Deloitte predicts the rise of the [tablet] machine

More than a quarter of corporates will buy tablet PCs this year as the 'traditional PC' star continues to fall

Market watcher Deloitte is placing its bets on an increase in corporate adoption of tablet computers this year, with businesses accounting for over 25 per cent of all machines sold.

The firm’s Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) practice is set to launch its 2011 global predictions for the technology sector next week, but has released a sneak peak into its top-three predictions.

Other trends topping its list is operating system (OS) diversity with increased fragmentation of suppliers resulting in no single standard on the smartphone or the tablet; and the ‘end of an era’ for the standard computer, as half of all computers used in 2011 will not be 'traditional' PCs.

Jolyon Barker, global lead for Deloitte’s TMT business said: “This year’s predictions cover a range of topics, including the appetite of employers for tablets.

“We predict companies in the retail, healthcare and manufacturing sectors will buy more than 10 million tablets for their staff to take advantage of the ease of use and longer battery life of these devices.”

Peter O’Donoghue, head of Deloitte’s technology industry practice, added: “In 2011, more than 50 per cent of computing devices sold globally will be smartphones, tablets and non-PC netbooks.

“2011 will mark the tipping point as the growth of applications for non-PC items outstrips traditional software sales and consumers embrace a wider variety of devices.”