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It seems like the iPad was able to do from its release what the iPhone is only now to see any success with…namely finding acceptance in the Business world. The iPhone’s original and ongoing security problems, in addition to Apple’s reluctance to give Enterprise IT departments the amount of control over iPhones and their software that they prefer, have kept the device out of many businesses. That is finally changing, but due more to user demand than iPhone improvements.

The iPad seems to have suffered from none of the same handicaps, being tapped early as an important IT tool for remote network access. If IT departments themselves are using the iPad, they can’t very well deny them to their users, so iPads are becoming a favorite for remote workers and business travelers. As such, vendors which cater to remote solutions such as Citrix are racing to create use cases for tablets, taking into account upcoming models running Windows and Android.

The degree to which businesses have deployed or plan to deploy the iPad is impressive. In a survey taken in May, just a couple months after the iPad was available in the US, Citrix found the following when they asked Enterprise users about the iPad:

• 80% will purchase and use the iPad for business
• 84% of organizations will support personal iPads; 50% expect their organization to purchase for them
• Primary app to be used on the iPad are productivity apps with 87% response rate
• 90% of respondents will use ipad for business email, closely followed by the ability to view, edit and create presentations. Nearly 60% of respondents indicated that they will use iPad for online meetings and to access critical business information
• Largest benefits: 90% indicated increased mobility to work remote, at home, or anywhere, 74% indicated improved productivity and satisfaction

Based on that level of penetration, Citrix VP Chris Fleck recently blogged about the following Enterprise possibilities in tablets, focusing on Apple’s “magical” iPad.

Native iPad Apps – If every app required is available on the iPad, then this may be the right answer for company iPads provided they can be managed through MDM software and administration. The pros for native apps are user experience and offline operation ( app dependent ) For personal iPads however assuring corporate security compliance is a challenge with native apps. Also future support for non iPad Tablets should be considered.

VPN with Web Apps – The iPad does have limited native VPN capability in the OS and can support some web apps. These apps need to be tested and expect many not to be compatible. Again consideration for data left behind on personal iPads needs to be taken into account.

Hosted Virtual Applications – Applications running on Windows servers such as Windows XenApp ( or Terminal Services/RDS ) can be an ideal solution for secure iPad app delivery. In addition to Windows apps, Web Apps that require IE or specific browser plug-ins can easily be delivered to iPads. With XenApp IT can dictate what user gets what app and can easily turn on or off access to applications without managing the iPad itself. Only a single app, the Citrix Receiver is required on the iPad and the configuration can be done via emailed or clicking a link on an intranet web wage. No MDM software is required or concern about company data on personal iPads.

Virtual Desktops – Hosted Virtual Desktops or Virtual Desktop Infrastructure ( VDI ) such as XenDesktop provides a full Windows 7 environment for each user running on a server in a company datacenter or service provider. Again only the Citrix Receiver is required on the iPad and IT has complete control to turn on or off access. Applications can be installed in the Windows 7 images or be streamed to the image via Application Virtualization.

Of course these solutions are built around Citrix products, but the concepts are universal. It is clear that the iPad and other tablets are capable of making use of remote network access and hosted applications in ways that smartphones don’t come close to right now. Therefore, in the long run the revolution that so many people saw coming regarding smartphones and cloud computing may only be the first phases of a larger revolution based on tablets. Certainly that seems to be the route many Enterprise analysts are foreseeing.