Apple, Cisco Kiss 'n Make Up over iPhone Name
Although the excitement over the iPhone has died down a bit in recent weeks, the battle between Cisco and Apple over the product name has continued to smolder under the surface. Skirmishes and terms of war have flowed from one extreme to the other, with Cisco first angry over Apple's use of the name, followed by reports of an agreement, which was subsequently nixed by news Cisco was suing after all. Reports today, however, reveal that the two companies have agreed to both use the "iPhone" tag.
The agreement seems to hinge on a future bond between the smooth, mainstream Apple rendition and the VOIP offering from Cisco. Gizmodo reports that Apple can "use the name for its sleek new multimedia device in exchange for exploring wide-ranging 'interoperability' between the companies' products in the areas of security, consumer and business communications."
That sounds fantastic, since Cisco can certainly hold its own with Apple in the telecommunications universe (even if its name isn't known by every 14 year old girl).
With that said, it could be confusing for some folk. I'm thinking at least one poor kid is going to get a VOIP-enabled (and comparably lame) iPhone from Grandma for Christmas this year.
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