Service Provider Video Technology Group, SPVTG, Cisco Media Solutions Group, CMSG, John Chambers, Gina Clark, Ken Wirt, Ned Hooper, Marthin De Beer, Consumer TelePresence, TelePresence, Emerging Technologies Group, Cisco Eos, Cisco Eos software platform, Cisco platform, video, media-enabled home, visual networking, medianets, connected life, network, platform, Internet networks, Human Network, home network, consumer technology, digital life, video sharing, mobile video, social networking, social networks, visual, social, personal, Cisco, IP, video, IP contribution network, IP Video, Internet Video, Streaming Video, IP Networking, Linksys, Flip Video, Home Networking, Cable TV Sets and Tops, Google Voice, Google Chat, PC, Mac, video chat, video calling
About Cisco
Cisco (
Cisco, the Cisco logo and Cisco Systems are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the United States and certain other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco Public Information.
For direct RSS Feeds of all Cisco news, please visit "News@Cisco" at the following link:
http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/rss.html
Contact Information:
Contacts:
Press:
Jim Brady
Cisco
(408) 424-2150
jimbrady@cisco.com
Becky Porter
OutCast Communications
415-392-8282
Cisco@outcastpr.com
Industry Analysts:
Charles Guyer
Cisco
(978) 936-0825
cguyer@cisco.com
Investor Relations:
John Choi
Cisco
(408) 526-6651
johnchoi@cisco.com