iPads and Tablets in the Workplace

“It will be the fastest uptake of any device in the enterprise ever. Faster than PCs, faster than laptops and faster than smartphones.”

That’s what Forrester analyst Ted Schadler had to say about the adoption of tablets, in an interview with the New York Times.

If your organization hasn’t yet started dealing with an influx of iPads and tablets — in addition to netbooks, smartphones, iPods and other mobile devices — it’s time.

According to Apple CFO, Peter Oppenheimer, more than 80% of the Fortune 100 — including JPMorgan Chase, Cardinal Health, Wells Fargo, Sears Holdings and DuPont — are deploying or piloting the iPad. And with enhanced mobility and security features continually being integrated into the device, IT managers and CIOs can only expect that number to grow.

An October 2010 report from Forrester detailed three specific iPad-use cases the analyst firm expects to see driving its adoption:

• Displacing laptops as user’s primary computing device.
• Replacing pen-and-paper notebooks for on-the-move professionals.
• Innovative uses that leverage its features to enable new conveniences. For example, a bakery in New York passes out iPads to customers so that they can connect with the shop on social networks while enjoying their treats.

But it’s not just about the iPad. As the tablet design grows in popularity, other companies are speeding into the market. In fact, more than 100 tablets were unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

In addition, some manufacturers are letting iPad have the consumer appeal, and specifically designing their devices to serve the needs of the enterprise. For example, the RIM Playbook “is looking to be enterprise ready in areas such as secure VPN, document viewing and editing and enterprise apps that will be ready out of the box.” (Source: ZDNet)

The ramifications for IT are clear: CIOs need to prepare for the days of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) to work.