Citrix Says IPad Becoming Critical For Some Businesses

People are clamoring for the Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPad in the workplace, with an increasing number considering the tablet critical to their duties, according to Citrix Systems Inc. (CTXS).

In a survey to be released Wednesday, 13% of respondents who already use an iPad at work said it's "mission critical" for their job. And 42% of iPad owners said they use the device daily and it increases their productivity.

The iPad has become a favorite business tool for executives and salesmen alike, part of a broader move by individuals to bring their personal devices--such as smart phones and tablets--to the workplace. But the trend is creating headaches for IT workers, who have to maintain the same level of security, access and network resources while juggling devices that typically aren't cleared for corporate use.

Citrix's survey, which had nearly 5,000 responses, polled visitors to the company's website--typically mid- to high-level IT professionals and a "sprinkling" of end users. About 50% of the traffic comes from the U.S., and Kim Woodward, Citrix's vice president of corporate marketing who conducted the survey, told Dow Jones Newswires that the visitors typically aren't early adopters of technology.

Out of the respondents who don't have an iPad, 62% said they want to purchase and use an iPad for business and over 40% said their organization was planning to purchase iPads for employees.

"What we heard loud and clear is that people want to use their iPad at work," Woodward said. "This device has really taken people by storm."

Most people--91% of respondents--want to be able to use their standard Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) Windows productivity programs, such as Office, on their iPad.

Meanwhile, the survey showed that if an organization doesn't support the iPad, the main reason is because of concerns about security--something Citrix works to address with its technology.

The company provides software that allows users to remotely access their data and applications when away from their PCs. The technology, known as desktop virtualization, makes the data accessible without saving any of the information on mobile devices, preventing the information from being compromised if the device is lost.

The company has a virtual-desktop app, known as Citrix Receiver, for the iPad, and it also has made the app compatible with other tablets and smart phones, including Google Inc. (GOOG) Android devices. Citrix later Tuesday plans to announce support for a new device as it works to make its Receiver app available on multiple platforms.

Harry Labana, chief technology officer of Citrix's desktop division, said consumers and business users increasingly are going to demand the ability to access their content across multiple devices. And companies will have to figure out how to deal with the demand.

"Device heterogeneity is inevitable," Labana said. "We live in a world with all of these different devices, some that we haven't even conceived of yet. ... It will be such a huge disruptor."

Citrix shares, up 71% this year, recently rose 2.4% to $71.24. Apple, up 53%, edged up $1.46 to $321.61.

-By Shara Tibken, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2189; shara.tibken@dowjones.com

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