Tablets are all the rage and it’s easy to understand why. They are compact, sleek, and the touch screen makes reading e-mails or watching videos a breeze. There is also a plethora of options when it comes to tablets, such as Cisco, Lenovo, Samsung, Apple, Toshiba, BlackBerry, Acer, ViewSonic, and many more are manufacturing tablets.

According to research firm Gartner Inc[i], it is estimated that in 2012, 108.2 million tablets will be sold[ii]. So, it seems that for consumers, purchasing a tablet is an easy choice, but what about businesses? Would it be a wise investment to purchase tablets for your employees? What should you consider when purchasing tablets for business? In order to determine whether or not tablets are a wise investment for your business, ask yourself these questions:

• What purpose will the tablet fulfill?
• In the case of mobile users; will having a tablet ease their job functions?
• Will my employee’s productivity increase with the use of a tablet?
• If they already have a laptop, what use will they give to the tablet?
• Will a tablet give my employees a competitive edge?

These questions will help you evaluate if a tablet is the right tool for your employees. Remember, technology is a tool that should be utilized to enhance your business and increase productivity, not to create extra expenses or concerns when they are not needed.

What are other companies doing? Although tablets are innovative, not everyone is jumping on the tablet bandwagon. Most companies are composed of employees who are not mobile, and many of those employees require high capacity desktops that can respond to complex spreadsheets, and high end graphic processing. For those employees, who are both in and out of the office, a laptop is still the best choice. So, although tablets are cool, desktops and laptops still dominate the business market. Gartner Inc estimates that in 2012, 276 million laptops are expected to ship. In the article “Sorry, tablets: Laptops still dominate the enterprise.” Mary K. Pratt, interviews Tony Young, CIO of a company with 2,200 employees. What are they using? “90% of the computers [...] are laptops, the remaining 10% high-end desktops.[iii]” This is the trend among most companies; although there is room for tablets they are more of a tool to enhance your existing desktop or laptop but not to replace it.

How can a tablet enhance my job? In the case of mobile employees, such as sales agents, a tablet can be more practical when reviewing information with customers, vendors, and colleagues than pulling out a laptop and waiting for it load. Being able to demo your product or service with the use of pictures, videos, or tablet applications can also give you an edge against your competitors.

What companies are using tablets? The Wall Street Journal recently reported that companies such as Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic and Boston Scientific are all among supply firms that are equipping their sales people with iPads. Mercedes-Benz announced that it would distribute iPads to all of its 355 dealerships in the United States[iv]. Xennix has recently acquired Lenovo ThinkPad tablets for our engineers. Why? To us it made sense-all of our employees are mobile and our engineers are always on the road, travelling from one client to another.Although we all have high end laptops and smart phones, our engineers needed a faster way to be notified of problems and an easier way to update tickets. Yes, their smart phones allow them to receive e-mail but who wants to read a long e-mail on their phone? Their laptops allow them to perform their work, troubleshoot networks, and create reports, quotes, and documentation, but on the road it’s not always easy to pull up a laptop to enter a quick update on a ticket.The answer was the use of a tablet, which allows them to monitor networks, and enter updates for client’s tickets in a quick and efficient manner. Our engineers are happy and more productive, and in return our clients are also happier; it’s a win- win for us.

Are there security concerns? Most definitely-security is a serious consideration. Laptops have more security features than your typical consumer tablet, and you can always run into issues when employees store data that is confidential or download questionable applications that can carry viruses. However, this doesn’t mean that you cannot set policies for the tablets as they become part of your network. If your company is considering tablets, you can consider the following policies:

• Ensure that all tablets have standard security such as passwords and remote detonation in the event the tablet is lost or stolen (The Lenovo ThinkPad comes with Computrace by Absolute Software)
• Only allow the installation of company approved applications
• Ensure that the tablet you select has data encryption features

Taking time to set policies for your tablet users should provide you with some peace of mind, as you embrace the tablets in your business.

What tablet to choose? If you have decided that your employees can benefit from a tablet, the next step is deciding which tablet to purchase. There are so many brands and models to choose from, but don’t become overwhelmed. Select a model that is geared towards enterprises and not just consumers; look for key features such as security. If your company is running software that can also be installed in tablets, make sure that the tablet you plan to purchase is compatible with the application. If you are a business owner ask your IT team for assistance in deciding which tablet to choose. If you are an IT manager, reach out to your favorite vendors’ partners. They should be able to provide you with valuable information and specifications that will help you make a recommendation to your CEO or CFO. As Lenovo and Cisco partners, we at Xennix are IT experts that would be more than happy to assist you in determining whether a tablet is a right fit for your company and what tablet would best serve your needs. Give us a call today or send us an e-mail, we are here to help you strengthen your business through technology!