AT&T isn’t just going to make the Apple iPad available in retail stores on Oct. 28, as it announced yesterday. It’s also going to start selling the popular tablets to businesses that day.
Also read: 9 real iPad alternatives
All three iPad WiFi _ 3G models will be sold directly to business customers whose AT&T wireless bills are paid for by their employer, according to the carrier. Data plans will cost $15 per month for 250MB and $25 per month for 2GB, the same plans offered to other customers.
“iPad is a great fit for our enterprise customers across a wide range of industries who are looking for ways to increase business productivity and offer greater flexibility,” said Michael Antieri, President, Advanced Enterprise Mobility Solutions, AT&T Business Solutions, in a statement.
Both AT&T and Verizon announced on Thursday that they will make the iPad available in their retail stores Oct. 28. The Verizon announcement further fueled speculation the carrier next year will join AT&T as an Apple iPhone supplier.
The Apple iPad is proving increasingly popular among business users (especially people in marketing and sales from what we’ve seen), and studies have shown the devices to be particularly popular among young males.
One analyst has forecast that Apple will sell 45 million iPads next year with the backing of business partners like AT&T and Verizon. More than 3 million iPads sold within their first 3 months on the market.
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