Will Tablets Supplant Laptops In The Workplace?
ChangeWave Research studied more than 1,600 IT purchasers and uncovered the fact that demand from organizations for the exceptionally transferable devices will be twice as great this quarter. The impressive build-up in the market will reveal close to 1 out of 7 of the larger enterprises equipping their workers with a few tablet computers.
Which Tablets Will Be Most High-profile In 2011?
To begin with, there is the colossus: Apple’s iPad is likely to retain its top position as the number one workplace tablet, simply because users crave it and its (comparative) longevity make it more reliable. Additionally, it says a lot about your business if staff are using cutting edge tools.
However Apple will not be the only player. Traditionally strong enterprise firms such as Hewlett-Packard have now entered the market. Hewlett Packard’s first business grade tablet is the 9-in. Slate 500, an enterprise focussed item that will retail at approx. the same price as iPad.
There’ll be added competition from yet another recent(ish) tablet developer, Dell. Its Streak tablet offers a five inch screen but portability is one of its best USPs. They are now working on a 10-in. tablet running Windows 7, calculated for business use.
Most looked forward to, is the Blackberry Tablet from Research in Motion. They insist it renders internet pages on screen a great deal faster than the iPad, but will this stay the case with the unveiling of the iPad2? Who knows? The most up-to-date predictions foretell the PlayBook’s appearance date as 04/10/2011.
So, what do firms investigated by ChangeWave’s investigation conjecture they’ll buy? The best part of seventy-eight percent announced the iPad as their prime choice. Battling for second place were Dell and RIM with 9% of votes, HP coming in just marginally behind on 8%.
Nonetheless, despite the imbalance in the data, what the investigation certainly affirms is that demand for tablets is flourishing.
As additional suppliers enter the tablet market the unanticipated new trend is that companies as well as shoppers are pushing demand.
Do Tablets Really Replace Personal Computers in Your Business?
Here is how ChangeWave Research records the change in information technology consumer behaviour.
The primary uses of tablets by workers are, of course, accessing the Internet and logging into e-mail. But the largest percentage growth in ChangeWave’s examination of business IT purchasers is in the number of corporations who report they are utilizing the iPad for mobile computer replacement. Industry analysts have noticed certain cases of businesses eagerly exchanging laptops for tablets.
With their very portable attributes, copious applications, Windows Phone 7 or Android OS, cameras, phones, internet access, social media apps and games and movies, they grant businesses an abundance of opportunities for creative use. Hewlett Packard indicates conceivable use in surgeries, car insurance, hospitality, video conference calls etc. If tablets provide all the capacity of a laptop and extras, then why shouldn’t they take over as technology of choice in business as laptops are due for replacement?
Satisfied Customers
One explanation for why enterprizes are selecting the iPad: ChangeWave discovered that the total satisfaction rating (those replying either “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied”) with using their tablet computer for work was an area Apple is currently leading in . The total satisfaction stat for the iPad was an extraordinary ninety-seven percent.
Meanwhile, Dell and Hewlett Packard users were less satisfied with their tablets, with Dell granted seventy-four percent satisfaction set against Hewlett Packard’s 69%. These numbers may be enough in some circumstances but definitely not when you’re up against such a high grade from the market leader. Apple’s “first provider” credentials remain a huge benefit.
We will have to wait and see how the business world acknowledges the Playbook, the Windows 8 slate, (the operating system now on hold until about September 2012), and Hewlett Packard’s WebOS devices due later this year. Can they seize an increased amount of the business market share? The iPad has a couple of significant difficulties for use in the workplace, those being security issues, no support of flash, neither addressed by the iPad 2. Motorola’s Zoom, using Andoid 3.0 (Honeycombe) technology, might give the iPad a run for it’s money due to its enhanced multitasking and improved user experience of flash. Mike Abramsky at RBC Capital Markets asserts that total revenue from tablets is likely to hit ?42 billion in 2014 and that Android technology will grow to dominate the market grabbing a 40% share.
The tablet that will take most market share however, will be the one that is developed with business in mind, as opposed to private individuals. If the security issue is solved, the applications are spot on and the business user experience further enhanced, we can all sign up! However, Deloitte foresee business sales of more than 10 million tablets in 2011, about a quarter of all sales and Gartner reckons on sales rising by 181% to reach 55 million units.
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Author: Jane Chamberlayne