Global tablet market will exceed growth expectations during the next few years, driven by faster than thought shipments of Apple's iPad, business information services company IHS said on Wednesday.

Worldwide tablet shipments now are projected to rise to 60 million units in 2011, compared to 58.9 units predicted in May, and will be up 245.9 percent from 17.4 million in 2010, according to a new IHS report.

The new figures will help propel tablet shipments to 275.3 million units in 2015, compared to the previous forecast of 262.1 million, the report showed.

All the momentum in the tablet market is with Apple right now, noted Rhoda Alexander, senior manager of tablet and monitor research for HIS.

"The competition can't seem to field a product with the right combination of hardware, marketing, applications and content to match up with the iPad. Furthermore, Apple's patent litigation is serving to slow or complicate competitors' entry into some key regional markets," Alexander said in a statement.

"With Apple lapping its competitors, many of whom are still struggling to get out of the starting gate, this remains a one-horse race," she added.

Apple will ship 44.2 million iPads in 2011, up from the previous forecast of 43.7 million, IHS said.

It also predicted that iPad shipment will reach 120.1 million units in 2015, up from the previous outlook of 97.9 million.

Apple is expected to account for 74 percent of tablet shipments in 2011 and 43.6 percent in 2015, compared to previous forecast of 64 percent in 2011 and 32 percent in 2015.

IHS said it now expects Apple will account for the majority of tablet shipments through the year 2013, one year longer than the previous projection.