Cost still creates barrier for enterprise Ultrabook

CIOs and enterprise IT decision-makers are still biding their time, holding out until the price tags of Ultrabook™ computers drop before distributing the up-and-coming devices to their increasingly mobile workforce.

According to news provider TechRepublic, which polled 12 members of its "CIO Jury," 11 indicated they were not planning to roll out Ultrabooks in their organizations anytime soon. For the most part, CIOs see the device as a luxury -- and one that costs a bit more than they're willing to spend.

"We will not look at Ultrabooks until the prices come down in line with laptops. Right now our guys use good laptops and tablets to accomplish what they need," Kevin Quealy of the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia tells the news provider.

There are signs that the cost of the Ultrabook is slated to come down in the near future. DigiTimes reports that Intel® will hold a conference in July with manufacturers to discuss ways to reduce production costs. Others have suggested that the emergence of Ultrabook alternatives from Qualcomm® and AMD could shake things up as well.

The enterprise space has always been a strong area for the PC and mobile markets, and one that Ultrabook manufacturers would undoubtedly like to succeed in. However, it is clear there is still some work to be done, and it will likely start with the price tag.