AT&T’s PlayBook: Sell Apple’s iPad directly to businesses of all sizes

Apple Online StoreAT&T announced today that the company will sell all three iPad Wi-Fi + 3G models directly to business customers as part of an initiative to help companies increase productivity and flexibility. AT&T will offer attractive post-paid mobile broadband price plans for the iPad which will be available through AT&T business account representatives beginning Thursday, October 28. This new offer is available for customers whose AT&T wireless bills are paid for by their employer.

“iPad is a great fit for our enterprise customers across a wide range of industries who are looking for ways to increase business productivity and offer greater flexibility,” said Michael Antieri, President, Advanced Enterprise Mobility Solutions, AT&T Business Solutions, in the press release. “This new offer further strengthens AT&T’s commitment to provide businesses with the tools they need to accelerate mobility-led productivity.”

“We are getting many requests for help on iPad strategies for the enterprise,” writes Ted Schadler, vice president, principal analyst, Forrester Research, Inc. in the July 2010 Forrester blog posting, How Are You Using iPad For Business?. “iPads are a tremendously empowering technology that any employee can buy.”

Today’s announcement is the newest offer from AT&T’s Advanced Enterprise Mobility Solutions Group, which is focused on helping to enable business model transformation through mobile applications, machine-to-machine solutions and mobile services. The group complements AT&T’s Emerging Devices Organization which focuses on wirelessly enabling devices for consumers.

iPad will be available for corporate purchase with a corporate service subscription from AT&T.

Source: AT&T Inc.

MacDailyNews Take: RIM’s hating life. The good news is that their hate won’t last long.

[Attribution: MacNN. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Jax44” for the heads up.]

22 Comments

  1. Apple roars out of the Steppes (of Cupertino) like a Mongol horde, pillaging all who stand in their way, sowing the soil of Rim, Google and Microsoft with salt, never to grow again.

  2. Apple roars out of the Steppes (of Cupertino) like a Mongol horde, pillaging all who stand in their way, sowing the soil of Rim, Google and Microsoft with salt, never to grow again.

  3. In six months the iPad is selling in Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Apple Stores, Sam’s Club, AT&T and Verizon stores. Apple is going for the jugular on this one folks. And no telco is going to slow it down this time.
    The tablet market is going to be completely eviscerated, drawn & quartered, keelhauled and then disemboweled by Apple. Yes, it will be ugly. They are gonna be screaming “Uncle!” in a year, an “Uncle” won’t show up.

    Oh yea, did I mention China? The iPad is in China too.

  4. In six months the iPad is selling in Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Apple Stores, Sam’s Club, AT&T and Verizon stores. Apple is going for the jugular on this one folks. And no telco is going to slow it down this time.
    The tablet market is going to be completely eviscerated, drawn & quartered, keelhauled and then disemboweled by Apple. Yes, it will be ugly. They are gonna be screaming “Uncle!” in a year, an “Uncle” won’t show up.

    Oh yea, did I mention China? The iPad is in China too.

  5. @ jax44

    Apple is routing the competition from the very top to the very bottom with broad strategic vision (both in grand and tactical levels), innovative and easy-to-use technologies, unmatched marketing flair, and brutally efficient operational execution. I’m a big fan of great military strategists and conquerors Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan (that’s where my moniker comes from) and I can honestly say that what Jobs and Apple are doing right now is easily comparable to what those amazing historical legends accomplished during their times. We are witnessing a truly remarkable *thing* (I don’t know what else to call *all* of this at the moment) unfolding and progressing on an almost-daily basis. Yes, it’s unprecedented. And the greatest part is that Jobs and Apple still have many territories to conquer yet. ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />

  6. @ jax44

    Apple is routing the competition from the very top to the very bottom with broad strategic vision (both in grand and tactical levels), innovative and easy-to-use technologies, unmatched marketing flair, and brutally efficient operational execution. I’m a big fan of great military strategists and conquerors Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan (that’s where my moniker comes from) and I can honestly say that what Jobs and Apple are doing right now is easily comparable to what those amazing historical legends accomplished during their times. We are witnessing a truly remarkable *thing* (I don’t know what else to call *all* of this at the moment) unfolding and progressing on an almost-daily basis. Yes, it’s unprecedented. And the greatest part is that Jobs and Apple still have many territories to conquer yet. ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />

  7. @Synthmeister
    Apple needs to keelhaul the tablet market, first. There isn’t much point in keelhauling parts of a body that have either been drawn and quartered or eviscerated unless you are trying to feed sharks. Evisceration and disembowelment are synonymous.

    Nonetheless, I share your sentiments.

  8. @Synthmeister
    Apple needs to keelhaul the tablet market, first. There isn’t much point in keelhauling parts of a body that have either been drawn and quartered or eviscerated unless you are trying to feed sharks. Evisceration and disembowelment are synonymous.

    Nonetheless, I share your sentiments.

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