50% of all marketing automation vendors to develop Apple iPad apps exclusively by 2016: Gartner

By 2016, 50 per cent of all major marketing automation vendors will develop applications specifically for Apple's iPad.

According to terchnology marketing researcher Gartner Inc, as more consumers purchase and use media tablets, such as the iPad, they are becoming increasingly prevalent in the workplace and enterprise vendors are responding accordingly.

"The initial use of iPads and tablets by marketers will be the extension of existing marketing applications, such as campaign management and marketing resource management (MRM) functionality, to be supported by the device, either disconnected or connected to the network and home-based application," says Kimberly Collins, managing vice president at Gartner.

"By 2014, 65 per cent of major marketing automation vendors will extend 25 per cent of their functionality to the iPad," Collins says, adding, "MRM vendors will lead this charge with adaption of functionality for reviews and approvals. Marketing fulfillment vendors are likely to enable access to content via tablets as well."

"The biggest benefit includes the ability of marketers to work remotely while traveling, enabling them to complete tasks and projects faster, and in a more timely fashion," Collins said. "They also have fast access to content and collateral in the field. Cycle times can be greatly reduced, yielding increased staff productivity and decreasing program/campaign costs. Chief marketing officers (CMOs) and creative users will have the biggest need for remote access, followed by campaign managers and designers."

Analysts say CMOs and senior marketing leaders are the most likely to move to iPads exclusively for their work over the next couple of years, due to their visual appeal when meeting with other executives and more-limited processing requirements. Other personnel will be more likely to buy the tablets themselves in the short term, and to request support before the tablets become corporate standards.