Citrix Says IPad Becoming Critical For Some Businesses
December 07 2010 - 3:16PM
Dow Jones News
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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