In a telepresence session connected to reporters in several cities, Cisco executives introduced early Cius adopters in health care, education and communications. All of the customers said have deployed up to a few dozen of the 7-in. Cius tablets because they are intertwined with Cisco's respected IT management, security and collaboration features.

Part of the way Cisco is extending management benefits to Cius is through AppHQ, which is a combination of an app store and tablet management and app development system. AppHQ can become a company's app storefront to house the apps a business has approved for its workers. But AppHQ also extends controls to IT administrators over which applications can be downloaded by users.

Cisco's Cius tablet on its docking station.

Orlando Portale, CIO for Palmora Pomerado Health, said he has deployed the Cius to doctors to allow them to collaborate -- sometimes with video -- in secure ways not possible with other Android devices. "We have Android devices already and all are consumer, but [they] don't run over the VPN's we need," he said. "Cisco's value-add...is to lock down" the devices.

Kara Wilson, vice president of marketing for collaboration solutions at Cisco, made it clear what the Cius mission is all about. "Cius is about control,"she said. "Cius gives control back to IT."