Tablets, Smartphones Continue to Resonate

Mobile internet soaring like NYC skyscrapers

Within the past year or two, there were various predictions that internet access via mobile devices would exceed PC-based usage in a few years, generally by 2015. As it turns out, this transformation is occurring even faster than expected. According to the latest data from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the use of portable devices for accessing information on the internet shows no sign of slowing down. A January 8, 2013 news release reports that tablet sales in 2013 are expected to soar 45% over 2012, from 80 million to 116 million tablets. Undoubtedly, this has been fueled by the success of the iPad and Android devices. While smartphone growth is more modest, from 111 million last year to 130 million in 2013, it is still substantial. According to a Gartner, Inc. news release, consumers will access information more on their smartphones than on a PC starting this year. Gartner identifies this as a key technology trend for 2013. Pew Research reports that access of the internet via a mobile device doubled between 2009 and 2012. 


Tablets and smartphone are simply much more convenient than PCs for accessing information. They are extremely portable, lightweight devices. Back in the 1990s, IT department support for anything other than Windows operating systems was rare. Today, Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems are all around us. IT departments have had to adjust to support these devices. Gartner calls the trend a "Nexus of Forces," impacting cloud, social, mobile, and information trends. It will be interesting to follow these trends in the months and years ahead.

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