Corporate America is enthusiastically embracing Apple’s popular iPad, with numerous businesses buying the versatile tablet for use in the workplace.
As Ben Worthen of the Wall Street Journal notes, the iPad seems to have successfully “sidestepped” the fierce resistance typically faced by consumer-oriented devices in stringent corporate environments.
Indeed, a free Citrix app that permits workers to access internal corporate programs from the iPad has been downloaded over 145,000 times.
“Everyone in IT is jumping on this one,” Ted Schadler, an analyst at Forrester Research, told the WSJ.
“Rather than wait for people to start complaining they’re saying why don’t we get a few of them in and see what they are good for.”
Schadler explained that companies often “imposed” policies against consumer-oriented devices – including USB drives and Web-based e-mail – due to legitimate security concerns.
However, a significant number of businesses perceive the iPad as less of a security threat, because the tablet is easier for IT departments to manage.
For example, it allows companies to encrypt information and configure secure methods for employees to connect to corporate networks.
The iPad is also cheaper than a laptop, boots up much more quickly and boasts a longer-lasting battery.
