Exclusive Data: iPad Indifference? Tablets Replacing Few PCs In BusinessExclusive Data: iPad Indifference? Tablets Replacing Few PCs In Business

Customers won't flock to tablets

Just 3% strongly agree that a "significant" number of customer interactions will come via tablets. Another 7% agree. Thirty-nine percent strongly disagree that a significant number of customer will interact via tablet.

In terms of development for tablets, 5% strongly agree that they are creating or will create customer-facing content or apps specifically for tablets. Another 10% agree.

This development activity shows at least a minority in IT plan to hedge the tablet bet. I wish we'd asked how much of that has begun. I wouldn't expect a lot of companies doing development, for two reasons. One, the tablet segment is really only about 6 months old and dominated by one gadget, the iPad. Two, consumers don't necessarily need tablet-tailored apps to reach companies via iPads, given how good the browsing is. Yet we have seen a few companies try some innovative tweaks to their Web apps for the iPad.

Companies aren't hostile toward tablets

Just 7% strongly agree they'll ban tablets on the company network, while 36% strongly disagree. There's a big chunk on the fence though--39% neither agree nor disagree.

This is hugely important. IT's first reaction to the iPhone was to ban it-- it wasn't secure enough for work e-mail. Employees would not be denied, though, and most shops found a way to allow company e-mail on personally owned iPhones. More in IT appear to be looking at tablets with an attitude of "how" instead of "no," even if they aren't predicting it to be a huge hit with employees.

Technologists aren't sure if tablets are a big deal

This is the most polarizing statement in the bunch: "Tablets will be a non-event for us."

Twenty-one percent strongly agree, and another 18% agree--so that's 39% anti-tablet, in terms of business impact. Fourteen percent strongly disagree, plus another 13% who agree--so, 27% pro-tablet. A full third (34%) are in the middle, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

This indecisiveness can also be seen in the statement "we have no idea what our tablet policy should be"-- 42% are stuck on the fence on that one, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

So while the largest group of IT pros is doubtful the tablet will have any notable impact, the room's sharply divided on this one.

Preface all these findings with a "yet." We're really in the first hour of invention of a mass-market tablet computer, thanks to the iPad. There will be many iterations to come, including ones much more fine-tuned to business needs than the iPad. That's why the uncertainty among business technologists is no surprise. Yet it's still worrisome.

There is a current of deep skepticism about tablets among business technologists. That's fine, even healthy. The most promising finding is that IT isn't fighting tablets; there's little energy to block them. There's a spark of development interest. Allowing colleagues to experiment with iPads is the bare minimum IT teams must do today to see if tablets can help their companies.

But two findings blink "danger" in this survey. One is IT's belief that very few customers will interact via tablets. It's true today--even with 7.5 million sold in less than six months, it's a sliver, not a mass market. But IT needs to stay open minded and stay ahead of its customers on this fast-moving market.

The other is that IT's doubtful about even niche uses for tablets. IT teams should be actively looking for those opportunities, and helping business units root out the opportunities, not throwing cold water on them. Employees have had to convince IT to let them have the smartphone they wanted at work. This time, with tablets, IT teams can make it their idea.

Recommended Reading: Global CIO: 7 Tips For Using The iPad In Business Global CIO: You Do Allow Work E-mail On iPhones, Right? Google's Not REALLY Excited About Enterprise Apps Global CIO: How Wet Seal Drives Sales With Facebook, iPhone Why Steve Jobs Hates Enterprise IT Global CIO: 5 Points To Make When Your CEO Cries Cloud Global CIO: When The Cloud Doesn't Win Slideshow: 12 CIOs' 'Career Killer' Pet Peeves