2012 was all about tablets for the consumer market as this area rocketed with rising demand for these devices , yet we are now on the verge of a similar boom in the business arena .

Over the past 18 months , manufacturers such as Samsung have really got into their stride , coming out with increasingly exciting features and functionality for these diverse smart devices . The likes of Samsung have been competing successfully and have even surpassed the leader of the tablet world , Apple .

However , as with the smartphone market , which had its roots in consumer pockets before being carried into the workplace and becoming a necessity for business life , I am expecting to see experiential growth in business-to-business ( B2B ) sales of tablets . Products are now beginning to emerge aimed specifically at this market , and as companies as well as their employees begin to see ever more reasons to use a tablet for work purposes , the tidal wave of demand is only going to grow .

More than 39 million tablets shipped globally in the first quarter of 2013 according to ABI Research , representing the second largest volume of shipments to date . The previous quarter at the end of 2012 was the highest period of tablet sales so far globally , helped on by the seasonal shopping spend .

ABI stated that a combination of the spending power of the largest three world regions – North America , Western Europe , and Asia-Pacific – and the availability of new , higher cost Windows devices from PC OEMs , are driving this market awareness and growth . The three big spending global regions will create 97 per cent of total tablet revenues in 2013 , ABI noted , with North America taking around half of the estimated $ 72 billion cash , while Western Europe and Asia-Pacific will split the rest .

ABI says the broader availability of Windows-based tablets is set to fuel this growth , which has the business owners of this world as its target market . I agree that the new Windows Phone-based tablet slew available now is definitely set to appeal to business users .

Android At Micro-P , Android has been the big selling operating system on tablets to date , but this has been predominantly because of the consumer market preference for the open operating system . Last year , 95 per cent of our tablet sales that totalled over 750,000 were Android . This year we expect the split to be 65 per cent Android

Woodman – experiential growth to come in business-to-business tablet market

and 35 per cent Windows of our expected two million tablet shipments , and next year I believe this will level out 50 / 50 while tablet volumes rise exponentially and significantly , as Windows opens new doors into the lucrative business market .

I expect to see a lot more from Microsoft and its partners in the tablet space going forward , and this will undoubtedly impact the business world . What could be better than a device that slots neatly into your existing work ecosystem ?

Tablet growth Analysts have also seen tablets sales overall continuing to rise rapidly . In 2013 tablet sales will be up by more than a third year on year with Android gaining fast on Apple ’ s iPads , said ABI . Record unit shipments and revenues were reported by device vendors in 2012 , yet the trend has continued into 2013 ; this year around 150 million tablets , up 38 per cent year on year , are forecasted to ship globally worth an estimated $ 64 billion , a figure that is up 28 per cent from 2012 in potential end user revenues , according to ABI .

Around 60 per cent of last year ’ s tablet shipments used Apple ’ s iOS , while 37 per cent were based on Google ’ s Android or development forks of Android , such as those found on Amazon ’ s Kindle Fire e-reader , added ABI . The remaining three per cent operating system share in 2012 consisted of Windows ( Windows 7 , 8 , or RT ), BlackBerry Tablet OS and others .

Opportunity Mobile dealers therefore have a massive opportunity ahead of them . Selling a tablet into a business is not a simple unit sale , as it is with the consumer segment ; a lot more detail is involved , from airtime to integration to security , to apps .

An increasing number of apps aimed at business users will also aid B2B tablet growth . The mobile app market will be valued at $ 27 billion in 2013 driven by tablet

2012

2013

Android Windows

2014

Tablets from Micro-P include :

Sony Xperia Tablet Z

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

Lenovo Thinkpad

devices pushing app downloads , a study from ABI has shown . In fact , revenue from apps on smartphones , which has until now dwarfed the sales of apps for tablets , is about to turn ; ABI says that tablet revenues are quickly catching up with those for apps sold on smartphones , and it is projected that tablet app revenues will overtake smartphones by 2017 .

Apps The reason for this , ABI says , is tablet users will pay more for apps than smartphone users , because of the larger screen size and better user experience for gaming and reading . Add to that the business user who needs specific apps to aid work and efficiency , and a budget to spend on apps on top , and you have fuel for the fire .

Mobile dealers can expect to see a huge range of B2B tablets out by this coming Q4 , priced from £ 200 to £ 2,000 as the market widens to suit a broader range of business requirements . There will be a lot more choice , and for Micro-P , as we are already a leading tablet distributor with a plethora of big-name brands and some up-and-coming labels in our portfolio , plus our dedication to the Windows Phone operating system , you can expect us to be ready to support the channel as it moves into this expanding , profitable market .

When looking at a new area such as B2B tablet sales , it is important to be able to not only receive support and advice , but also to have a distribution partner that listens to customer needs , that works on channel engagement programmes , and that can help to predict trends and future opportunities so that we are all ready to take advantage . That is where Micro-P comes in ; this is about people buying into an entire device experience , a complete wrap of functionality and services across all the screens , and a solid partnership .

MN 2013-0730 Guest Article . indd 30 24 / 07 / 2013 17:07