December 7, 2010

Will tablets transform the way we do business?

42 percent intend to purchase a tablet within the next year

Anchored by growing customer demand to be connected on multiple devices any time, any place, Rogers Communications Inc. has announced three new initiatives for tablet and mini tablet devices, including new data sharing plans, the upcoming launch of Rogers On Demand Online for tablets and plans to introduce remote PVR capabilities on tablets and smartphones for its Rogers Digital Cable customers.

"The tablet is the command centre - a mobile hub through which our customers will be able to access everything in their world - from reading email for work to looking at photos, programming their televisions to turning on lights at home, checking on friends on Facebook and even updating their personal finances," says   John Boynton, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, Rogers Communications. "Our role is to enable these experiences seamlessly and reliably across all devices. Our announcement today reflects our commitment to ensuring we continue to meet the evolving needs of our customers."

Rogers also unveiled the results of a recent poll of tablet and non-tablet owners, conducted by the Strategic Counsel. Close to 60 per cent of those surveyed who currently do not own a tablet agree that tablets will transform the way we live, work and play, and 42 per cent say they plan to purchase a tablet within the next year. Of those surveyed who have already purchased a tablet, the vast majority (69 per cent) claim they take their tablet everywhere they go and 58 per cent state their tablet is typically the first device they turn on in the morning.

"What we are seeing is a shift from one device to many devices connected together, anytime, anyplace," Boynton continues. "The tablet is the dashboard for the highways of tomorrow, where people can easily access the same personalized experiences at work, in the home or on the go. We will provide the best tablet selection, integrate Rogers content on devices and build new pricing structures to make it easy for customers to make tablets part of their work, home and personal lives."

Boynton made the remarks in a keynote speech at Rogers TabLife TO, an event Rogers organized to showcase the way tablets are changing the way we live work and play. The event brought industry leaders, manufacturers and experts to share experiences with tablets in communications, healthcare, business, media and entertainment.

"Tablets present new and unique possibilities that can deliver real value for businesses," Boynton adds. "We expect to see a fast acceleration in the number of businesses looking to tablets as critical mobile productivity drivers. We will work with our business customers to provide them with the service, plans and reliability they expect from us."