AT&T sells Apple iPad tablet new ways to corporate customers?

AT&T will begin marketing Apple iPad tablets to its corporate customers, opening up new markets for the iPad.

AT&T said in a statement on October 16th local time that AT&T will help companies design iPad applications and will provide corresponding services to corporate customers.

Market research firm Gartner recently published a report that, driven by the iPad's global sales, tablet PC sales will grow nearly twice as fast next year. Gartner needs to convince employees to deploy a third device besides smartphones and laptops—tablets.

Gartner said in the report, "The vast majority of knowledge workers can not replace the notebook with a media tablet. In the near term, the main purpose of the tablet is a notebook 'mate' or a second device suitable for use on the road."

Initially, the iPad was sold only through Apple stores, and AT&T was the first partner to provide mobile Internet access to the iPad. Apple sells an iPad that can directly connect to AT&T networks. Verizon and Sprint Nextel sell iPad devices that enable them to access their network's WiFi devices.