Google tablets have been dealt an almost fatal corporate blow.
Ultimately, while we can debate whether these new Microsoft pieces of hardware are vaporware or not, there’s no debating that the iPad will (finally) have a credible competitor in the enterprise.
This can’t be great news for Google who have been refining their tablets for a while now and have started making more user friendly tablet devices.
When IT executives sit down to discuss tablet recommendations for their companies, there are now 2 solid options.
- The Apple iPad
- Microsoft Tablets
The case for deploying the iPad is obvious:
About Apple iPads:
- Apple is hands down the leader in the space – heck they created the tablet category.
- They are a known quantity to users.
- They are easy to use.
- They are mature.
- They can be managed with Microsoft’s Windows Intune product
- They have more applications than anyone else (including business applications).
- They are one vendor (versus managing multiple hardware vendors).
Apple isÂ
aggressively making a push into the enterprise and they have had a lot of time to work on their sales and support pitches.
Apple sales people have (at this point) probably heard every reason why they shouldn’t be playing in the enterprise and probably have very effective rejoinders.
Make no mistake, they are in this for the long haul.
The case for deploying the Microsoft Tablets is also attractive:
- They are slim and light
- They run Windows
- They run Microsoft Office
- They will probably be easier to support in a corporate environment
- They will be easier to secure
- They should be easier to develop for
- They will allow organizations to leverage their in house Windows developers (with training).
What’s the case for bringing Google Android tablets in house?
They will be harder to secure, harder to support, harder to develop for, and clearly aren’t a leader in that space. In addition, they don’t really have any killer features that make the device necessary in the enterprise.
It’s clear that at this point,Â
Google clearly seems to be squarely focused on the consumer space.
They seem to be placing way more on an emphasis onÂ
adoption of their cloud applications and services with less of an emphasis on an exhaustive and comprehensive enterprise hardware push.
Google do not appear to have a sustained focus on driving the adoption of their tablet devices into businesses and unless something changes with Google’s tablet strategy and soon, they may be locked out of this market forever.
Today, for IT executives, it’s a no-brainer. They are tasked with introducing tablets into the workplace with the most realistic chances of successful deployment, efficient maintenance and hassle-free user adoption.
Apple or Microsoft are now the clear choices for implementing a corporate tablet strategy.]]>
All Comments
They are going to be amazing. I can’t wait to get my new microsoft surface tablet.
You can really extend this on to the consumer side as well. Other than price, Android tablets have not been able to give the killer experience that have consumers running out to get them. People who thought that price would be the killer point have been shown to be wrong. For over a year, Android has failed to make inroads into the tablet space. Windows RT OEMs need to pay just as much attention to this as they do to Apple’s success. Windows RT/8 can give a good experience from the OS level, but if the machines themselves are underpowered, it will be the kiss of death. It is no mistake that MS has stepped in to show how these can succeed. People will trust that these will perform, but they still must not compete price to price with Apple.
Apple iPad’s are horrendous in the enterprise!!
No central management of apps, no central management of the device itself, we had to roll these out one by one rather that being able to plug them all in and just set them up all at once, I really feel sorry for the admins having to do thousands of these things. If another user plugs it into their PC with their own iTunes on it they can accidentally wipe the damn thing. no volume licencing of apps outside of US so they can only be deployed to 5 iPad’s can only be managed through the active sync connector which only offers very basic stuff, cannot use a proxy with them. they are anything but mature. The only way these are viable in enterprise is if it is bring your own device, its awful if it is the company dishing them out.
Windows 8 Tablets will be infinitely better, management through configuration manager which includes initial roll out imaging, app roll out, user assignment so their apps they want and need are automatically dished out to the tablets or streamed to them via app-v, no hassle no fuss.
Win 8 tablets hands down trumps the iPad in every aspect apart from what apps are available, our roll out of only 150 iPad’s has been a complete nightmare and its obvious its not suited at all to that kind of market.
If win 8 and surface was around earlier then i can safely say it would have been chosen over iPad’s, the only reason iPad’s would still be in the running is because it would give us an advantage from a marketing perspective, and that just because of the fact it is an iPad.
And when an apple rep was asked about roll out of apps and licencing his response was a shrug and “I’m not a lawyer”
yeah they’re pushing real hard for the enterprise market….
Oh Apple SUCKS!!!!