This past January proved to be somewhat of a milestone for Cisco as we surpassed 4 million shipments of our Video-Optimized Wireless Set-top Boxes (VoWs). The momentum clearly seems to be continuing for these flexible and versatile set-tops in the home as, come May, we will have shipped over 5.5 million units.

Hardly surprising really.

Untethered by chords, these boxes offer consumers some handy benefits that are sure to enhance the viewing experience.

Take flexibility for example. Your customers no longer need to place their TV on a wall with a coax outlet. They can put it wherever they like. Inside, outside, it really doesn't matter. That way, they can move the set-top toa kid's room or guest room. Even if it's just for the weekend.

Installation is also hassle-free. Because they don't need to make any extra holes in the wall, your customers can simply pick-up a set-top box and get it connected with a quick visit from a technician.

But that's only half the story.

Your Service Provider business also stands to benefit from VoWs in a big way.

First of all, VoWs greatly reduce your installation cost, since your technicians will spend less time in the field installing devices, troubleshooting in-home wiring issues or running new outlets. In fact, with such a simple installation, you can hire technicians with reduced expertise and save significant costs.

With no need for additional outlets, you can also reduce costly truck rolls. Instead, you can simply ship a Wi-Fi kit to your customers or let them pick it up at their local retail outlet.

And then there's the "Cool Factor" of having a Wi-Fi STB that your customers will want to brag about to their friends. It'll help keep your customers loyalandhelp to differentiate your marketing campaign so you can attract new customers.

For consumers and service providers alike, the merits of wireless video are plenty. Our shipping  milestones alone reflect that fact.

They also go to show how we at Cisco continue to deliver the best solutions for our customers.

And yours too!

To see our Wi-Fi STBs in action, visit us at NCTA at booth 1323.