The iPad appears to have successfully maintained its frontrunner position in the tablet market as NPD Group’s new survey results reveal that the Apple slate is the most coveted tablet for small and medium businesses in the U.S. The study found that almost 75 percent of SMB’s with less than 1000 employees plan to buy slates over the next 12 months of 2012.
This research states almost 90 percent of all firms will be making an average investment of approximately $21,000 on tablets for their employees over the upcoming 12 months. However, the fluctuation in the company’s size could also alter the intent and amount spent.
“Businesses of all sizes appear to be determined to capitalize on the tablet phenomenon. 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,” stated, Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD.
According to the NPD Group, out of the larger firms having 501 to 999 employees, 89 percent are likely to buy slates and spend nearly $39,000 on an average. On the other hand, the statistics recorded for smaller businesses with less than 50 employees are much lower as only about 54 percent of them plan to pay an average amount of $2,000 on new tablets.
The main fact to be established out of this NPD Group study could be that the tablet, especially the iPad, is emerging as a more convenient option for work as opposed to traditional stationary PCs in SMBs.