“Not too long ago, ad agencies, design firms and other creative companies were about the only businesses that widely deployed Macintosh computers to their employees. But for a number of reasons, word of the benefits of Apple Inc. hardware — and software — on enterprise desktops is now spreading,” Seth Weintraub writes for Computerworld.
Weintraub’s list of reasons includes:
• Years of Windowsspyware, malware and virus headaches
• Learning curve and disparity of Linux distros
• Corporate applications ported to OS agnostic Web services
• Apple’s consumer lineup is falling into the hands of business decision makers and their families, and scoring well
Weintraub writes, “That last point, in fact, could become the biggest motivator for a platform shift in the next few quarters. Macintosh computers appear to be making market-share gains in the home, opening the door to similar success in the enterprise. But which Apple machines are appropriate for corporate use? Should IT managers focus only on the “professional” end of Apple’s offerings — the Mac Pro desktop machine or MacBook Pro laptop line? Or would an iMac, Mac mini and MacBook make as much sense for business?”
“There is no comparison between Apple’s ‘consumer’ machines and the consumer lines of its competitors. All of Apple’s machines are ready to move into the enterprise, depending on the job at hand. It’s a simple and elegant product lineup, highly customizable, and will be Apple’s seed into the business market — if IT decision-makers can get over their prejudice against equipment that’s traditionally been aimed at consumers,” Weintraub writes.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dion” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Computerworld: Apple’s Mac OS X an ideal platform for SMBs – March 01, 2007
Apple Mac begins to catch on with corporate IT – February 28, 2007
New IBM software to help business to offer employees the choice of running Apple Macs – February 12, 2007
Gartner: Growth of Mac desktops in enterprise to hinder Linux more than Windows – January 02, 2007
Computerworld: Enterprise decision-makers should consider migrating to Mac OS X and Apple hardware – December 21, 2006
Apple’s Mac means business – December 18, 2006
Hands on: Parallels Desktop for Mac in a business setting – December 10, 2006
InfoWorld: Apple’s Mac OS X platform deserves good, hard look by enterprise – September 22, 2006
Prejudice keeps Apple Mac out of the enterprise – September 01, 2006
Boot Camp: Apple’s Trojan horse into the enterprise market? – April 05, 2006
IT won’t like it. What will they do all day?
I think the single biggest reason for the lack of “Macs in the business” is the software.
I’m not talking about Office, I’m talking about SAP and its ilk. Go ahead and try to find a “business” software vendor who is Mac friendly.
Sure Macs are beginning to cause these vendors to question wether they should add support for Macs, but it not there yet. Actually its not even close.
And this is coming from someone who uses Macs in his business.
fatal,
You’re missing the point. If businesses start buying Macs, the software vendors will be forced to follow, and it doesn’t take long to port Windows applictions to the Mac.
Big business can’t wait for software to be there before making the switch, because no business produces a product until it sees a demand. Switch and software will quickly follow.
The business environment is a perfect opportunity for what I’ve called the Missing Mac. There is currently no headless, expandable Mac desktop between the Mini and the Pro. THAT is what’s missing. Sites that have already rolled out LCD Monitors don’t benefit from the iMac; they want to use what they’ve got. The Mini is hard to work on, has a single notebook-class drive, and limited expandability. (It’s also not a great value proposition.) The Pro is overkill for most – and just too frickin’ big. Look at the Shuttle for a model for what the Missing Mac might be like.
Apple is missing an entire market of hardware.
Apple NEEDS a computer with the insides of the imac, but without a monitor.
Somthing more powerful and expandable then the Mac Mini, less expensive and less overkill then the Mac Pro and without having to pay for the monitor of the iMac.
This is simple and easy. Apple with is my INTEL CUBE/Mac Mini Pro???
I disagree. At my business, IT is getting rid of desktops in favor of network appliances. Businesses don’t want expandability–expandability complicates configuration control. They want conformity. And the Mac Mini is the perfect machine for that.
Sorry i was not trying to sound like Shakespere.
its WHERE IS my Intel Cube / Mac Mini Pro???
not with is*
The biggest obstacle for Apple is that it’s products just work (sic!). If you tell the IT guys that they will no longer have to fix anything that means less work for them and it will not take long for a company to realise that it does no longer need so many IT guys and fire most of them. How do you sell something like this to IT departments? Buy Apple and loose jobs. You don’t sell Apple to IT guys but to CFOs. That’s the strategy that will succeed.
Chris,
Im not saying get rid of the Mac mini at all it is a great computer to fill many rolls, but anyone who wants to have the expandability of a Mac pro without the QUAD processor XEON is out of luck. Or a company that already has a roll out of monitors but needs desktop replacements that are more powerful then the Mini with independent video cards is also out of luck….They would be forced to buy a new monitor with the imac or get a mac pro and spend even more money for a machine that wont be completely utilized.
I use the SAPGUI client to do my SAP interaction at work and it’s fine. OK, so it doesn’t have some the Office integration like the Windows-native client, but I really don’t need that anyway.
Lotus Notes, MS Office, etch – is the core of our business apps, and they are all Mac-native. And for the odd Windows-only app, there is always virtualization or CrossOver.
My biggest concern is MS dropping the cross platform macro support in Office 2007 / Mac Office 2008 – this will make an upgrade a major problem. The actual outcome will be for me to not upgrade and keep Mac Office 2004 even if it’s under Rosetta (performace is fine w/ me).
MDN Magic word “having” : Soon we will all be having a great time using Macs at work!
“There is no comparison between Apple’s ‘consumer’ machines and the consumer lines of its competitors. All of Apple’s machines are ready to move into the enterprise, depending on the job at hand. It’s a simple and elegant product lineup, highly customizable, and will be Apple’s seed into the business market — if IT decision-makers can get over their prejudice against equipment that’s traditionally been aimed at consumers,” Weintraub writes
And many companies like Genentech, SAP have already recognized that fact and are already using Macs heavily or starting too. With the Intel Macs it makes more sence than ever because now you can run dual operating systems at full speed to get whatever software you need running.
Maybe Apple should add an enterprise edition that contains a hook that piggybacks to the monthly Unix utilities that trashes the hard drive to give the IT folks something to do, preserving their sense of worth…. or not.
Raymond from DC,
my sentiments exactly.
I’ve never understood why Apple don’t produce a ‘standard’ computer!
I’ve been waiting for years!
Macs still need occasional maintenance and repair. IT would not be left with nothing to do but they would have to retrained. No three-finger salute? How do you reboot this thing?
Well, a couple of things: @fatal is not telling lies, its the truth, and the article tends to sound like its already started to happen. Believe me when I say I want this to become the truth more than words can express – and to be even more clear, for me its as much about undoing Windows as it is about advocating Mac. So there’s my addendum to the previous reality checks.
Secondly, in reading the article it strikes my just how back-asswards the whole pc business is. There was a time when consumer had a decidedly lower quality ring to it. When you bought the consumer version of something [non-pc] it meant that it was adequate for home/private use, but that it’s inherent manufacturing quality also meant it would not stand up to the daily grind of industrial strength use. The reality of the pc world is that, the cheap crap, software and hardware, is in the workplace and the elegent high quality hardware and software is in the private sector. What the hell! MS, in tangent with traditional pc hardware makers, has screwed up pc computing in business and manufacturing so badly that some of us oldie moldies still wander if things can ever change significantly. Thanks to Microsoft personal computing in the world today is just a mess, and in every way I can possibly think off. Thanks Microsoft, thanks very much.
Come on folks, implement anything other than Windows into your work-place, and stop letting your IT weenies (understanding of course that not all IT pros are weenies) control your business infrastructure and ultimate business decisions. If you’re one of the minions, like me, do what you can when you can… No, your most likely not going to convert your entire work-place to Mac or Linux or whatever that’s not Windows by next week, but slow tactful change can and does work in many cases.
I have been an “IT decisionmaker” for well over 10 years and I can assure you that the only prejudice I harbor is actually AGAINST the likes of Dell and Microsoft. Specially Microsoft, of course.
As a matter of fact, we only have one server, one laptop and one desktop configured with Windows for compatibility testing. Everything else is running Mac OS X. We do have Office, but probably not for long. There are a few users (including myself) who have “opted out” of the Office installations and they’re doing well. In fact, better than those who have the misfortune to keep their Office installations.
One more thing… all our employees who came from the Windows world in their previous jobs have liked working on the Mac so much that they have dumped their home PCs and replaced them with Macs as well.
I’ve compared notes with IT administrators of Windows based installations and have concluded that even the notion that Macs are costlier in the long term than their Windows counterparts is not based on fact. In the short term, maybe. But definitely not in the long term.
Yet another corporate myth waiting to be debunked.
If I ever get a business of the ground, you can be sure it will not have a Windows server running behind the scenes. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.
Most computer “experts” are nothing more than Windows “experts,” and even the term is misleading.
I DON’T claim to be an expert, as there are people who can blow by me with their knowledge, but I know Windows and Mac very well – Mac a bit more, for obvious reasons.
My current job? IT support. Windows. :/ But hey, it pays for the Macs I keep buying for myself. 😀
MW: heard – All I’ve “heard” since Vista has been released is: “WOW! What a piece of sh!+!!!”
Yeah, that was the other thing. I think we can help to make newbie IT pros feel less threatened if we stop riding the Macs-never-need-help mantra. It’s not true. What is true is that very few workplaces offer any support for their Mac users so the users are self maintaning. The reality is also that, since this is the case most Mac user no more about general computing problems irregardless of platform, and often end up helping themselves, other Mac users, and Windows users. Anyway, along with a co-worker I help to maintaine, install, fix, train, etc. about 12 Mac based workstations along with some Mac laptops and and Xsan, and to make a long story short, that many machines does require almost daily attention – not a lot of daily attention – but some, and once in awhile a lot, especially with regard to the Xsan. I’m not an IT person, don’t want to be, and definitely don’t get paid to be. Our in-house IT persons have dogmatically said they don’t do Macs, so in addition to my generally heavy work load, I have to take care of house keeping for quite a few Macs, and I hope, wish, and often pray for an IT pro willing to learn, or better yet, that we start hiring our IT people based in part on their required experience with the Macintosh and all of its potential services.
Our IT guy is nice about it, but useless none the less. I’d gladly trade him for a good Mac IT pro because that IT pro will come already able to do Windows, and then I can focus on what I’d rather be doing – Using my Mac to get my work done.
Mr. P–some of us oldie moldies still wander if things can ever change significantly
We know oldies wander, but do they also wonder?
Here’s the plan:
1. Get an IT job
2. Rise through the ranks on performace
3. Corner the CFO in an elevator or at the nearby coffee shop, convince him to switch to Macs, lay off your entire team except for you who gets a promotion (and a few choice picks to get the remaining work done.)
4. profit!
Think of the freedom people will enjoy when the take back their cubicles by replacing their large black and gray boxes with Mac Minis. What more does the average office worker need in terms of a computer than a Mac Mini? Imagine too a worplace that used Xserves and network-based home directories, so users can access their own personalized desktop, applications and files from any Mac Mini on the network.
SAP runs on Macs. I’ve got it open on my PBG4 right now.
We’ve been using it to run our enterprise since before Y2K and it works great. Even supports Applescript.
SAP NetWeaver- SAPGUI for Java 7.0
Running SAPR3 Enterprise (4.7)
Actually Apple is moving into full support of SAP. From Macenterprise.org:
Written by MacEnterprise.org
Monday, 12 February 2007
The next MacEnterprise.org webcast, Using SAP with Mac OS X, will take place on Tuesday, February 20th 2007. Using SAP with Mac OS X: Current deployments, support, and future roadmap. Come hear the latest on using SAP with Mac OS X, and how Apple run their business on SAP with Mac OS X.. The Webcast ID for February 2007 will be MacEnterprise
Slides are available at their website as well.
I’m with you on that count. I’m tired of being held hostage to Windows Certified (Certifiable?) slackers running around a professional environment dressed like they are at a Baseball game trying every way they can to force every last UNIX/Mac/LINUX/Solaris box/server out of ‘their’ system. They also want everything more powerful than a pocket calculator locked up behind their doors with restricted access, despite the fact that our place of business is a 24/7/265 operation and they are M-F daytime with really sh*tty callback performance.
Sounds like a localized rant. doesn’t it. Sadly, it’s more often the rule rather than the exception at many small to mid size companies. They also like to approach every question/problem/deployment with their smarmy, condescending attitude toward people with more education, computer knowledge and experience (we got along fine on UNIX before you and your white box PeeCees, dude).
Macs scare the sh*t out of them. They know that all too well and are uncomfortable with anything that doesn’t need their constant attention/meddling. They also know that Windows Certification is basically worthless in a UNIX/LINUX/Mac environment unless you have other experience, education or skills. I’d love nothing better than to see these clowns sent to the Unemployment Office while they wait for a job where they can ply their Windows only religion. And they call Mac users a cult…
Yesterday, at my gym there was a group of about 6 or so people (all 25-39) who are not computer geek types at all, but they were talking about how their next computer purchase was going to be a Mac. They all had stories of friends and family members who have switched in the last year and love their Mac.
Apple is doing it all by word of mouth, but I think the commercials help a little, too.
Whoa there Chris (the first one up there)! That may be putting the cart before the horse. First of all, many businesses won’t consider Macs if their software is Windows-only to begin with (proprietary and/or industry-specific software). And if they DO buy Macs, the software companies won’t necessarily “port” these apps to be Mac-native. Especially now that Macs can run Windows. They will just figure the Macs can run the software as-is. Also, why do you seem to think it’s so “easy” to port Windows (or <gasp> DOS) software to OS X? Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t! Especially for a company not previously familiar with Macs.
I agree, it would be nice for them to all change and suddenly start writing OS X native software, but the tidal wave shift to Macs needs to be pretty darn huge for that to happen to many software companies.
and SAPGUI for Java 7.10 is already supported in Leopard, with JRE 6.0.
SAPGUI for HTML is supported on Mac OS X with Mozilla Firefox 1.5 and 2.0
SAP Widgets work as well on Mac OS X and, btw, what do you think Apple use in iTunes and the Apple Store if not SAP?
The SAP Java Gui runs as UB implemente das a Java Swing application using Apple’s Java 1.4 JVM
Actually, to all SAP Developers out there: Try WebKit.app which contains many enhancements required by EP/WebDynpro. WebKit can be downloaded now for Tiger and will support Safari 3.0 in Leopard.
@fatal: you are spouting lots of FUDS buddy, but I guess it is just plain ignorance.
I work at a Big Four firm and our print server went down yesterday and I asked the tech guy if it was running Windows. He said it was and I said that was the problem. He laughed because he knew it was true and then said at least it’s not running Vista. We both cringed at that thought and I said I’m a Mac guy. With that he held up his fingers like a cross to a vampire. He’s a cool guy but they have to get over being anti-Mac, especially when they know Windows is crap and joke around at how bad it is. WTF???
All of the IT weenies are out in full force today, hm?
I kinda dabble in IT-related stuff at my job…I’m SO glad that I don’t have to do it full time. We have Windows machines at work (Mac at home), and I feel for those guys…I really do. We’ve got so much invested in our Windows servers and infrastructure, that we (specifically the people with the check books) cannot see over the heap of garbage we’re buried in.
My 20″ iMac has been a fine workhorse for book and magazine publishing these last two years.
Perception is a huge problem for Apple in the IT realm. The iMac is more powerful than most of the Dell and HP computers that businesses buy (or lease), yet the iMac is looked at like a toy. Even the wimpiest/cheapest Dell is though of as a more serious computer. The MacPro on the other hand is too expensive to be bought in bulk for typing reports and e-mails.
Most business folks will compare a Dell tower to a mac tower and say, “Dell is so much cheaper”.
I truly believe that for Apple to take any of the enterprise market, they need a cheaper computer like the mini or iMac in a MacPro type case (but smaller).
Once they start linking up hardware advances with Leopard capabilities…the difference between commodity PC and the Apple lineup with increase… the feeling could shift to..’go with Macs or be left behind’.
IT isn’t about fixing computers all day.
It’s about providing solutions… and when it comes to Apple stuff… sometimes those solutions can get complicated as Apple doesn’t allow the same amount of customizability needed in the corporate world.
@ron,
I’m not a real writer, I just play one on this website.
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Hmmm, I just got this from our IT person. They don’t know Macs, don’t trust Macs, and feel more comfortable with constantly fixing MS stuff. Its just what they know. And THEY are the ones that tell the boss what to buy when it comes to computers.
This is their response to an article I sent vs MS Office and its crash to french spell checker problem:
“Thanks for this! I hadn’t seen it yet. For the record I DO NOT like Microsoft VISTA! There are too many incompatibilities with it. We got a brand new Dell with OEM software installed on it….had to uninstall the Norton Security Center that shipped with it because it caused major conflicts with Outlook 2007. Geesh! I am advising everyone to stay away from VISTA until SP1 comes out. Feel free to send anything else of interest like this. We are learning about this as we go along I guess!”
My point? When there is enough push for Macs from bosses with Macs at home etc, IT will have to learn to intergrate and when they do, watch out. JMHO.
N.
One word: EXCHANGE.
No company based heavily on MS Exchange is going to all Macs any time soon.
Macs do email OK with Exchange, but the calendaring integration is pathetic/nonexistent, as well as just about any other advanced Exchange feature. As long as Macs are second-class Exchange clients, they will not make significant inroads into many enterprises.
However, if that got fixed and Macs did start coming in, I could see a shift in the role of IT rather than elimination of IT. Right now IT spends so much time trying to keep MS stuff running that they have no time to help users with training stuff or working more productively (making scripts for them, etc.). With a more reliable platform, IT might be able to become a more significant value-add to the enterprise, instead of just a “keep the lights on”, minimalistic type of thing.
> The business environment is a perfect opportunity for what I’ve called the Missing Mac. There is currently no headless, expandable Mac desktop between the Mini and the Pro. THAT is what’s missing.
While I agree that there is a desktop Mac missing between the Mac mini and Mac Pro, it does not hurt Apple’s enterprise opportunities.
Most employees at large companies do not need high-end graphics. They do not need large local storage because documents are typically stored on the network, where the enterprise backup and security tools keeps it safe. If the company already has LCD monitors (and perhaps even keyboards and mice), a Mac mini with 1GB of RAM is perfect. There is no need for “expandability.” What more would you add?
For the employees who do need high-end graphics, they should a Mac Pro. They wouldn’t want a lesser Mac if their work relied on the computer’s performance. Of course, there may be room for that “in-between” Mac in enterprise, but it is NOT an urgent need. What Apple has right now is ideal.
Ryan…
If Exchange is the issue, install Entourage. It’s a part of Office 2004. I am connected to my work email from home right now. I set up appointments, view my PC colleagues calendars, etc.
Exchange? Things will get way better with Leopard.
With Leopard you will be able to use the new Mail.app with Exchange. For example, you will not be bothered by public folders in Exchange anymore. You will be able to use Mail to check your Exchange account(s), no need for Entourage anymore.
Weintraub has hit the nail squarely on the head:
“if IT decision-makers can get over their prejudice”
Problems like incompatability with Exchange are easily fixed by using less risky non-M$ solutions. It’s all in the prejudice.
Prejudice: From Latin præ-judicium “before judgment,”
Hm …
Chris, You’ve made my point: “the tidal wave shift to Macs needs to be pretty darn huge for that to happen to many software companies.”
Software companies won’t start writing enterprise applications for the Mac until there are more Macs in the enterprise. IT types, who are afraid they won’t be needed, use this fact against the Mac, claiming that they can’t install more Macs because there isn’t enough enterprise software for them. It’s a catch-22, and the ony way out is to force they IT guys to install Macs anyway. It won’t be long before the software follows, but there’s no chance it will lead the way.
Are Macs enterprise ready? Hmm, I don’t know. Has anyone consulted Apple? You know, that multi-billion dollar company somewhere in California. I wonder what machines and software they use? Someone better get a reporter over there ASAP to find out.
IT professionals and I do mean professional …”not IT Guys” would have plenty to do if they didn’t have to fix windows boxes and and battle viruses. There is the business of integrating the thousands of pieces of software and hardware among the various departments to make a company work smoothly. From Graphics to design to administrative to productivity per department to video conferencing. In the windows world all these pieces of hardware and software are usually disparate and causes lack of communication between various departments. What if Manufacturing could tap into field service and sales data to fine tune their current production process and influence future designs. What if purchasing wasn’t constantly behind the 8 ball and could quickly check a database of vendor sole sourced parts and relations and find new sources or suggest to design to try alternate means to achieve the same function of a difficultly sourced part. The last Engineering based manufacturing firm I work was just swallowed by Motorola. In their industry they were considered the top of their game for all of industry they were considered the best of the worst. They manufactured hand held laser bar-code scanners… the things they did the best ” made the quarter to beat wall street expectations by legal or illegal means”, the things they did the worst… integrate their own products throughout their supply chain and business infrastructure and use the essence of their own creative talent to energize and create new markets for their business. This is one of the things that Apple does well. All their factories and tech support , field service and Stores I’ll bet you can’t find one PC in Apple’s entire business. Apple has IT people also but they spend their time making apple as a corporation more productive by local and global asset integration, not by ass over tea kettle under the CEO’s desk chasing down a virus with a screwdriver. The Mac mini is a powerful piece of hardware with 1Gigabyte /sec internet capability. For 90 % of corporate America this is all we need.