Cisco Unveils iPad, iPhone Biz App

SAN JOSE, Calif. (TheStreet) -- Networking giant Cisco(CSCO) is getting into the Apple(AAPL) application market, targeting business collaboration on iPhones and iPads.

Later this year, Cisco will launch an app for iPhones and iPads, dubbed Cisco Quad, marking its increasingly close relationship with Apple.

Later this week, at Cisco's Enterprise 2.0 conference in Boston, the networking giant will showcase Quad, which it is touting as an app that allows business users search a wide array of content. This could be, for example, content management systems such as Microsoft(MSFT) SharePoint and EMC's(EMC) Documentum, as well as Cisco's own Unified Communications and WebEx technologies.

The company will also showcase Mobile Quad applications for Apple's iPad and iPhone devices. These apps "will enable deskless employees to remain connected and engaged in interactions with their colleagues around the globe," explained Cisco in a statement released late last week.

More on Cisco, Apple New iPhone Won't Sink Cisco's Flip Cam

Apple's iPad is becoming an increasingly common sight in corporate America, and the iPhone is also making its presence felt in enterprise circles.

Cisco, conversely, has entered the consumer technology market with its Flip video camera, although the networking specialist is in something of a symbiotic relationship with Apple. Apple already supports Cisco Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology on the iPad, and the enhanced video capabilities of the new iPhone, contrary to some speculation, could help Cisco by increasing telcos' need for bandwidth.

Successful early trials of the Quad technology have already been completed, according to Cisco. The technology will be available on a limited basis during the first quarter of the company's fiscal 2011, which ends in October.

Other new technologies that will be demoed at Enterprise 2.0 this week include a Cisco Prosumer Video solution, which combines an online video workspace with a new Flip MiniPro camcorder aimed at businesses.

Cisco will also demo the latest version of its WebEx Web conferencing technology. WebEx Connect 6.5 lets users access their contact lists and send instant messages via a browser-based IM client, according to Cisco. This makes the technology available from any computer with any operating system, removing the need to download client software.

Shares of Cisco, which is well-positioned for the upswing in IT spending, rose 15 cents, or 0.67%, to $23.06 shortly after market open. Cisco's performance mirrored the broader tech market as the Nasdaq crept up 0.96%.

-- Reported by James Rogers in New York

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