Okay, not really. I like my life. I love my family. But this guy knows how to develop products and convince people that they need them. His latest, the iPad, is a runaway success. In fact, it has the fastest adoption rate of a non-phone electronic product…ever!

Let’s put that in perspective. According to CNBC, in the first 80 days, the iPad sold three million units. It took the DVD player five years to achieve the same adoption rate that the iPad reached in its first quarter. Colin McGranahan, retail analyst at Bernstein Research, states unequivocally, “The iPad is a runaway success of unprecedented proportion.”

Bring it Home
What does this mean for us in central Illinois? For the individual user, the iPad is the current “it” product and is lots of fun to play with.

But for today’s corporations, it’s much more than that. The iPad, or other comparable device, is a powerful tool that can contain a custom enterprise solution. These proprietary apps enable organizations to improve efficiencies, provide instant access to data and increase their competitive advantage.

Here’s How It’s Done
John Prusnick, director of IT innovation and strategy for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, says that they’re all about “home away from home.” Now they take it one step further by even saving you a trip to the reservation desk. When guests walk into Hyatt’s boutique-style Andaz hotels, they’ll be greeted by hotel staff with iPads. “We can swipe your credit card, capture your signature and check you into the hotel,” Prusnick explains. “We even have the ability on iPad to encode your key so you can go directly into your room.

“Imagine a large convention center hotel where there are 1,000 people wanting to check out,” says Prusnick. “Now we’re able to empower hotel staff with iPads and allow them to quickly and easily check out guests.”

RehabCare in St. Louis, Mo., is able to document patient care more accurately in real time through the use of a custom iPad app. “Using a mobile device at point of care saves time,” says Jayson R. Chitwood, vice president of information services. “We’re capturing the treatment delivered, the time spent, and any other relevant clinical information, which makes documentation more accurate and increases compliance.”

With its large, easy-to-read screen and fast internet access, the iPad is an unbeatable mobile interface for clinical applications and documentation, from diagnostic and imaging tools to nursing notes and patient intake forms. “iPad will be the new workstation for healthcare workers,” says Jim O’Brien, assistant vice president of technology services at RehabCare. “With iPad and virtualization technologies, there is nothing we can’t do. It was all about the proper form factor, size and capabilities. And it’s all there, out of the box.”

Remember going to college and hauling around that huge backpack filled with textbooks? Not any more! Today, your entire library of texts can be included on a tablet device like the iPad. University apps also include custom maps, virtual tours, class schedules, homework assignments, freshmen orientation, athletic event information, emergency alerts. It’s all there!

Bottom line: If you can imagine it, it can be created.

What Now?
If your organization would benefit from improved efficiencies, instant access to data from any location or has a vision for a greater competitive advantage, the first step is to identify the specific need. Next, you need to locate an app development company that can create the software for the target device (i.e., iPad) that will effectively integrate with your organization’s existing technology systems. The right company will provide you with guidance regarding how the app can work within your current structure and help achieve your overall business objectives. iBi

Appitudez Inc., a division of DLA Creative, creates mobile applications and proprietary enterprise solutions and can be reached at appitudez.com.