When the Apple iPad was released in the spring of 2010 it was somewhat quickly decided that it was more for entertainment and less for business use by many analysts and pundits. But large companies like United Airlines, Sears, Medtronic and Roche have utilized thousands of the devices among their workforces.
However, the newer story is that smaller companies can feasibly run their entire businesses on tablets and phones. With higher percentages of mobile employees and an affinity for cloud apps, small companies are finding efficiency and productivity have increased. This is working because of the large amount of business tools and apps that are now available for tablets. Cloud-based services for rote, PC-intensive tasks like invoicing and billing and business-friendly add-ons like digital pens and wireless keyboards have also added to the appeal. The Microsoft Surface Tablet which hit stores this past October was the first to offer a built-in keyboard and further propelled interest in business tablets.
Founder of Ubiquitour Doug Grabowski admits he was a “big Windows PC guy” but is now a faithful tablet user. He and some of his employees use iPads and smartphones consistently during any given workday. He uses a Bluetooth keyboard on his iPad for light word processing and ditched his laptop altogether. He does still use his PC for managing financials and Quickbooks and Office but uses PocketCloud Remote Desktop to access his company financials from his iPad. This allows Doug to remote into his own company as well as his clients’ environment to be able help out with a problem if needed. By abandoning his clunky laptop, company growth sprang up in surprising ways. He is able to walk into meetings with prospective customers and quickly access his desktop and clients’ desktops using only his Android phone or the iPad. Instead of buying new laptops, Grabowski sees a growing trend in businesses toward investing in the latest tablet technologies. 
The lower cost of purchase and maintenance may have been the initial big reason why companies invested in tablets over PCs but productivity is becoming the more interesting incentive. More business owners are reporting that the part they liked the best was they could run all their business apps, like Excel and Oracle, on the tablet. Also because of the ability to write on the tablet, plus the fact that they run much faster than their PCs, this solution was a perfect fit, especially in the project management business.
PCs are not obsolete by any means, but when working in the field, the tablet gives a lot of agility and still provides access to email, calendars, note taking and in the case of an architect or clothing designer, drawings and floor plans. Using a tablet also gives you a built-in camera to document and share information quickly.
Replacing PCs with tablets and phones won’t work for every business or employee. But for salespeople, executives, project managers, field workers and other employees who are highly mobile and customer-facing, shedding clunky PCs for lighter and faster devices could help their companies get to the next level.
If you’re not sure about making a dive-in-head-first decision to incorporate tablets in your business, you might want to consider a short term rental of single or multiple tablets for a test drive. A Tech Travel Agent is available 24-7 to assist you in providing information and suggestions for your needs. Call 1-800-736-8772 today to speak to your Technology Travel Agent today!
