Making iPads enterprise ready

CIO - Apple has unwittingly become an enterprise player, says Edward ­Marczak, author and executive editor of MacTech magazine. The company is leading the trend toward IT consumerization as users become attached to their iPads and iPhones and IT administrators try to incorporate the devices into existing corporate technology infrastructures.

"The iPhone was a huge factor in legitimizing Apple in the enterprise," Marczak says. Now the iPad is popular among business executives for accessing email, calendars, the Web and corporate documents. SAP has given employees, including salespeople, 8,900 iPads to use for accessing sales data and analysis reports. United Airlines is deploying 11,000 iPads to replace paper flight manuals and navigational charts.

Apple offers minimal support for integrating its devices with common enterprise applications, instead concentrating on the consumer market. Analysts say that isn't likely to change under new CEO Tim Cook.