Cisco is known for its business tech solutions. So it’s not surprising that unlike the iPad and the likes of the Android powered Samsung Galaxy and Dell Streak, the Cius pretty short on fun diversions.

The device’s main USP is its video conferencing capabilities in HD on its seven-inch display. There’s a front facing 720p camera and another five megapixel snapper at the rear for VGA video conferencing and still photography.

Sound clarity is taken care of by a pair of noise cancelling microphones, putting an end to those super-stilted comprehension lapses mid meeting. Upping the Cius’ appeal to the enterprise user is that it’s fully integrated with Cisco’s software: Cisco Quad, Show and Share, WebEx, Unified Presence and the rest. So you’ll be able to kick off video conferences with a single click.

Still not enough for you? Well the Cius also packs video editing software, with users able to share clips in the cloud, plus a detachable eight-hour battery. And, naturally, you can also do all the other stuff that we take for granted from a tablet: messaging, text input via the touchscreen and web browsing over 3G mobile broadband, wireless business broadband or 4G networks.

That its manufacturer has high hopes for it is beyond doubt. In the official clip below, we're informed that the tablet ‘redefines industry paradigms’. Not sure what that means? Don’t worry. Nor are the PR drones who made it up.

But for all the cant, the Cius has got real potential. The £750 price tag isn’t going to put off serious business types – even in the midst of what looks like being a double dip recession.

What’s more, the Cius fits neatly with the tech giant’s commercial strategy. If tablets take off, Cisco stands to benefit massively from a surge in demand for bandwidth.