Android to outpace iPads in business?

Android is poised to outpace iPad sales in the enterprise market within the next 12 months, according to technology media company International Data Group (IDG).

IDG polled 3124 IT and business professionals worldwide. Approximately 71 per cent of respondents said that they own a tablet, and 51 per cent of that group have an iPad. But more first-time buyers replied that they will get an Android-based model within the next year — 44 per cent of the group said this, compared to only 27 per cent for the iPad.

Kathryn Cave, an editor at IDG Connect, explained in the report that bring-your-own-device (BYOD) workplaces are going to play heavily into this trend.

"These findings signify changes in work mobile consumption and market leadership in the tablet arena," Cave said. "They also have implications for business in emerging regions, IT security and marketers worldwide."

However, these findings go sharply against many reports that have found that the iPad, which is, at the heart of things, still a consumer product, is also still the go-to tablet in the enterprise world.

It might be a bit outdated now, but, last October, Good Technology published a report stating that the iPad was the primary driver for iOS in the enterprise space. At that time, iOS tablets reportedly represented over 96 per cent of total business-tablet activations, while Android roughly accounted for the remaining 4 per cent.

While the truth of IDG's predictions will be revealed in a year, it still seems to be quite a turnaround from previous and current figures. Although Android dominates the smartphone market, iOS is still the undisputed leader. Surely, that could change over the next five years, but one year seems almost too optimistic, or drastic, depending on how you look at it.

Nevertheless, geography might be the linchpin for Android — especially in developing markets, where cheaper Android tablets could really soar. For example, IDG found that Android is the likely choice for the highest proportion of future buyers in Africa, but preference for an iPad is much higher in North America and Australia/New Zealand.

As it doesn't look like Apple is going to price a new iPad below US$499 anytime soon, Android could corner developing markets around the world, thanks to tablets priced at US$199 and lower. If that's the case, then we could definitely see Android outpacing iOS in the global business tablet market.

Via ZDNet US