14 DAY TRIAL // European businesses trying to replace pen and paper at their board meetings and various other activities are faced with having to postpone upgrading their methods, after learning that iPad 2 maker Apple has been caught off guard by the strong corporate demand for its latest tablet computer.
FT.com reports that company secretaries in Europe, and now only, were quick to embrace the original Apple tablet alongside specialized software - Boardbooks from Diligent - as an efficient alternative board papers being sent out as bulk packages on a monthly basis.
And while many have been successfully integrating the original iPad in their operations, others, who haven’t yet done so, are going after the newly-launched iPad 2.
The only problem is Apple having major difficulties in assembling enough units to go around.
Apple is also restricting the purchase of iPad 2 to two per customer, in an effort to discourage grey market sales, as well as because of component shortages caused by the earthquake and tsunamis hitting Japan, where some of the key iPad 2 ‘ingredients’ are manufactured.
“In the UK the only tablet businesses want to view their board papers on right now is the iPad 2,” says Simon Small, Diligent Boardbooks’ managing director for licensing in Europe.
“Almost all of large organisations are now requesting their board papers on the iPad. The big problem Apple faces in the short term is meeting enterprise demand for the devices,” he said.
Apple, for its part, reportedly said, “Demand for the next generation iPad 2 has been amazing. We are working hard to get iPad 2 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible.”
The Mac maker has failed to confirm what exactly caused the shortages, though most analysts agree its was the unexpected high demand that triggered the first wave of stock depletion, followed by the tragic events occurring off the coast of Japan last month.