“Offering Mac is key for any modern enterprise,” Thomas Saueressig, SVP, Global Head of IT Services, SAP says on Apple’s recently updated Mac in Business Website, and there’s plenty of evidence that proves this case.
Enterprises are going Mac
We already know Apple is growing its share of the enterprise market and the company’s Mac in business pages seek to support this shift.
It’s a shift we’ve been hearing about for months – think about Bloomberg’s recent admission that “More than 75 percent of all users are accessing the Bloomberg Professional app on Apple products.” Who are those users? C-class executives who get to make platform decisions.
Those users are already thinking on the biggest Mac endorsement we heard last year, when IBM said it saves $270 per Mac in comparison to PC support costs – just 5 percent of Mac users needing any help at all. Big Blue also helps other enterprises integrate Apple’s platforms within overall legacy replacement projects.
Corrosion of conformity
The bad for business Microsoft monoculture has gone forever. Apple’s enterprise business now represents $25 billion in annual revenue, up more than 40 percent year over year.These days, 96 percent of companies support Apple while 64 percent of IT pros surveyed by JAMF Software claim the Mac is “easier to manage than other computer platforms”. A further 78 percent see the iPhone and iPad as “easier to manage than other mobile device platforms."
As all the BYOD surveys have claimed, offering employees the right to choose their own platforms has significant positive effects on productivity and staff retention, and Apple’s pages have senior executives agreeing this takes place.
- “Our decision to offer Mac as a choice stemmed from the belief that employees would be more productive on the platform they choose,” said Tayloe Stansbury, Executive Vice President and CTO, Intuit.
- Jo Ann Saitta, Chief Digital Officer, The CDM Group and iVenturesHealth seems to be seeing this when she said: “When our people are inspired, they do incredible things. And with the Mac, we have found that inspiration."
- “Offering the Mac has helped us attract and retain top talent," said Judy Snyder, SVP and CIO, Kelly Services
Mobile dominance
“Apple’s dominance in enterprise mobility is unparalleled,” says Box CEO Aaron Levie. “We believe Apple is out front driving, and enabling, change. As demand to use Apple devices continues to rise, we see more organizations planning for initiatives to support employees globally,” JAMF Software CTO, Jason Wudi told me last year.
Microsoft, Cisco and IBM are the top three strategic IT vendors for CIOs today, according to Goldman Sachs’ recent CIO survey, but this changing: “In terms of being the most strategic vendor three years from now, Apple, Google, Red Hat and Cisco are expected to be the biggest gainers,” the analysts said. “Apple has partnered with IBMand Cisco to boost its iPad tablet sales in the enterprise market.” (The Cisco deal could have huge significance.)
PC replacement
Signs that Apple is supplanting the current number one in the space are becoming ever more evident – even its enterprise-focused iPad Pro blew past sales of Microsoft Surface.
"The iPad is no longer just for the technology enthusiast; it is being leveraged with iOS apps to transform business processes and transactions,” said Dean Hager, CEO, JAMF Software.
"Our enterprise business is expanding,” Apple’s CFO Luca Maestri said during the Q1 2016 financial call. 67 percent of enterprise IT pros think the Mac will “cut into PC share over the next three years.”
Apple’s growth into new markets may be having some unintended consequences, of course. Some leading Apple watchers warn of a “gradual degradation in the quality and reliability of Apple’s core apps” in recent years. Given Apple’s track record and its evident commitment to growing its business into new sectors, I think Apple will address this criticism.
Despite such growing pains it is surprising Apple has achieved this fast invasion of enterprise markets under the eyes of the competition.
Take a look at Apple’s new Mac In Business pages here.
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