By Bobbie Katz

Cisco Systems is looking to take a bite out of Apple’s iPad business with its latest device.

The world’s largest maker of networking equipment announced on Tuesday that it will be introducing its own tablet computer, the Cius, to the business world early next year.

Stating that the tablet has been in the works for 18 months, the company notes that the Cius is smaller and lighter than the Apple iPad but will have a 7-inch screen. It will also have two cameras facing both toward and away from the user, while the iPad has none. According to a Cisco executive, videoconferencing on-the-go will be the major focus of the product. The company, which is looking to sell the Cius for under $1,000, plans on making it as IT-friendly as possible.

Besides having the ability to connect to Wi-Fi hot spots and cellular broadband networks, the Cius may be used as a replacement for a desk computer by connecting to servers that run “virtualized” applications.

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