Risks and Rewards

CIO — The Apple iPad was only released 18 months ago, nevertheless the swift proliferation of the tablet PC is already changing the way businesses think about user productivity.

Not surprisingly, the use of tablets at businesses is predicted to grow dramatically over the then and there five years. According to Del Prete's technology, employee-owned mobile devices used to access business apps reached 41 percent in 2011, up 10 percent over 2010. It will continue to grow at this pace to reach 70 percent by 2015, says Del Prete.

While the benefits of tablets are clear -- more portable than laptops, instant boot ups, thousands of apps, beautiful and useful graphics and touch-based UI -- IT managers on the whole grapple with tablet challenges.

"Tablets can increase budget by 60 percent and the refresh cycle is similar to a smartphone -- two and a half years," says Del Prete. "So if you're just saying yes to everyone who wants to use a tablet, you'll go broke."