This summer, after partnering with Apple on number of enterprise app initiatives, IBM announced plans of its own to put MacBooks in the hands of its employees. With 50,000 Apple laptops set to be deployed by the end of the year and another 100,000 to 150,000 coming in total, the switch will be no small feat. So far, however, IBM is reporting that the early stages of its Mac experiment are going extremely well.
On stage at this week's JAMF Nation User Conference in Minneapolis, IBM VP Fletcher Previn told attendees that only 5 percent of IBM employees with new MacBooks have called for help desk support from the IT department, compared to 40 percent of PC users. With such little demand, IBM has been able to support over 130,000 combined iPhone, iPad, and MacBook users with just 24 dedicated help desk staff, which Previn suggests helps justify the higher up-front cost of a MacBook versus a comparable Windows PC.
Previn said these statistics show not only how simple it is for IBM staff to use the Mac, but easy it can be to set up a new Mac in the workplace with the right deployment software and program.
IBM's deployment program allows for employees to quickly and easily turn a shrink-wrapped, brand new Mac into a fully equipped enterprise-ready machine, all on their own. Using Apple's Device Enrollment Program and JAMF Software's Casper Suite, users can set up and install IT-approved apps, software and configurations by simply clicking "install," while IT handle the licensing on the backend without exposing any of it to the user.
According to Previn, the ease-of-use factor is proving to be a financial benefit to the company in the long run, saying: "Every Mac that we buy is making and saving IBM money."
Whether you are thinking of implementing a Mac integration at work or looking for someone to support your Mac environment, MC Services' certified engineers have the knowledge to make it work for you. Contact us today to get started!
