The Top Five Benefits of using Tablet Computers for Business

Jul 27th 2011

In the world of small business, use of tablet computers is on the rise. In the US, it has been suggested that close to nine million tablets are in use in SMEs, half of which are also being used for business purposes, according to a TechAisle report. A recent survey of 1,200 UK SMEs by PC World Business found that almost 25% are currently making use of tablet computers to improve efficiency.

The benefits of using tablets for business

So why are SMEs using tablets for business? Do they provide a real benefit to business or is it just a fad? Naturally, part of the interest stems from the fact that these devices are popular in the tech world. But mainly it is because these devices are providing tangible benefits for SMEs.

More SMEs are using tablets for business
Photo by Yutaka Tsutano on Flickr

Things are only going to get easier for you, too, if your business is making use of tablets. The vendors are aware of the importance of business customers and have started to provide apps specifically for businesses.

The Apple iPad and iPad 2 currently dominate the market for business tablets and, as in the smartphone world, any real challenge will probably come from Android devices. Still, there are some interesting option from other vendors out there, such as HP’s Slate and TouchPad. This makes use of WebOS, which contains some unique features that seem well-suited to business needs such as ‘cards’, which allow a user to stack applications and relevant documents. Other devices, particular the upcoming Cisco Cius, are designed specifically for business use.

So, what are the current uses of tablets for business purposes?

Top Five Uses of Tablets for Business

1) Taking Notes
The PC World survey mentioned above shows a few concrete example of the uses which SMEs are finding for tablets. One which stood out was that nearly a third of those surveyed are using the devices to take notes in meetings. They offer some obvious advantages on this front: lighter and more portable than a laptop; harder to lose than paper (and neater); no annoying tapping on a keyboard.

2) Working on the Move
In the same survey, 61% said they use, or would use, a tablet device to work and check emails while on the move. Similarly, a 2010 ChangeWave survey found that 67% of corporate iPad owners were using them to facilitate working away from the office.
These devices are ideal for making little tweaks to documents on the way to a meeting, or stay contactable while commuting, without having to make endless phone calls.
Also, with the increasing ability to run customised apps on many tablets, the number of tasks which can be performed away from the office has the potential to increase significantly. Along with recent moves towards remote working, the rise of services such as virtual offices in London and other big cities, this is part of a broader trend in which business is becoming more flexible and less tied to geographic location.

3) Content Creation
Taking notes and working on the move are two uses that crop up time and time again in studies and reports (the Gartner report on using iPads for business, for example). But as tablet use for business is evolving, more complex and inventive uses now seem to be coming to the fore.

Content creation is an area that has taken off. Research by Morgan Stanley [NB: PDF link] in February found that this type of use for tablet devices was already on the rise. Developers are beginning to respond to this trend. Take a look at WordPress for example, who released an app for WebOS, which includes WYSIWYG support for tablets.

4) Videoconferencing
A relative newcomer, but definitely a rising trend. It is clear that this is the direction in which tablets are moving. The iPad 2 has both a front and a rear camera now, and these are much better suited to capturing videos than they are stills, although the uses are currently limited by the basic nature of video conferencing apps. The Cisco Cius is specifically designed with business use in mind, including the ability to make video calls.

5) Virtualisation
With this month’s release of the Android app for VMware View, most tablets are now able to access virtualised desktops and Cloud services. This essentially extends the capacity of the device, allowing it to access services which are hosted and managed remotely. It has been argued that this is a much safer way for businesses to allow access to important company files.

Do you have any recommendations for using tablets for business? Which are the best apps for SMEs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.