Small business tablet use up 102 percent this summer

Small- and medium-sized businesses are flocking toward tablets, attracted by their portability and access to productive applications, according to a new study.

Conducted by small business cloud provider Intermedia, the study revealed a 102 percent increase in SMB tablet adoption since this May, driven by a slew of new devices at their disposal and growing reliance on cloud computing technology. By pairing tablet computers with the cloud, small businesses enable their employees to work beyond the limits of their office walls. Intermedia chief marketing officer Manlio Carrelli said this dynamic is attracting many small business owners to tablets.

"Mobile workers are relying on multiple devices to get business done, from their traditional computer to their smartphone, and increasingly their tablet," Carrelli said. "These workers expect their business email, contacts, calendars and files to be available and synced up across all their devices -- and to be able to use whichever brand and type of device they prefer."

The study is a sign of the vast impact tablets have had on the overall computing landscape. In addition to changing the way business professionals carry out their daily workload, tablets are emerging as a new go-to for personal entertainment. A separate study, conducted by research firm Strategy Analytics, found that tablets now account for 20 percent of all web-based media consumption.