By: Aseem Gaurav on January 18, 2012
In a global survey examining Apple’s iPad in the business world, Research firm IDG said the device has become as ubiquitous in the world, once dominated by BlackBerry. The device has become the go-to tool for some 60 million users around the world.
The survey found that 91 per cent of IT and business professionals used their iPads for work, even though only a quarter of the devices had been supplied for corporate use. Out of them, 66 per cent said that iPad has partially or completely replaced their laptop. Country-wise, a large number of professionals in the Middle East (70 per cent) and Asia (63 per cent) said the iPad had at least partially replaced their laptop.
IDC survey also found that a surprising 51 per cent of IT and business professionals will "always" use the device at work, quite close to the number (54 per cent) who always use it at home.
In terms of content consumption, the survey discovered some interesting facts. One of them was that nearly everyone use the iPad for reading, with over 70 percent globally saying they are buying fewer physical books and newspapers as a result. Given that tablet forms a great consumption tool, a majority of them said they use the device for Web browsing.
The Americas (North and South America ) lead the offline usage with almost one-quarter of European users agreed to “always” use their iPad offline, presumably for viewing sideloaded or already downloaded content such as books, PDFs and films.
The survey clearly emphasizes that tablets aren’t just a reading tool, but also a communications tool. The IDG Connect survey clearly states the dominance of iPad despite the fact that many competitors of the device have already sprung up in the fast growing computer tablet market: 85 per cent of U.S. buyers would stick with Apple’s iPad for future tablet purchases.
“The survey shows the tablet is fast becoming a true work device, provided by employers and used in the office for business communication. It also highlights some startling regional variations, emphasising the need for marketers to adapt content to local markets as well as new mediums,” said Kathryn Cave, editor at IDG Connect International.
IDG drew an interesting conclusion: “For most, the iPad isn’t a substitute for an existing tool or device. Instead, it’s a supplement, albeit one with functionality that overlaps with other devices. As a result, the iPad seems to have carved out a niche for itself at the partial expense of several rival form factors.”
Analysts predict that the Cupertino, CA-based company, will report record results when it will announce its fourth quarter sales for 2011 next week . According to a Fortune magazine survey, the device is expected to report average sales figure of 14 million, with a low figure of 11.7 million from Gabelli and Co. and a high of 19.47 million.
