Windows 8 Tablet success depends on HP and Dell

There are tons of vendors lined up to jump on the Windows 8 tablet bandwagon. Lenovo showed off its unique IdeaPad Yoga Windows 8 tablet concept at CES in January, and it has vowed to be first out of the gate with a Windows 8 tablet when they launch. Other vendors like Nokia, Asus, and others also appear to be on board.

But, the success or failure of Windows 8 tablets may be made or broken by whether or not businesses embrace them. Because of the dominant role that Dell and HP play as preferred providers of servers and PCs for businesses, it’s crucial that these two come to the party with tablets that can deliver unique advantages compared to an iPad at a reasonable cost.

Dell executive Steve Felice said Dell would be able to build on its relationship with business customers, beyond what Apple can offer for its iPad, which has been making inroads in the tablet business market. Felice cited concerns by businesses about security and integration, and Dell was in a better position to respond to those tablet issues.

Dell CEO Michael Dell has previously promised to have an enterprise -focused tablet running Windows 8 "on the very first day" the OS is available, which many expect will be in October.

HP has committed to releasing three Windows 8 tablet models, Samsung has said it will offer an 8-based tablet in the latter part of this year, and a Nokia executive recently noted that his company is hard at work on a Windows 8 tablet for a June release.