More SMBs Eyeing Tablets in the Year Ahead

Almost three quarters of small and mid-sized businesses in the U.S. have tablets on their shopping list over the next 12 months, according to a new study from NPD Group.

Surveying a variety of organizations with fewer than 1,000 employees, NPD found that 73 percent plan to buy a tablet this year, compared with the 68 percent from NPD’s second-quarter poll. Among those, a full 90 percent expect to spend the same amount or more on tablets as they have in the past. On average, SMBs are likely to spend more than $21,000 on tablets over the next 12 months, but that amount will naturally vary depending on the size of the company, NPD notes.

Among those companies with 501 to 999 employees, 89 percent are eyeing new tablets in the coming year and 95 percent are looking to boost or maintain their current spending plans. On average, the larger organizations are looking to spend almost $39,000 on tablets in the next 12 months.

As might be expected, smaller businesses aren’t eyeing the same level of investment. Only 54 percent of SMBs with 50 or fewer employees plan to buy new tablets in the year ahead. And 89 percent will increase or maintain their level of spending. On average, those with fewer than 50 employees will only spend around $2,000 on new tablets.

To no great surprise, Apple (News - Alert) leads the top of the shopping list for most businesses despite the torrent of Android tablets hitting the market.

“Businesses of all sizes appear to be determined to capitalize on the tablet phenomenon,” said Stephen Baker, NPD’s vice president of industry analysis. “The iPad, just as it is in the consumer market, is synonymous for ‘Tablet’ in the business market, leaving Apple poised to take advantage of the increased spending intentions of these SMBs. NPD’s research shows that iPad purchase preference is higher among larger firms than smaller ones, which is an important indicator that Apple is gaining traction far outside its typical consumer space.”

Of course, as more tablets wend their way into the workforce, IT professionals are increasingly being called upon to support them as business tools. And that trend will certainly continue, especially as companies allow more employees to use their own tablets and other personal devices on the job. So it’s important for IT to develop policies for the use and support of tablets to ensure that these devices can safely and securely access network resources and enable employees to get their work done remotely.