Aye, aye for the iPad?

Let's start by covering what the iPad can't do. It's not a PC or a Mac and doesn't run Windows or Mac OS, or offer multi-tasking. On the iPhone, the OS is locked down to the point that each third party application can only store information in its own 'sealed' area, unlike a PC where 'My Documents' can contain every file type and be accessed by all applications. It's likely that the iPad will continue this tradition, with Apple already confirming that it will rely on iTunes for syncing with a PC. The iPhone/iPad does not support Flash, which rules out access to any websites that rely on it. So what can it do?The launch event saw Apple demonstrate iPad versions of iWork, an office suite (covering word processing, spreadsheets and presentations), with each application being available for just shy of $10. It ships with the same basic PIM apps as the iPhone – Calendar, Contacts, Email (including MS Exchange support) and Notes – all of which will sync with a PC or Mac through iTunes. The iPhone configuration utility allows enterprise deployment, providing easy configuration for individual business settings, such as email and VPN access. So, for the majority of users, it will tick the basic office requirements. As a presentation tool, the iPad excels. It can be connected to an external display, but would equally be suited for one-to-one presentations, ideal for sales staff or board meetings. Data retrieval is also a strong suit; it provides quick access to document, image, audio or video libraries, doing away with the need for storing large amounts of paper. It could be at home in a manufacturing design office, providing a quick method of viewing product images or technical information. It supports the ePub electronic document format, so companies could produce catalogues for the device, which would also lend itself to stock control, providing stores staff with a simple checklist interface. All versions of the iPad have the accelerometer and compass facilities, and the 3G version opens up further possibilities, as it includes assisted GPS. Imagine an application that provides relevant information to a user when they arrive at a specific location. If you walk through the stages of production within a manufacturing organisation and analyse the roles of software at any given part, most of these relate to the supply of information: either to or from the user. This information will be fed into either MRP/ERP or to a more localised system (stock control database, machine tool control software, order management, etc), and this is where work needs to be done, if the iPad is to be of any real use. If you cannot develop or obtain an app to connect to an existing software system, the iPad is a competent web client (as long as Flash isn't required, of course) and, invariably, the system you want to connect to will have a database, which, in turn, will have ways of getting data in and out. So a relatively simple solution would be to build an intranet that communicates with the application. If Apple is serious about the business angle of the iPad, it will need to provide companies with more information on controlling user access, tracking usage and locking down features. Another concern is theft. But it's more likely that iPads will find a home in the boardroom, rather than on the shopfloor, due to environmental factors alone. Although, for facilities that already keep their production areas spotless, this could be seen as the device that makes them look just that little bit more cutting edge than their competitors. First published in Machinery, March 2010