We just saw a ton of tablets at CES 2011 that are vying to take away attention from the Apple iPad with consumers but Forrester research is saying that these other devices will also be facing a stiff challenge in the enterprise market.
In a blog post, the research firm said that even devices like the corporate-focused BlackBerry PlayBook may have difficulties gaining much ground in 2011. Calling these devices ABis (Anything But iPads), the firm said that Apple has three key advantages over the other contenders.
First of all, the Apple iPad is being sold as a consumer device and a corporate device. While that may seem like an advantage for the enterprise-oriented tablets like the Cisco Cius, corporate buying generally takes a long time as IT departments have to evaluate devices and allocate budgets.
Secondly, Forrester says that consumers and employees want dual-purpose tablets. The Apple iPad can be used as a corporate device and as a personal entertainment device. That will be true of the Playbook and the Motorola Xoom but it probably won’t be robust on things like the Cius.
The third advantage is that of the first mover, as the Apple iPad has about a year head start and that means the ecosystem is evolved. The research firm brings up how many cases there are as an example but a better one might be the strong amount of tablet-specific apps now in the App Store.
I tend to agree with this blog post but only for 2011. Yes, the first-mover advantage is great but it can only take you so far and the Xoom and PlayBook do look like great devices that will resonate with consumers and businesses.
Ultimately, Forrester advises companies to build in support for multiple platforms over the next few years because there likely won’t be one tablet winner in the long term.
[Via Forrester]