Nearly three quarters of US small and medium businesses (SMBs) with fewer than 1,000 employees have plans to purchase tablets over the next 12 months, according to the NPD Group’s third quarter SMB Technology Monitor.
The report said that iPad will be the most preferred tablet among the SMBs planning an upcoming purchase.
The survey revealed that 73% of the survey respondents said they plan to purchase tablets over the next 12 months, while nearly all (90%) firms anticipate spending the same amount or more on tablets over the same period.
The average investment an SMB will spend on tablets is projected to exceed $21,000 over the next 12 months, but depending on company size, the intent and amount spent changes drastically, the report said.
Among the larger firms (501 – 999 employees), 89% plan to purchase new tablets, and 95% are planning to increase or maintain their spending levels.
The larger firms plan to spend nearly $39,000 on tablet hardware on an average, the report said.
Over the next 12 months, 54% of firms with fewer than 50 employees plan on new tablet purchases with 89% expecting to increase or maintain spending, and their average spending will be less than $2,000 on new tablets in the next 12 months.
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NPD vice president of industry analysis Stephen Baker said 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," said Baker.
