Microsoft's recent announcement of upcoming Windows 8 tablets will cause some businesses to take a look at their tablets in business. The new Microsoft Surface tablet may have some novelty to it right now but is it enough to get companies to change?
Royal Caribbean CIO Bill Martin made the decision to put iPads in every stateroom in its most recently renovated ship. When asked why Martin chose iPads, he responded, "That's what the hotel team wanted." However, Martin did note that the choice could change in time if viable Windows tablets came into the market and Android tablets gained in popularity and stability.
If companies like Royal Caribbean are going to invest in a new tablet deployment, such as giving them to all of their salespeople, the company will need to know that the tablet they choose will be supported and around for a while. Apple doesn't provide the kind of long-term product roadmap IT teams are used to getting for enterprise software, server, and PC lines. But for Martin at Royal Caribbean, the lack of a roadmap wasn't a big issue. "It's more around our confidence that the product has a viable life," he said. Apple's iPad has that.
