Analyst Eightball: The iPad Will Be Big For Enterprise
February 12th, 2010
CIO talked to Mort Rosenthal, Computer Industry Hall of Fame inductee and CEO of of Enterprise Mobile, and he thinks the iPad will be a game changer for enterprise and business.
“The iPhone has really changed the way we deal with technology, making it more accessible and intuitive. Enterprises are getting increasingly interested in the iPhone as a platform. Not only to support general mobility usages but also as a platform for line-of-business deployments.
The iPad feels to me like a similar game changer.”
He thinks the iPad will see early adoption in sales, due to its clipboard form factor, as you don’t need to sit down to present information; and medicine, though probably a bit later when the device is slightly more rugged.
He does admit that Apple’s restrictive controls on content are an issue:
“The biggest challenge for the CIO with the iPad is this: If you want to put a line-of-business app on the iPad, you have the same challenge as you do with the iPhone. That is, it’s not easy to do. And to some degree, Apple’s closed environment makes it really challenging.”
My two cents? It’ll make its way into business, but not with the first generation model. It’s still lacking too many key features, especially multi-tasking. Sure, it’s fine for showing a Keynote presentation, but it’s not ideal for rapidly switching between Mail, Safari and Pages in order to put together a pitch. The front-facing camera for tele-conferencing is another feature which would make it feel more at home in the boardroom.
Businessman or not, if you want to get your hands on an iPad, we’re giving one away in April! Check out the contest details here.
[via 9 to 5 Mac]
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