Bud stated: “The launch of the iPad 2 marks another milestone in the rapidly evolving market for mobile connected devices. The number of new tablets being launched, the rapid sales of both the original iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab, and the new revenue streams which the tablet platform is generating for publishing companies, such as Pearson, all illustrate that consumers are taking to this new form factor, as the MEF predicted.
“More importantly, it also demonstrates how mobile connected devices such as tablets are fast becoming the primary access point for content and entertainment,” he continued.
Whereas many predicted that the mobile internet would soon dance to the tune of the fixed line internet ecosystem, the opposite is actually beginning to happen, Bud commented. He explained: “The rise of the tablet is proving to be the turning point for consumers as mobile becomes the preferred platform for using an ever-widening number of services.
“In the same way that the iPhone proved a catalyst for the growth of the smartphone market, this new iteration of the iPad will further force the pace of innovation and stimulate market competition. The industry needs to rise vigorously to this challenge to ensure sufficient competition, both in consumer choice and in the business model of the ecosystem,” Bud concluded.