iPad Tablet Huddle Hits The Enterprise: Ready, IT?

Is the iPad ready for the enterprise? Is the enterprise ready for the iPad? While there have been some very good reviews of the latest iPad, including one from our very own Fritz Nelson, I discuss the tablet--and in particular the iPad system, rather than the product--in the video interview below.

The portability, the tactile interface, and the long battery life have all made the tablets a consumer favorite. I contend that the latest iPad expands the tablet from a favorite consumer media consumption device, to a new, media-created business capability. The very high-resolution display, faster processor, and upgraded applications place the iPad into a position to become the corporate information creation and consumption device of choice. In a twist, the iPad's intro may also make the now lower-priced iPad 2 a hit in many companies aiming to conserve their IT budgets.

In the video interview below with Tyler Pyburn of the PulseNetwork, I argue that while the latest iPad is ready for the enterprise, the enterprise may not be ready for the iPad.

The onrush of the "bring your own device" phenomena in the corporation has caught many IT departments by surprise. Apple has long favored the consumer market over the business marketplace, and many of the central security, privacy, and compliance features that are common in the enterprise world were simply not part of Apple's strategy. However, those tablet devices and smartphones are now flooding into the corporate world, and companies cannot avoid developing a security and administration plan for the tablets and smartphones.

[ Find out 8 Things Tablets Still Can't Do. ]

So, the "tablet huddle" is headed your way. What does that mean? Corporate local networks were originally designed for fixed-place computing with systems tied to the network via hard-wired Ethernet. Later, along came Wi-Fi which, because of its haphazard deployment, often meant hotspots of strong signal and black holes of no signal. Now, think of five senior executives huddled around the water cooler, all carrying their tablets ready to build a new business plan or multimedia presentation. Now think of five frustrated execs dealing with slow network speeds and videos that won't play.

In this interview, I touch on all the good, the bad, and the ugly about using the iPad in the enterprise. Tablets are an onrushing product coming into your corporation and you need to get ready.

Eric Lundquist,
VP and Editorial Analyst, InformationWeek
[email protected]

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