EMEA warming up to tablets, study finds

While consumers in North America appear anything but hesitant to get on board with new media tablet technology, those in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) have demonstrated a little more restraint -- until recently, that is.

According to figures from research firm IDC, tablet computers are catching on in EMEA as well. In the second quarter of 2011, EMEA tablet shipments surpassed expectations, reaching nearly 4.4 million units -- exceeding the previously forecasted 3.7 million.

This represents a 394 percent increase compared to the second quarter of 2010, IDC notes, as well as a shift away from the "wait-and-see" attitude that many consumers in this region had previously demonstrated.

IDC anticipates the EMEA tablet market's growth to continue, reaching 22 million units in 2011 and 33 million units in 2012.

As EMEA consumers and businesses warm up to the idea of tablet computers, the region is expected to represent a significant portion of the global market. According to an earlier IDC study, global tablet sales will reach 53.5 million in 2011, with EMEA accounting for nearly half of that.