For basic Cius registration and firmware upgrade you can connect to the Cisco RAVE lab service (no cost.)  Assuming you have two Cius devices, you can perform voice/video calling between the devices, use the onboard APIs, etc.  (As the RAVE lab is in Galway, Ireland, video sent up/down Cius Anyconnect VPN to the lab may experience fluctuating quality.)
 
http://developer.cisco.com/web/cius-developer/upgrade-cius-firmware
 
If you want to put together a lab in-house - always recommended - you could add pieces/capabilities in the following order:
 
- Cius device (all Cius functionality)
- Cius media station dock - optional (adds wired network, USB keyboard/mouse)
- Virtually any network switch (Cisco preferred of course!)
- Virtually any wifi access point (Cisco preferred of course), possibly optional if you have the Cius media station (dock)
- UC Manager 8.5 or higher (provides Cius registration, voice, video calling), install into VMWare
- Cisco IP phones or soft clients (IP Communicator or Unified Personal Communicator), for testing calls/video if you only have one Cius
- Cisco Unified Presence (CUP) for presence/IM capabilities
- Internet access (Android Market or other 3rd party apps, Webex developer guest account)
 
CDN partners may take advantage of various discount hardware/software purchase programs and NFR kits: 
 
http://developer.cisco.com/web/partner/discount-purchase-programs

The RAVE Lab information is located here: http://developer.cisco.com/web/cius-developer/what-is-rave.

Hope that helps -
Amanda Whaley
Cisco Developer Services

Here is the direct link to the Access Basic Lab page. You are required to be logged into CDN to view the page. http://developer.cisco.com/web/cius-developer/access-the-basic-cius-lab.

Please let me know if you are logged in and still cannot access the page.

Thanks -
Amanda Whaley

I was finally able to connect with rave1 but it does not seem to establish phone service. I have had it on vpn overnight. Is there anything I need to set or configuration? Or just have to wait? Cisco Developer Community Forums --- New Message from Prem Bejjam in Cius Developer - Cius Developer Questions: RE: New Message from Amanda Whaley in Cius Developer - Cius Developer Quest --- From: "Cisco Developer Community Forums" <cdicuser@developer.cisco.com> To cdicuser@developer.cisco.com Date: Sun, Jan 15, 2012 8:38 PM Subject New Message from Prem Bejjam in Cius Developer - Cius Developer Questions: RE: New Message from Amanda Whaley in Cius Developer - Cius Developer Quest Prem Bejjam has created a new message in the forum "Cius Developer Questions": -------------------------------------------------------------- I was able to access . Thank you, Prem Bejjam prebejja@cisco.com Cisco Developer Services From: Cisco Developer Community Forums [mailto:cdicuser@developer.cisco.com] Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2012 8:37 AM To: cdicuser@developer.cisco.com Subject: New Message from Amanda Whaley in Cius Developer - Cius Developer Questions: RE: Testbed Amanda Whaley has created a new message in the forum "Cius Developer Questions": -------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the direct link to the Access Basic Lab page. You are required to be logged into CDN to view the page. http://developer.cisco.com/web/cius-developer/access-the-basic-cius-lab. Please let me know if you are logged in and still cannot access the page. Thanks - Amanda Whaley -- To respond to this post, please click the following link: <http://developer.cisco.com/web/cius-developer/forums/-/message_boards/view_ message/5011897> or simply reply to this email. -- To respond to this post, please click the following link: <http://developer.cisco.com/web/cius-developer/forums/-/message_boards/view_message/5014646> or simply reply to this email.