Having the ability to effectively integrate these applications into business processes will be a critical competitive advantage, improving efficiency and quality assurance. The primary strength of the iPad has been its combination of portability, usability, functionality, and power. Its lightweight and slim form means that it’s much easier to transport than a conventional laptop, yet it’s powerful enough to do many of the things that a laptop does. The fact that it has a battery that’s capable of getting it through a full working day – 10 hours’ worth – helps as well.

So how are businesses using the iPad?

There are countless ways that business users have found the iPad and iPad 2 to be useful, but here are just a few.

An Enhanced In-Store Experience

High-end customers have high-end demands. Following a recent private viewing of the Burberry collection at London Fashion Week, in-store customers were given access to buy the collection immediately through a custom-built Burberry iPad application. According to Burberry, the app "creates luxury customer purchasing experience," as well as allows customers to view all in-house created content, like video look-books and films. Now, 25 Burberry stores in 16 countries will offer customers the iPad when they visit the store.

A Better Connection to the Customer

"Consumers expect technologies in their lives," said Pat Martucci, founder and CEO of Incentient, a company that offers iPad solutions to businesses. Lacking technology, he says, customers "hit the hotel rooms, and suddenly they go back to 1965." Incentient's iPad software connects hotel guests to room service, concierge, housekeeping, and bellman services. Some hotels, like Hotel Indigo in San Diego, keep iPads at the front desk and let guests use them to send Tweets or check e-mail in the comfort of the hotel’s lobby and bar.

A New Point of Sale

One automaker, Mercedes, saw an opportunity to use the iPad in its dealership sales process. The MB Advantage software allows Mercedes dealers to begin recording key customer information while they are standing next to – or seated in – the car they are selling. It also gives salespeople on the dealership floor access to marketing programs for specific models and increases the speed and efficiency on the return of lease vehicles. "The iPad will provide a competitive advantage to our dealers by increasing their service levels through a more flexible financing process," said Andreas Hinrichs, vice president of marketing for Mercedes-Benz Financial, in a release.

Apps, Apps, Apps!

There are numerous apps available as enhancements to business utilization of the iPad, especially with the high demand for iPad app development. That being said, there are a handful of iPad apps that jump to the forefront of any discussion on business collaboration tools. The following are a few of my favorite essentials.

• Evernote

Imagine if you could remember every fleeting thought you had and record every cool thing you came across. That’s the concept behind Evernote, a multiplatform tool that’s designed to let businesses keep track of their brainstorms, insights and, of course, the misfires and duds as well.

• Quickoffice

Quickoffice is a sort of quick and dirty to Microsoft® Office. Quickoffice lets you create new documents in Word, Excel and PowerPoint and then edit them. If you’re used to using Office on your desktop, it should take little time to get up to speed on Quickoffice.

• Roambi

Roambi is designed to be easy to use so you can create presentations on the fly by importing data from Excel. The iPad version also contains some cool features. For example, if you’re creating or viewing a pie chart, you can tap an area of the chart you’re interested in to get more information.

Presentation Device

The iPad 2 is a mobile presentation device. The new Apple Digital AV Adapter on the iPad 2 means you can plug the iPad into any TV set, computer monitor, or digital projector with an HDMI port, and you can increase your audience to as many people as you need. The faster processor and better graphics system on the iPad 2 also means you can add full 1080p high definition video to your presentations to give them real impact.

Cameras and iOS 4.3 on the iPad 2 have opened to door to wireless printing and endless camera opportunities!

iOs 4.3

With iOS 4.3 on the iPad 2 you get some extra functionality that makes the iPad run faster and you also get some new features like AirPrint. With AirPrint you can directly print from your iPad and you won’t have to connect as it’s done via Wi-Fi.

Cameras

Two cameras for double the work! The new cameras on the iPad 2 open up a whole new world of possibilities for the iPad. These include: FaceTime™ for video conferencing and the ability to scan business cards and expense claims.

It’s obvious that the iPad opens the door to endless business opportunities, and with the additional features of the iPad 2, there are sure to be more creative uses for business users. Even still, the growth of the mobile application development market offers countless enhancements for business utilization of the convenient tablet.