Apple’s iPad is the subject of some heated debate in the corporate world. On one hand, it’s viewed as a product that must be be respected. Its supporters believe that it revolutionizes the marketplace and will allow employees to be far more productive than they have been in previous years without such a tablet. Detractors couldn’t disagree more. They see the tablet as an entertainment product designed exclusively for consumers. And although the iPad is being adopted heavily in the corporate world, those detractors believe companies will soon realize that the device doesn’t have lasting power for business needs. Deciding which side makes the most compelling argument can be difficult. Right now, the iPad is all the rage in the tech world. It’s selling extremely well, and with some help from excited IT managers, it’s becoming a rapidly adopted tablet. But the device might lack the long-term success that has made Apple so important over the past decade. Not only is Apple typically lost in the enterprise, but it focuses very little of its time there. And with a new, potentially more compelling tablet coming — the Cisco Cius — the iPad’s success in the corporate world could be short-lived. Here’s why:
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1. The Cisco Tablet Is Coming
Tablets appeal to corporate customers. But as more tablets come to the enterprise market, one will stand above the others: Cisco’s Cius. Unlike the competition, the Cius will integrate into existing infrastructure. And thanks to Google’s new attempts at capturing enterprise market share, it’s not a stretch to say that future versions of Android OS, which the Cius runs, will be even more enterprise-friendly.
2. Apple Doesn’t Get the Enterprise
Steve Jobs might not like to hear it, but Apple just doesn’t get the enterprise. It never has, and by the looks of things, it never will. Apple tries to attract the enterprise by forcing it to do things that it’s not comfortable doing. The iPhone is a key example of that, and now, Apple is reviving that strategy with the iPad. Apple’s tablet might do well for now, but as companies start realizing there are better alternatives that don’t force them into a corner, they will opt for those.
3. Google Won’t Have it
Google will play a key role in the elimination of the iPad’s influence in the enterprise. For starters, Google will work with Cisco to ensure Apple’s iPad doesn’t gain a foothold. From there, the company will continue its push for the corporate world out of its sheer desire to dominate Microsoft in that space. If Apple and its iPad start making inroads, rest assured that Google will respond.
4. What’s Next?
Apple hasn’t given any indication of what it will offer in the next version of its iPad. Some say that the device will include connectivity options (a major omission for enterprise customers). In any case, only a drastically different device would adequately serve all the needs of corporate customers. They require integration with existing technologies, connectivity, and perhaps above all else, improved productivity.
5. Apple Is Content With Consumers
Apple is performing extremely well. It has generated record revenue and profits on the backs of consumers. Realizing that, why would it attempt to put all that in jeopardy for the sake of some companies? Apple might be able to expand its market by targeting corporate customers, but it’s doing just fine with consumers. It doesn’t need to waste its time appealing to the enterprise.
6. The Future Is In the iPhone
The real future for Apple in the enterprise is the iPhone. Although the company hasn’t done everything it should to attract corporate customers, its software updates continue to attract more and more companies that are struck by the device’s fine looks, outstanding applications, and first-rate functionality.
7. A BlackBerry Tablet Is Coming
RIM is delivering BlackBerry 6 in the coming days and there is rampant speculation that a BlackBerry tablet is coming soon after. If so, all plans to buy an iPad should be put on hold. The BlackBerry Tablet will undoubtedly run RIM’s software, which means users will be able to integrate the tablet into BlackBerry Enterprise Server. That alone could be the single reason why the Canada-based firm could kick Apple out of the corporate world.
8. Netbooks Have Longevity
Although the iPad is a viable product for some companies, netbooks are just as worthy of a company’s cash. They’re equally mobile, plus they add in a physical keyboard and Windows. They also tend to be more affordable than the iPad.
9. Apple Is Making Mistakes
Apple has done something rather Microsoft-like over the past month: make mistakes. Apple has, at least for the past decade, been a company that makes few mistakes. It provides what most believe are the best products on the market, and continues to innovate beyond the competition’s offerings. But by allowing AT&T to ruin the iPhone 4’s launch and failing to handle the smartphone’s antenna problems, Apple is making itself look bad. Those problems could come back to haunt it in the enterprise.
10. The Power of Windows
Much of the talk on why Apple might not see long-term success with its iPad in the enterprise has failed to consider one company: Microsoft. The software giant might be going through some tough times, but it still dominates the corporate world. If Microsoft has its way and it leverages the power of Windows for its own good, Apple will be hurt. Microsoft doesn’t want to see the iPad become a success in the enterprise. And it will likely do whatever it can to stop that from happening.
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