Apple tablet or no Apple tablet, business is the device's natural home

In tech terms, the tablet is nothing new: Microsoft first announced tablet PC software back in 2001, while the idea of a keyboardless, slate-type device has been around for decades, thanks to portable machines such as the Apple Newton.

Long-established they may be, but tablets remain firmly outside of the mainstream. However, tablets are once again catching the techie imagination thanks to reports that Apple is soon to bring out its own version of tablet.

According to the rumour mill, the device will bridge the gap between the iPod Touch and iPhone, and the MacBook. It's also thought to be a keyboardless device that will be targeted at media consumption.

So with Apple potentially set to reinvigorate the form factor, is the tablet PC ready for a new lease of life in the enterprise? Members of the silicon.com CIO Jury certainly think so.

This Stylistic tablet by Fujitsu is just one such PC already on the market (Photo credit: Fujitsu)

A straw poll of ten CIOs revealed a unanimous yes vote to the question 'Is there a place in business for tablet PCs?'.

According to Alastair Behenna, CIO at recruiter Harvey Nash, the tablet is fit for business use "especially for information 'on the move'."

"Provided Apple implement this as well as they have the iPhone then it's a significant step along the road for mobile professionals. I hope it's true," he said.

However, while all the CIOs questioned believe that tablets are suitable for business use, several suggest that their place in the enterprise is a limited one.

Jacques René, CIO at consultancy Ascend, believes the screen will be the determining factor for how far tablet take-up extends.

"As desktop virtualisation becomes more widespread, the power of the device becomes less important and tablets might become more widespread in business, provided you can put up with the smudgy screen," he said.

Andrew Wayland, CIO of recruiter Michael Page International, also believes the tablet is only destined for a supporting role in business.

"There is absolutely a place for tablet PC in business. A few roles in business really work well with a tablet form factor, and once someone perfects a device that is light, cheap, good battery life, has an excellent input mechanism – and great software, it will fly off the shelves. Maybe Apple will finally get there. But it’s still going to be a niche requirement," he said.

To date, the niches that the tablet has made its home in have very much been centred around specific verticals - healthcare, for example.

And verticals are precisely where Jim McGregor, chief technology strategist at analyst firm In-Stat, believes tablets will stay.

"Tablets, in particular, are well suited for confined locations, so there is less need for carrying the device in your pocket, and areas where the screen size could be an advantage, such as medical, education, design and engineering, and even some industrial or manufacturing environments. The MIDs [mobile internet devices] and UMPCs [ultra-mobile PCs] are better suited for applications that do not need the larger screen, such as industrial automation," he said.

Vertical markets are particularly suited to tablet adoption because users in such segments have homogenous needs - not such a common phenomenon in the consumer market. As a result, it looks likely that the tablets are set to remain very much a business device for some time to come.

"The most difficult part of selling these form factors [tablets, UMPCs and MIDs] is finding common usage models and feature requirements among consumers. One reason this is so difficult is because even an individual consumer may have different requirements depending on where they are using the device, such as the den, the living room, on-the-go, in the office, etc. In vertical segments, however, you can target common usage models and feature sets. The volume is not as large, but it is more predictable and the best place to get new users accustomed to the technology," McGregor added.