Study: 85 percent of companies that plan to buy a tablet, plan to buy an iPad within 90 days

We know that demand for the new iPad met expectations with Apple telling USAToday demand is “off the charts.” Apple also confirmed that the initial pre-order supplies were purchased with shipping times for the device slipping to “2-3 weeks.” Now, a new ChangeWave Research study of “1,604 business IT buyers” gives some insight into just how in-demand the new device will be in the enterprise.

From the study, we learn that approximately 22 percent of companies plan to buy tablets for their employees during Q2 2012. ChangeWave noted, among those companies, demand for iPad increased to the “highest level of corporate iPad demand ever” with 84 percent planning to make the new iPad their tablet of choice. The increase represents a 7-point jump from ChangeWave’s last study due to the new iPad launch. The study also aimed to find which carrier the companies plan to use for data services with their tablets. Not surprisingly, AT&T and Verizon were neck and neck:

AT&T (30%; up 1-pt) and Verizon (29%; up 1-pt) are in a near dead heat as the top choice for wireless service among companies buying tablets, while Sprint (4%; unchanged) remains a distant third.

As a result, it also means big declines are expected for other tablet manufacturers during the second quarter—as you can see in the graphic up top. ChangeWave explained:

Among the competitors, Samsung (8%) is down 2-pts and continues to remain a distant second in planned tablet buying… Other tablet manufacturers showing a decline in corporate tablet share since the previous survey include H-P (4%; down 1-pt), Asus (3%; down 1-pt), Dell (3%; down 2-pts), and RIM/Blackberry (3%; down 2-pts).

A recent study from IDC noted business iPad users are increasingly choosing company-issued iPads and opting to ditch their notebooks. Despite the increased demand, 54 percent said the iPad only partly replaced their laptop for work tasks. Meanwhile, only 16 percent reported the device completely replacing their main machine. Another similar study recently released by The Business Journal said iPad usage almost quadrupled among small businesses during 2011.