OK, we all know that people want to bring their consumer technology into the office. In particular, though, people really want to use tablets in the workplace.

And they have a lot of iPads. Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore recently observed that Apple sold 6.5 million iPads during the fourth quarter of 2010, more than anyone expected. Whitmore expects Apple to sell 28 million iPads in 2011. You didn’t need an analyst to tell you about the iPad’s success, though. Whether you love Steve Jobs or have a picture of him on your dartboard, you know iPads were instantly, insanely popular.

It’s not just iPads, though. At CES, everyone and his OEM announced tablets, including the BlackBerry PlayBook from RIM, numerous Android tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, HP’s webOS tablets and even some Windows tablets. But, while everyone might want a tablet, or maybe two if they’re small, will these mobile devices find a home in business?

The intent is there for business use. Almost 30% of iPad users say they now use their iPad as their primary computer, and one survey has shown that over half of would-be users plan to “use a new tablet device like the iPad to conduct work.” But will they really use tablets for work? And, if they do, how can IT manage all those devices?

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