Are Tablets Changing The Way We Work?

Nearly 100 million iPads were sold in 2012 alone. They are fast-becoming a household must-have and consequently are overhauling our entire lives from the way that we communicate, educate and even the way we work. It is no longer possible to ignore this trend as more efficient and improved working practises are being realised as a result of using this technology. Therefore let’s take a look at how tablets are changing the way we work in the 21^st century.

It is not just Apple (who is dominating the tablet market), but other suppliers such as Microsoft etc. are also rushing out their tablets in efforts to compete with the iPad. As a result, more and more people are embracing the tablet over traditional desktop PCs, because in some cases this device is chosen because of its ability to enhance someone to do their job.

We have lived in the PC era for around 30 years now, ever since IBM introduced its first personal computers and sold them into businesses in the early 80s. Until the launch of the iPad in 2012, the only evolution in this market was the laptop.

The iPad however has taken this evolution one step further. Horace Dediu, a former analyst with the mobile phone company Nokia, who now runs his own consultancy, Asymco, says that:

"The definition of a new generation of computing is that the new products rely on new input and output methods, and allow a new population of non-expert users to use the product more cheaply and simply".

Essentially this means a device that does all the computing functions you want, a big screen, a long battery life and weighs almost nothing.

There are three ways that tablets have completely overhauled the way we work today, which are universal across all industries: improved convenience; increased delivery of corporate IT through personal devices and storing information in the Cloud.

77 per cent of users recently surveyed by Nielsen report using their tablet for activities that they would have previously done on a laptop or desktop computer. Citing portability (31 per cent) as the top reason, consumers are making it clear that convenience is king.

Increased acceptance of delivering corporate IT through personal devices. The introduction of Smartphones means that many corporate IT managers have had to revisit how they champion work practises. As employees increasingly expect more flexibility, Apple (and Android) makes it easier to do this via email, phone etc. In other words, corporations have realised it makes sense to move from a hardware to a software model. Increasingly, the IT department is granting access to company mail servers so that employees can hand in the company Blackberry and instead check email with their own smartphones. This means that the burden of maintaining mobile devices shifts from the enterprise to the individual.

The power of the cloud. There is decreased dependency on a traditional file server which means that you don’t need a massive hard drive or VPN connection to work remotely. Instead, all you need is a fast internet connection. This method has many benefits including increased security and improved reliability.

Other ways that the iPad is changing the way we work include:

• Improved presentations using specialist ‘apps’ which create brilliant Audio and visual
• Improved portability
• Improved flexibility i.e. being able to use the device when travelling to / from work and between client meeting remotely
• Improved battery life which make the device more convenient when working remotely
• Less work is being ‘lost’
• Improved learning in education as iPads are being handed out to children to aid with their learning and development
• Easier filing
• A great sales tool as the screen displays images and colours proficiently