iPad 2 May Be a Tough Sell For the Enterprise

Within minutes of Apple unveiling the iPad 2, media outlets

immediately began debating the next-generation tablet’s ability to hold off the

rising tide of Android-based competitors.

The general agreement seems to be that the iPad 2, equipped

with a dual-core processor and hardware upgrades such as cameras, matches

the capabilities of its highest-end rival, the Motorola Xoom. When it

finally hits shelves at Apple stores and retail partners March 11, hordes of

consumers will likely turn out to purchase one.

But for businesses considering whether to incorporate an

iPad into their lineup, the next version of Apple’s popular tablet doesn’t

include anything extra to sway their decision-making.

“Importantly, there were no real nods to business users in

manageability or security,” analyst Jack Gold wrote in a March 3 research note

forwarded to media. “This is a challenge on the current iPad and isn’t improved

on this version (or iOS 4.3), despite Apple’s drive to get large scale adoption

of iPads into businesses.”

For many enterprise workers, Gold added, the iPad 2 “will be

attractive with its increased processing power, on-board cameras (although not

all businesses see this as an advantage), and great battery life.” For IT

administrators, though, “there is a real and substantial cost to companies for

deploying and maintaining these devices that users don’t usually see or

appreciate.”

For more, read the eWEEK article: Apple iPad 2: Consumer Catnip, No Great Advance for Businesses.