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Topic: Apple

Apple iPad fastest-growing SMB technology, data suggests

Summary: New research from The Business Journals suggests iPad usage quadrupled between 2010 and 2011, among companies with fewer than 500 employees.

Heather Clancy

By for Small Business Matters |

I bet this data revelation surprises very few people who take the time (thank you) to read this column: It turns out that the Apple iPad is the fastest growing technology among small businesses.

The research, gathered by The Business Journals, found that the use of Apple iPads quadrupled between 2010 and 2011, reaching an adoption rate of approximately 34 percent among small and midsize businesses. The roughly 1,400 business owners and executives surveyed represented companies with anywhere from 5 to 499 employees.

See also: CNET’s live blog of iPad event | Why I will buy a new iPad | Available in stores March 16 | ZDNet live analysis | iPad is fastest-growing SMB tech

The motivation for the pace of iPad penetration into this segment? Accessibility, which trumped productivity and efficiency when it came to the factors driving technology purchases, The Business Journals reported.

I would argue that in this case, it's kind of the same thing.

Close to 75 percent of all the surveyed SMB executives were "very or somewhat familiar" with the iPad device, the research found.

Sort of makes me wonder whether that other 25 percent uses much technology at all within their business operations.

Topics: Apple, iPad, Mobility, SMBs

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4 comments
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  • Only idiots contend that tablets cannot do real work

    Yes, it is not really surprising to many, but ought to come as a shock to those who daily respond to blogs (such as this) that tablets such as an iPad cannot be used for "real" work. I've lost track of the number of posters to articles such as this on ZDNet who are utterly incapable of understanding the role a tablet can play in a workplace. I use my iPad all day, every day as part of my business. It reminds me of the old saying, "Those who say that something cannot be done need to get out of the road of those who are doing it". No doubt, within a very sort time I'll read yet another response from another "know-it-all" who will again contend that tablets and iPads cannot be used for real work. If that is you, dear reader, then do yourself a favour and stop wasting out time!
    Restricted_access
    Reply Vote

    • That Kind of Depends On the Work

      There is a lot of "real work" that is completely impractical on a tablet. It's not fair to say that people who say that tablets aren't suitable for real work are way off base just because you're talking about a different type of thing. If your computer work is mostly viewing information, taking brief notes, and sending messages, then of course you can use a tablet while you go about your other business of the day, and it may be more practical (especially if you're the type who gets stuck in meetings all day). If your work is data entry, mechanical drawing, video editing, etc., then a tablet won't be practical for your everyday work (even serious word processing would require using a keyboard to convert the tablet to a netbook type machine). Just because you can do some things on a tablet doesn't mean tablets are about to take over the work place.

      Don't set up a strawman that people are saying tablets can't be used by executives, salesmen, etc. That's not what they mean when they say that tablets aren't suitable for "real work." They're talking about tasks that are more interface or processing intensive.
      CFWhitman
      Reply Vote

  • Once again......

    ......The Lady gets "it"....... I now use the iPad for over 90% of my computing needs......
    thefoleys
    Reply Vote

  • You misunderstand . . . and I agree

    @CFWhitman

    I agree with you but you somewhat misunderstand my post. My post was aimed at those who maintain that tablets have no practical purpose and cannot be used in any form for "real" work. I've no problem with those who see limitations with tablets yet at the same time recognise that they can do real work. And I've no problems with those who recognise that tablets can be used for real work, albeit that tablets might not suit their personal needs. My problem, as I noted, is with those who simply contend that tablets cannot deal real work, not matter what. I would not contend that tablets suit everyone's needs and heartily agree that tablets have limitations that might not make them suitable for many people in many work situations.
    Restricted_access
    Reply Vote
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