Tablet computers--iPads and competing tablets--are so light and convenient that shopkeepers in
Estonia are using them to show YouTube product demonstrations and tally customers' purchases. Restaurant owners in Tokyo are testing iPad-based menus that allow customers to order with a touch (below). Small and
medium-sized businesses are adopting tablets, as well. In
hospitals, iPads are making the rounds with physicians.
But will the rush for convenience overwhelm the need for securing private data such as credit card numbers, customer details, and proprietary business information?
Tablet
malware is a small but growing problem, for example. And a
Harris Interactive poll shows that nearly half of the tablet users in the study are sending sensitive data via tablets.
UK and European regulators have established strict rules for data storage and protection. But they can't force every tablet user to input a strong password and they can't secure every wireless connection. Marketers should consider the privacy angle very carefully before they begin relying on a tablet for business functions.
