Telecom Lead India: Worldwide media tablet sales to end
users are forecast to total 118.9 million units in 2012, a 98 percent increase
from 2011 sales of 60 million units, according to Gartner.

The research firm predicts that Apple’s iOS continues to
be the dominant media tablet operating system (OS), as it is projected to
account for 61.4 percent of worldwide media tablet sales to end users in 2012.

Android tablets are forecast to account for 31.9 percent
of media tablet sales in 2012. Gartner analysts said the main issue with
Android tablets has been the lack of applications that are dedicated to tablets
and therefore take advantage of their capabilities.

Despite the arrival of Microsoft-based devices to this
market, and the expected international rollout of the Kindle Fire, Apple will
continue to be the market leader through the forecast period.

Microsoft tablets are projected to account for 4.1
percent of media tablet sales this year, and grow to 11.8 percent of sales by
the end of 2016. Windows 8 is Microsoft’s official entrance into the media
tablet market.

“IT departments will see Windows 8 as the
opportunity to deploy tablets on an OS that is familiar to them and with
devices offered by many enterprise-class suppliers. This means that we see
Windows 8 as a strong IT-supplied offering more so than an OS with a strong
consumer appeal,” said Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner.

 Gartner analysts said enterprise sales of media
tablets will account for about 35 percent of total tablet sales sold in 2015.
These sales will not be clearly defined as enterprise purchases.

Gartner expects enterprises to allow tablets as part of
their buy your own device (BYOD) program. More of these tablets will be owned
by consumers who use them at work.

Worldwide Sales of Media Tablets to End Users by OS
(Thousands of Units)

OS	2011	2012	2013	2016
iOS	39,998	72,988	99,553	169,652
Android	17,292	37,878	61,684	137,657
Microsoft	0	4,863	14,547	43,648
QNX	807	2,643	6,036	17,836
Other Operating Systems	1,919	510	637	464
Total Market	60,017	118,883	182,457	369,258

Source: Gartner (April 2012)

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