iPads Consume 400% More Wi-Fi Data Than Other Mobile Devices

Apple’s iPad accounts for an ever-expanding percentage of the browser market. It’s also becoming a huge Wi-Fi data hog, consuming 400% more Wi-Fi data on a monthly basis than the average iPhone, iPod or Android device, according to a new report.

Meraki, a cloud services provider, anonymously surveyed more than 100,000 devices accessing public, educational and general use Wi-Fi networks in the U.S. It analyzed bandwidth usage and operating system popularity between 2010 and 2011 to uncover the massive gap between the Wi-Fi data usage of iPads and other mobile devices.

Mobile devices on the whole, according to the study, have usurped desktop platforms as the most ubiquitous Wi-Fi devices. In 2010, iOS and Android devices accounted for a combined 33% of Wi-Fi devices. Now they represent 58%. By comparison, Windows and Mac OS X devices together declined from 63% to 36% during the same time span.

Meanwhile, the iPhone has become the single most popular Wi-Fi device, with an impressive 32% share of the market.

The next time the Wi-Fi at your favorite coffee shop slows to a halt, look around you. The slew of iPads, iPhones and Androids in the room may be the culprits.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Alexander Smolianitski

Tablet of Choice for Android Users: The iPad

iPads are currently selling better than Android tablets to Android smartphone users. So claims Canaccord Genuity analyst Mike Walkley, who expects Apple to dominate the tablet market for some time to come.

“Our smartphone and handset checks indicate iPads are selling better to Android smartphone users than the current Android tablets,” Walkley said in a Friday note to clients (although he provided no numbers in support of the assertion). “As a result, we argue consumers purchasing a tablet are more likely to remain in that ecosystem given higher price points for tablet applications. With our checks indicating Android smartphone consumers are choosing the iPad versus Android tablets, we believe this is a powerful trend for Apple’s growing iOS base. Therefore, we anticipate Apple should maintain dominant share of the tablet market in C2011 and C2012.”

A safe bet, given Apple’s WWDC claim of 25 million iPads sold to date, a figure that far exceeds the combined total sales of all tablet rivals. That said, competition in the space is increasing. Walkley thinks tablets from Samsung, Asus and Amazon are likely to emerge as the largest threats to Apple’s dominance, though they’ll need better app ecosystems and lower prices to really take it to the mat.

“Apple has priced the iPad 2 to the point where we believe it will be difficult for competitors to profitably compete, and our checks indicate both the Motorola XOOM and RIM Playbook have not sold well at current price points, as we believe competing tablets must sell at a substantial discount to the iPad 2. Given the iPad 2’s affordable prices, we believe competitors … have to sell their tablets at break-even or worse in order to capture stronger market share.”

http://allthingsd.com/20110708/tablet-of-choice-for-android-users-the-ipad/

Starbucks Begins BI Trial on Tablets

CIO.com - Starbucks has begun a trial of business intelligence software on tablet devices for potential use by its executives making storevisits to help them make view real-time, location-aware data.

Starbucks (SBUX) has begun a trial of business intelligence software on tablet devices for potential use by its executives making storevisits to help them make view real-time, location-aware data.

Starbucks CIO Brewing Up Much More than Free Wi-Fi

Starbucks began a trial of the MicroStrategy 9.2.1 software, announced Wednesday, almost six weeks ago, said Thomas Ball, lead on BI platform development for the coffee chain. The software includes transaction services to help workers quickly initiate BI transactions from a mobile device, MicroStrategy said in a statement.

Tablet computers such as the iPad are making inroads in all types of businesses, but most often for marketing demonstrations and executive presentations.

Starbucks wants to use tablets for a higher-level purpose: putting current financial and other data directly in the hands of executives and district managers on the scene of Starbucks outlet. Using the BI software, the executives would be connected to data from hundreds of other users.

Starbucks wants to connect the mobile devices directly to its existing MicroStrategy BI software that has been in use at hundreds of stores for two years, Ball explained.

The difference with tablet is that it has GPS and the ability to present data on a particular store quickly to a visiting executive without the tedium of drilling down for data over a laptop.

"Tablets are uniquely suited to B.I. so you can stand there talking in a store and have the latest info or a report without having to try to open a laptop," Ball said.

Even though MicroStrategy has hundreds of iPads deployed to its own workers, Starbucks isn't wedded to using iPads only and will test other devices to be able to create BI capabilities on more than one platform.

"The idea is to create a Starbucks model to leverage many devices and have as little as possible of being tied into one," he said. "The iPad is obviously hot today, but HP 's device might be hot tomorrow."

As sophisticated as Starbucks has been in supporting computing systems for its stores, Ball said the chain would never have attempted to develop a cross-platform BI tablet app on its own. One reason is that security for mobile devices is paramount, he said.

MicroStrategy said it brings security to the mobile BI experience for iPhoneand iPad such as AES (AES) encryption on data in transit from the mobile service to the MicroStrategy mobile client. Also, administrators can set apps to be confidential, so that users must log in when opening the app or after a period of inactivity.

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Trials of iPad Enterprise Adoption

Earlier this year, New York-based law firm Proskauer completed a massive technology redesign that would make Silicon Valley tech companies gush with envy. At the heart of the redesign was the Apple (AAPL) iPad 2.

"I'm pretty sure we were the first, if not only major law firm, to do it," says COO Arthur Gurwitz. "I think it was important to be first with the iPad. I call it brand enhancement."

But behind the "brand enhancement" and despite the elegant simplicity of the iPad, Proskauer's IS department was faced with a great many difficult choices. In other words, iPad enterprise adoption is anything but easy.

At law firms, the technology spend ranks as the third largest line item behind people and office space. Its place on the budget sheet, though, is well justified: Lawyers rely heavily on computers to deliver services that are at the core of a law firm's business. All of this underscores the huge risk Proskauer took to adopt the new-fangled iPad as a lawyer's go-to computer.

Today, more than 500 Proskauer lawyers use iPads to create super-slick PowerPoint slides, Excel Spreadsheets filled with sky-high figures, and wordy Word documents. Lawyers pass this electronic paperwork back and forth among clients. They even present information on their iPads to judges.

Proskauer is part of the latest procession of companies contributing to the rapid rise of the iPad in the enterprise. During its most recent earnings call, Apple claimed three out of four of the Fortune 500 are testing or deploying iPads. Indeed, iPads have been found on the job at some of the most unusual places.

Despite the high adoption rate, CIOs still lack a good guide for bringing in iPads. Like Proskauer, many companies must learn as they go. "Rolling out the iPad actually turned out to be quite a significant investment in time, much more than I would have thought," says Steven Kayman, senior litigation partner and chair of the technology committee at Proskauer.

"There's just a hundred decisions that have to be made along the way," he says.
All Rise, Decision Time

Two years ago, Proskauer executives considered arming its lawyers with new laptops but postponed the big tech purchase. Gurwitz sensed a major shift was underway with the iPad and wanted to get ahead of it.

It's important for Proskauer to have the latest technology, says Gurwitz. After all, many of the firm's clients are tech-savvy companies in the entertainment industry, cable and broadcast, and technology industries, many served by Prokauer's large patent group. "We want to be able to think like they think so we can serve them better," he says. 

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Increase Enterprise iPad Utilization by 20%

Increase Enterprise iPad Utilization by 20%

Cloud Distribution News

Although I don't have any data or studies to prove this, I have a hunch that iPad utilization in enterprises could be enhanced by at least 10% and perhaps as much as 20% by extending its physical accessibility.
You're probably aware that iPad (without a case) is a slippery device. And while you can get far better grip on it when used with a case, it's still not ideal in certain work environments. In fact, some cases in certain realms actually create counter-productive outcomes. Desktop stands and docking solutions provide some degree of improved utilization, but only for office workers. Unfortunately a significant crop of information workers don't work at desks and many who work with information, also use their hands.


Increasing Accessibility
iPad use, and the benefits that go along with this new device in context with the emerging app-centric enterprise, can flourish in organizations if you add one additional level of agility –

the ability to stick the iPad to a solid surface.

A little company in Melbourne, Australia has had similar thoughts and has created a system for sticking up iPads where they can become more accessible and utilized more effectively. It's line of Wallee products include snap-on cases (hard shell plastic and very protective) and attachment accessories designed for a wide variety of environments.
Wallee is based on a simple design – a standardized wall "button" that really isn't required for walls at all. This little fastening button can be mounted on just about anything you can imagine; their customer photos clearly show some creativity with this mounting device and the new ideas emerging in the Wallee lab are impressive.

Wallee is simple, smart, and blends well with almost every environment. That's the key – finding ideas and ways where the synergy of a particular environment exposes the power of the magical iPad. This is more about techno-chemistry and less about the individual parts – Wallee and iPad.
As I've written in the past (see "iPad in Business: It's All About Utility"), iPad is well-versed in creating unique experiences. Wallee is equally well designed to allow those experiences to take happen in places that are environmentally challenged.

For example… every health club and corporate health facility should have a few Wallee's available for members. Setting aside the benefit of using some of the clever iPad exercise tracking systems, there are other business benefits that aren't so obvious such as employees staying on top of important activities easily, or the decreased likelihood that an iPad will be damaged in a workout center.

Imagine these scenarios just in the hospitality industry. Don't get me started on health care.

• Host/hostess workstation; limited workspace, constantly mobile.
• Housekeepers; constantly mobile, iPad affixed to the cleaning cart; used to track quality, tasks, checklists.
• Events and conferences staff; hang on wall between shifts; seamless flow of knowledge throughout the day.
• Resort hotel security; mount in vehicles, golf carts.
• Head chef; always in the kitchen; rarely at a desk, but in need of information about food supplies, schedules, reservations.
• Business center or concierge; mounted on counter for guests.

Businesses need to think outside the box to envision how to embrace iPad in specific physical environments.
Anywhere you see clipboards hanging on a wall – that's a clue where Wallee-affixed iPads should be hanging instead of this centuries-old device.

Increase Enterprise iPad Utilization by 20%

Although I don’t have any data or studies to prove this, I have a hunch that iPad utilization in enterprises could be enhanced by at least 10% and perhaps as much as 20% by extending its physical accessibility.
You’re probably aware that iPad (without a case) is a slippery device. And while you can get far better grip on it when used with a case, it’s still not ideal in certain work environments. In fact, some cases in certain realms actually create counter-productive outcomes. Desktop stands and docking solutions provide some degree of improved utilization, but only for office workers. Unfortunately a significant crop of information workers don’t work at desks and many who work with information, also use their hands.
Increasing Accessibility
iPad use, and the benefits that go along with this new device in context with the emerging app-centric enterprise, can flourish in organizations if you add one additional level of agility –

the ability to stick the iPad to a solid surface.

A little company in Melbourne, Australia has had similar thoughts and has created a system for sticking up iPads where they can become more accessible and utilized more effectively. It’s line of Wallee products include snap-on cases (hard shell plastic and very protective) and attachment accessories designed for a wide variety of environments.
Wallee is based on a simple design – a standardized wall “button” that really isn’t required for walls at all. This little fastening button can be mounted on just about anything you can imagine; their customer photos clearly show some creativity with this mounting device and the new ideas emerging in the Wallee lab are impressive.

Wallee is simple, smart, and blends well with almost every environment. That’s the key – finding ideas and ways where the synergy of a particular environment exposes the power of the magical iPad. This is more about techno-chemistry and less about the individual parts – Wallee and iPad.
As I’ve written in the past (see “iPad in Business: It’s All About Utility”), iPad is well-versed in creating unique experiences. Wallee is equally well designed to allow those experiences to take happen in places that are environmentally challenged.
For example… every health club and corporate health facility should have a few Wallee’s available for members. Setting aside the benefit of using some of the clever iPad exercise tracking systems, there are other business benefits that aren’t so obvious such as employees staying on top of important activities easily, or the decreased likelihood that an iPad will be damaged in a workout center.
Imagine these scenarios just in the hospitality industry. Don’t get me started on health care.

• Host/hostess workstation; limited workspace, constantly mobile.
• Housekeepers; constantly mobile, iPad affixed to the cleaning cart; used to track quality, tasks, checklists.
• Events and conferences staff; hang on wall between shifts; seamless flow of knowledge throughout the day.
• Resort hotel security; mount in vehicles, golf carts.
• Head chef; always in the kitchen; rarely at a desk, but in need of information about food supplies, schedules, reservations.
• Business center or concierge; mounted on counter for guests.

Businesses need to think outside the box to envision how to embrace iPad in specific physical environments.
Anywhere you see clipboards hanging on a wall – that’s a clue where Wallee-affixed iPads should be hanging instead of this centuries-old device.