IT Management: Tablets to be largely adopted by small businesses over the next years

jeudi 19 janvier 2012

Tablets to be largely adopted by small businesses over the next years

Par Sarah Guez 16 janvier 2012

Since the launch of the iPad, the tablet market is flourishing, and has entered the corporate world as a valuable mobile device for the enterprise. Several studies predict a large adoption amongst small businesses.

As of today, the use of tablets in small and medium businesses (SMBs) is rather weak. According to AMI-Partners survey, only 3% of SMBs are using tablets today. The firm predicts that the adoption rate should reach around 30% or 35% by 2015. According to The NPD Group, 73% of SMBs plan to purchase tablets over the next year. However, the amount allocated to the acquisition of these devices largely depends on the size of the company. Indeed, companies between 500 and 1000 employees are expected to spend over 39 000 dollars on tablets, as opposed to 2000 dollars for companies under 50 employees.
Relevance varies between different industries and positions
These devices should be distributed to executives and mobile salespeople. The adoption rate also varies within different industries, as hospitality, media, or healthcare show an early adoption, especially in the United States and in Western Europe, where 70% of the tablets market share is held. According to Michael McDonald, AMI senior associate, this tool « is a complementary device » in the workplace and will not replace the more traditional desktops and laptops.
Just like consumers, companies prefer the iPad
Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD stated “The iPad, just as it is in the consumer market, is synonymous for 'Tablet' in the business market, leaving Apple poised to take advantage of the increased spending intentions of these SMBs ». However, AMI predicts a significant drop in the tablet price - up to 50%,- by 2013. Thanks to the commercial success of the iPad, a lot of manufacturers now offer tablets running under the Android OS, which should indeed have an effect in lowering down the current prices. This could help the adoption in emerging markets, as these devices particularly match cloud services, also being largely adopted lately by small businesses around the world.