Over the last few years, Apple has put an increased focus on boosting its appeal toward business customers. From creating the role of "Business Specialist" in its retail stores to tailoring some advertising specifically toward benefits the enterprise can experience, the tech company is doing everything it can to infiltrate this market – and it seems to be working.
According to research firm Gartner, next year corporate IT will accept the Mac as readily as it does Windows machines today. While Apple is already leading the way when it comes to tablets and smartphones – something IT departments are already well aware of – they are still making headway when it comes to computers.
In a recent InfoWorld article, Mel Beckman examined why that could be the case. Beckman chalked up the slow adoption to Apple having different ideas about enterprise computing. For example, Microsoft allows IT to completely control system updates and patches while Apple operating systems are at the whim of the individual user. Despite this, there is a shift coming.
"The conventional wisdom that Microsoft owns the enterprise is changing, if for no other reason than Apple's popular personal products are invading IT, whether IT likes it or not," wrote Beckman. "IT can't put Apple users back in the bottle. Understanding these difference will help IT deal with the rising tide of device diversity – and might aid Apple in filling its gaps in enterprise service."
Handling a Mac integration can be difficult for any IT department, especially if they are working with Apple products for the first time. However, by turning to an IT consulting firm that specializes in Mac and iOS devices, any business can be sure the deployment is successful.
