Study: Tablet adoption rising in the enterprise

Tablet devices, such as the Apple iPad, are receiving growing attention as powerful tools for enterprise computing, according to a recent study.

Many have linked the rise in popularity of tablet devices and smartphones with the growth of cloud services. Cloud computing technology enables users to access applications and data from any device, in a variety of locations, without the need for local storage space.

According to a recent study published by enterprise mobile software company Good Technology, tablet devices accounted for approximately 22 percent of the company's mobile software activations in 2010, up from zero in the previous year.

At the same time, activation of enterprise software for the Android and iPhone platforms also increased, suggesting an enterprise mobile market that continues to grow rapidly.

John Herrema, senior vice president of corporate strategy at Good Technology, said the figures indicate a move in the direction of mobile devices. "If 2010 was all about the consumerization of enterprise, 2011 will be the year of the tablet," he said.

Tablet devices have received considerable media attention since Apple released its iPad in April 2010. Though initially marketed to consumers, a growing number of companies utilize tablet devices for accessing cloud services.