Tablet PCs are fast penetrating the business environment, but the technology is still in the early adopter phase among small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK, according to a new research by business and services provider Sage (UK).
Sage (UK) is a subsidiary of The Sage Group, a supplier of business management software offerings for SMEs. Its monthly UK Omnibus surveyed over 1,100 SMEs from its 800,000 UK customer base.
The survey found that nearly one in five (17%) respondents either already own or plan to buy a tablet computer for business use over the coming 12 months.
The findings support a report by Sage earlier this year, when over a third (37%) of SMEs surveyed planned to increase their use of mobile technology in 2011. Respondents had cited customer relationship management (CRM), increased sales support and marketing as the most important drivers for adoption of mobile devices, including smartphones and tablet computers, according to the report.
The latest study has found that tablet PCs are fast making inroads into the business environment. It is estimated that 25% of all tablets shipped in 2011 will be sold to enterprise.
Sage UK & Ireland CEO Brendan Flattery said the advent of the iPad and other tablet devices has revolutionised the way consumers operate and it is no surprise that organisations are now starting to think about how they can leverage this technology to support their business.
However, the study also found that most small business owners still have no plans to invest in the technology. Of those businesses yet to embrace tablet devices, Sage found a majority (57%) thought the technology does not yet provide significant business benefits over the laptops many have already invested in.
The study also found that one in five respondents (20%) saw tablet computers as a good choice for home or leisure use, but considered them impractical for a business environment. Meanwhile, 15% of respondents dismissed the technology outright, claiming tablet PCs are of no practical business use whatsoever.
"While there is significant interest in the use of tablet technology amongst UK small businesses, the current economic climate means people are wary of spending money on anything that might be considered a luxury purchase", said Flattery.
"As cloud computing helps drive demand for mobile devices and mobile business solutions become more readily available, UK entrepreneurs and SMEs will undoubtedly continue to adopt tablet devices as valuable business tools. But it’s clear from our research that the technology is still in the early adopter phase and there’s still some way to go before it becomes a staple part of every business."
