Using the iPad for business
The iPad is finally here, and Apple’s latest innovation certainly has fan-boys all over the world very excited.
Online forums and media coverage showed consumers were a little sceptical about the device at first – claiming it was nothing more than an oversized iPhone, doubting its usefulness, and ridiculing the name.
However, when the iPad officially launched in the U.S in April, demand was staggering and uptake has been incredible. According to an iPad article on ninemsn, Apple sold one million of the devices in the first 28 days after launch, and two million in just two months. Sales have now hit three million and show no signs of slowing down.
The benefits of the iPad for the everyday consumer are quite obvious. It’s a great way to look at photos and a very lightweight and convenient way to surf the web. The scale of the iPad, and its easy-to-use keyboard means time-poor consumers can quickly access their email wherever they are – and can bang out quick email responses on the couch or down at the cafe while keeping one eye on the kids.
But does the iPad have a more serious, business-oriented side?
The answer is yes. Definitely.
Perhaps most significantly, the iPad makes huge financial sense for businesses that have a print-based commodity to sell – particularly newspapers and magazines.
According to media and marketing website Mumbrella, The Australian’s iPad application had over 4,500 downloads just one week after its launch. Priced at $4.99 a month, this opens up a very significant and growing revenue stream for the newspaper.
This uptake follows similar success overseas. The same Mumbrella article points out that in the U.S, the Wall Street Journal app now has over 10,000 customers – each paying US$17.29 a month (or free to subscribers) and in the U.K, sales for News Corp’s The Times app reached 5,000 just three days after launch. Apparently, Fairfax is soon to launch an iPad app for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
A similar article on engadget.com quoted statistics from the Wall Street Journal, which claimed that in the U.S, the ABC’s free iPad app was downloaded 205,000 times in just ten days following the launch of the iPad, and has already been used to watch over 605,000 TV shows. The article also claims that ‘the app has served up “several million” ad impressions, although the exact number is apparently still being calculated, with ABC only adding that it is “pleased with the results.” ‘
Of course, all this ties into the fact that Australians are spending more time online, and doing more online, than ever before. The iPad taps into this – making browsing easier, more convenient and much more portable.
As Mumbrella points out, in a report from the Australian Communications and Media Online data and information services, ‘consumer take up of 3G mobile and wireless broadband services was strong during 2008-09, growing by 162 per cent’. Similarly, ‘growth in mobile services has been driven by a continuing surge in the take-up of 3G mobiles, with 12.28 million services in operation at June 2009 compared with 8.55 million at June 2008, reflecting in part increased 3G network coverage and handset functionality.’
However, publishers aren’t the only ones getting in on the iPad action – and it’s also not just about creating apps for consumers to download.
A few top end restaurants around town, including Quay, are believed to be leading the way by creating iPad applications that serve as interactive and engaging wine and food menus.
Jetstar has also announced that it will be hiring iPads to passengers. According to Mumbrella, Jetstar has announced it will trial the iPad on its aircrafts to be used as in-flight entertainment, and the iPads will feature movies, TV programs, eBooks, music videos, games and CDs at a cost of $10 per passenger.
However, what about for smaller businesses? What else can the iPad offer on an everyday level?
Here are a few great ways you could adopt this technology for your business:
- Create an application. An iPad app could create a new way for you to sell products or services – depending, of course, on what your business has to offer. Because the iPad is a mobile-based device, there’s enormous potential to create smart and very powerful applications that focus on a user’s location.
- Use it as a presentation tool. The iPad is a fantastic tool to take to meetings – and can help add a professional edge to your presentations.
- Empower remote sales teams. If you have people on the road, the iPad makes it very easy for them to stay connected to the office, surf the web, and check their email no matter where they are.
Of course, if you would like to find out more about the iPad – or about how an iPad application could work for your business, talk to us and find out how we can help!
