The growing consumerisation of IT in the workplace has served as a catalyst for an explosion in tablet computer usage in the workplace, with 61pc of US corporations reporting employees are using devices such as the iPad, BlackBerry PlayBook, Samsung Galaxy Tab and Motorola Xoom.
Developments in the areas of devices, networks and enterprise infrastructure are all serving as catalysts for enterprise tablet adoption, according to the latest research from Strategy Analytics.
According to the most recent Strategy Analytics Tablet and Touchscreens Strategies (TSS) report, Are Tablets Set for Enterprise Primetime? the growth in personal liable devices, Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) work policies, availability of high-speed networks and an inexorable shift to virtualised and cloud computing environments, all serve as catalysts to drive the growth of tablet presence in the enterprise.
‘Bring your own device’ strategies
“Trends that include Bring Your Own Device are evolving from an experimental phase to enterprise ‘norm,’ as smartphones and tablets move into the workplace, each with its own mobile application environment,” said Andrew Brown, director at Strategy Analytics and author of the report.
“BYOD is driving the need for secure converged fixed mobile access (4G, Wi-Fi and femtocell) and integrated IT management. This may appear to be the IT manager’s nightmare scenario, but improved managed mobile service tools offered by vendors, ISVs and mobile carriers are bringing these devices under full IT control for the first time,” he added.
“In tandem with the shift to virtualised and cloud computing environments, and a shift to all-IP networks, companies are also identifying how to integrate ‘consumer’ features into the way they manage their own communication, collaboration and interaction.
“Tablets are increasingly being viewed as a fast and unobtrusive way to enter and access key information, irrespective of location and context,” said David Kerr, senior vice-president at Strategy Analytics.
