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A recent survey of 2,900 small businesses across four countries-the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil and Germany-found that one in five small businesses own an Apple iPad tablet and that two-thirds of these iPad-owning small businesses said they will likely continue investing in iPads. The survey, conducted by market research company Techaisle, found iPad-owning small businesses are also more prolific users of social media platforms for both personal and business use.
The survey showed that one-third of iPad-owning businesses actively use one or more forms of social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, whereas only one-fifth of non-iPad users use social media. Besides higher social media usage, survey results indicated that these iPad-owning businesses also seem to be early adopters of cloud computing. According to research from Techaisle, nearly three times as many iPad businesses versus non-iPad businesses are actively investing in cloud computing technologies.
On the question of iPads versus notebooks, not surprisingly, 15 percent of iPad owners prefer iPads to notebooks. On the flip side, non-iPad owners seem to be diehard notebook users. Given a choice, 52 percent of non-iPad owners prefer to use notebooks only. The survey found 21 percent of small businesses consider all three-notebooks, netbooks and iPads-to be important. Those that use iPads have very low preference for netbooks, according to survey results, while the research shows that currently there is a clear polarization between iPad and notebook users.
Besides being a “cool device,” the No. 1 stated reason to purchase an iPad was sales and marketing. When specifically asked what the most regular uses of the iPad are, the survey showed that iPads are being used for Internet searches/news, e-mails, vertical applications and social media interaction. “Ninety-six of all small businesses that have an iPad also have a smartphone,” noted Anurag Agrawal of Techaisle. “In addition to smartphones, it is inevitable that iPads will become the center of the SMB future workplace.”
The survey suggests a change in attitude among small businesses owners and their view of the iPad’s usefulness. In April, a survey of cost-conscious businesses by Spiceworks found that while companies were planning on software upgrades and moving to the cloud, they were also planning on reducing their dependence on hosted services and ignoring devices such as netbooks and the iPad. Netbooks as well as tablet computers such as the iPad were still not popular among SMBs, the survey found, representing less than 3 percent of planned new mobile computer sales over the next six months.