Report: Mac adoption expanding in the enterprise
Despite the lack of any clear and obvious enterprise strategy at Apple, analyst Benjamin Gray of Forrester Research reported an incremental gain in enterprise Mac use among the 2,500 organizations the company tracks, representing 50,000 end users.
"Apple's singular focus on user experience has resulted in some success in the enterprise?without even trying to break into the market," Grey wrote in a report cited by eWeek on Friday, noting that Mac deployment in the enterprise has climbed from 1.1 percent in October 2006 to 3.6 percent in October 2007, and by June 2008 reached 4.5 percent. That's much lower than Apple's nearly 20 percent share of the US consumer PC retail market or its 8 percent share of the entire US PC and server market, but significantly higher than Apple's 3.5 percent share of all PCs and servers sold worldwide.
According to Grey, enterprise Mac adoption has been pushed upward by consumer demand. "Strong iPod branding and sales have led to greater consumer sales of Apple PCs," the report stated. "In turn, this has lured enthusiasts and small workgroups with supple IT departments beyond the standard domain of design and media."
That increase is bucking the established mindset that gives Macs the cold shoulder in business settings. "Enterprises often see Macs as expensive solutions that add unwanted variety to an already complex IT management and support operation, while providing little in additional productivity," Grey wrote.
Despite the prevailing negative perception of Macs among business users, many corporations are now investigating increased use of Macs and looking at platform diversity as a strength, not a problem. Additionally, the enterprise platform is slowly shifting away from Windows-based hardware and toward web-based standards that can run anywhere. "Emerging client virtualization solutions shift the focus from standardized hardware to more secure and manageable PC architectures and operations," Gray wrote.
While Apple has promoted its move to Intel hardware and new Mac's ability to run Windows software natively to consumers, it has not expended much effort toward marketing this message directly to enterprise customers outside of a few key markets such as education, hospitality, and video production. Businesses seem to have grasped this advantage themselves. The Forrester report revealed that Intel Macs climbed from from 63.2 percent to 79.9 percent of the installed base of Macs within the enterprise in just an eight month period from October 2007 to June 2008.
In addition to consumer mindshare captured by the iPod and the increased compatibility of Intel Macs, the iPhone is also expected to ignite a halo impact over the enterprise. In its initial iPhone Software 2.0 announcement, Apple reported that over a third of Fortune 500 companies had sought access to the company's iPhone Enterprise Beta program.
In contrast, while Microsoft has been pushing hard to get companies to adopt Windows Vista, its growth in the enterprise has been well below expectations. The company originally set a goal of 20 percent adoption by the end of 2007, but Forrester's study found only 5 percent by October 2007 and 8.8 percent by June 2008.
"Apple's singular focus on user experience has resulted in some success in the enterprise?without even trying to break into the market," Grey wrote in a report cited by eWeek on Friday, noting that Mac deployment in the enterprise has climbed from 1.1 percent in October 2006 to 3.6 percent in October 2007, and by June 2008 reached 4.5 percent. That's much lower than Apple's nearly 20 percent share of the US consumer PC retail market or its 8 percent share of the entire US PC and server market, but significantly higher than Apple's 3.5 percent share of all PCs and servers sold worldwide.
According to Grey, enterprise Mac adoption has been pushed upward by consumer demand. "Strong iPod branding and sales have led to greater consumer sales of Apple PCs," the report stated. "In turn, this has lured enthusiasts and small workgroups with supple IT departments beyond the standard domain of design and media."
That increase is bucking the established mindset that gives Macs the cold shoulder in business settings. "Enterprises often see Macs as expensive solutions that add unwanted variety to an already complex IT management and support operation, while providing little in additional productivity," Grey wrote.
Despite the prevailing negative perception of Macs among business users, many corporations are now investigating increased use of Macs and looking at platform diversity as a strength, not a problem. Additionally, the enterprise platform is slowly shifting away from Windows-based hardware and toward web-based standards that can run anywhere. "Emerging client virtualization solutions shift the focus from standardized hardware to more secure and manageable PC architectures and operations," Gray wrote.
While Apple has promoted its move to Intel hardware and new Mac's ability to run Windows software natively to consumers, it has not expended much effort toward marketing this message directly to enterprise customers outside of a few key markets such as education, hospitality, and video production. Businesses seem to have grasped this advantage themselves. The Forrester report revealed that Intel Macs climbed from from 63.2 percent to 79.9 percent of the installed base of Macs within the enterprise in just an eight month period from October 2007 to June 2008.
In addition to consumer mindshare captured by the iPod and the increased compatibility of Intel Macs, the iPhone is also expected to ignite a halo impact over the enterprise. In its initial iPhone Software 2.0 announcement, Apple reported that over a third of Fortune 500 companies had sought access to the company's iPhone Enterprise Beta program.
In contrast, while Microsoft has been pushing hard to get companies to adopt Windows Vista, its growth in the enterprise has been well below expectations. The company originally set a goal of 20 percent adoption by the end of 2007, but Forrester's study found only 5 percent by October 2007 and 8.8 percent by June 2008.
Comments
"3.6 percent in October 2007"?
For the USA or worldwide? It is not the same.
Thanks.
The company originally set a goal of 20 percent adoption by the end of 2007, but Forrester's study found only 5 percent by October 2007 and 8.8 percent by June 2008.
8.8 % by June of 2008? MS has got to be feeling a bit uneasy these days. And Apple is doing all this without really trying!
That's much lower than Apple's nearly 20 percent share of the US consumer PC retail market...
I wonder what other HW vendors do in the retail market. Has NPD broken that out or did you measure by only looking at OS X?
The Forrester report revealed that Intel Macs climbed from 63.2 percent to 79.9 percent of the installed base of Macs within the enterprise in just an eight month period from October 2007 to June 2008.
Since they the rise in Enterprise sales has rocketed since the switch to Intel it's not surprising that X86-based Macs are so prevalent. Any idea what the installed base is overall? How about in a year when Snow Leopard is out?
"Apple's singular focus on user experience has resulted in some success in the enterprise?without even trying to break into the market," Grey wrote in a report cited by eWeek on Friday
Okay, Apple always says they're not that interested in the enterprise market, but that doesn't completely explain their server solutions that have many of the things an enterprise demands (directory services, mail, web, calendar, private IM, centralized workstation management, etc.). Obviously those things and OS X Server itself don't target end users, but IT staff.
Maybe they're using "enterprise" to mean very large organizations, since Apple tends to target small/medium (and is probably not quite ready to support very large enterprise-wide deployments yet)... but I'd say they are obviously trying to get businesses to adopt their technologies when things like OS X Server and iPhone Exchange support exist.
Clearly Mac adoption in the enterprise will only gain more traction as a result of the iPhone.
But wait! What about all that weeping and gnashing of teeth in the Apple discussion forums? What about all the blogs suggesting Apple has dropped the ball? What about the MobileMe "debacle"? What about all the dire predictions of Apple's demise and incredulous reactions to recent surveys showing Apple to be at the very top for customer service?
Could it be that, in the real world, Apple products really do "just work"? Could it be that the "perpetually disappointed" are actually a tiny, teeny-weeny but vocal minority?
But wait! What about all that weeping and gnashing of teeth in the Apple discussion forums? What about all the blogs suggesting Apple has dropped the ball? What about the MobileMe "debacle"? What about all the dire predictions of Apple's demise and incredulous reactions to recent surveys showing Apple to be at the very top for customer service?
Could it be that, in the real world, Apple products really do "just work"? Could it be that the "perpetually disappointed" are actually a tiny, teeny-weeny but vocal minority?
You have exceeded the allowable limit for rhetorical questions.
Apple has a clearly stated (by Steve) philosophy if not a strategy. He pointed out that when Apple needs a fleet of cars he goes to Toyota or GM and buys the same kind of cars that any individual can buy. The philosophy is to create excellent products that the humans who inhabit companies actually want to use. And it appears to be slowly having an impact.
It is well known that Steve Jobs drives a Mercedes-Benz (This has been reported in both Business Week and Fortune magazine publications).
Mercedes-Benz = first passenger car (search any resource for the first automobile patent)
Apple = first personal computer to use a mouse and GUI (i did not say first computer, i said first personal computer - Check Wikipedia)
Makes sense!
Despite the lack of any clear and obvious enterprise strategy at Apple, analyst Benjamin Gray of Forrester Research reported an incremental gain in enterprise Mac use among the 2,500 organizations the company tracks, representing 50,000 end users.
"Apple's singular focus on user experience has resulted in some success in the enterprise?without even trying to break into the market," Grey wrote in a report cited by eWeek on Friday, noting that Mac deployment in the enterprise has climbed from 1.1 percent in October 2006 to 3.6 percent in October 2007, and by June 2008 reached 4.5 percent. That's much lower than Apple's nearly 20 percent share of the US consumer PC retail market or its 8 percent share of the entire US PC and server market, but significantly higher than Apple's 3.5 percent share of all PCs and servers sold worldwide.
According to Grey, enterprise Mac adoption has been pushed upward by consumer demand. "Strong iPod branding and sales have led to greater consumer sales of Apple PCs," the report stated. "In turn, this has lured enthusiasts and small workgroups with supple IT departments beyond the standard domain of design and media."
That increase is bucking the established mindset that gives Macs the cold shoulder in business settings. "Enterprises often see Macs as expensive solutions that add unwanted variety to an already complex IT management and support operation, while providing little in additional productivity," Grey wrote.
Despite the prevailing negative perception of Macs among business users, many corporations are now investigating increased use of Macs and looking at platform diversity as a strength, not a problem. Additionally, the enterprise platform is slowly shifting away from Windows-based hardware and toward web-based standards that can run anywhere. "Emerging client virtualization solutions shift the focus from standardized hardware to more secure and manageable PC architectures and operations," Gray wrote.
[...]
In contrast, while Microsoft has been pushing hard to get companies to adopt Windows Vista, its growth in the enterprise has been well below expectations. The company originally set a goal of 20 percent adoption by the end of 2007, but Forrester's study found only 5 percent by October 2007 and 8.8 percent by June 2008.
Good report with a balanced view of where Apple stands in the entreprise market.
One word of advice to Apple: Microsoft's problems with Vista will go away some day, if only with Windows 7 or the upcoming ad campaign with Jerry Seinfeld.
Apple has a very short window of opportunity to use iPods, iPhones and Vista's perceived problems to grow its market share before a free Ubuntu Linux and a rejuvenated Windows (also on a UNIX base?) challenge Apple's market share, marketing strategy and outrageous prices.
BTW, Vista runs just fine on brand new quad-core Penryn computers from HP or Dell. The only problem was with updating old hardware, single or dual-core computers, from Windows XP to Windows Vista. And updating drivers for older printers and computer peripherals. No such problem with brand new quad-core computers and printers.
Good report with a balanced view of where Apple stands in the entreprise market.
One word of advice to Apple: Microsoft's problems with Vista will go away some day, if only with Windows 7 or the upcoming ad campaign with Jerry Seinfeld.
Apple has a very short window of opportunity to use iPods, iPhones and Vista's perceived problems to grow its market share before a free Ubuntu Linux and a rejuvenated Windows (also on a UNIX base?) challenge Apple's market share, marketing strategy and outrageous prices.
BTW, Vista runs just fine on brand new quad-core Penryn computers from HP or Dell. The only problem was with updating old hardware, single or dual-core computers, from Windows XP to Windows Vista. And updating drivers for older printers and computer peripherals. No such problem with brand new quad-core computers and printers.
What planet is this one from?
Welcome to Earth. You apparently got some f'ed up signals from our satellites. Let's see here...
- Windows 7 isn't going to solve Windows' problems and won't be out 'til 2010.
- Vista has real problems in terms of compatibility, and most PCs can only run the neutered Basic iteration.
- Seinfeld, a funny guy, isn't going to turn around stagnant PC sales and reverse Apple's Macs outpacing the industry by 4 to 1 in yearly growth, halt strong iPod and skyrocketing iPhone sales, or impact Apple's 85% customer satisfaction - a new record for the industry.
What planet is this one from?
I've been saying for years that the best way for MS to make Windows viable is to use a Unix base for their OS. To do they need to eat crow, but how much have they eaten now with Windows Vista. It won't happen, but I think it should happen.
I've been saying for years that the best way for MS to make Windows viable is to use a Unix base for their OS. To do they need to eat crow, but how much have they eaten now with Windows Vista. It won't happen, but I think it should happen.
Nah. The reason behind MS's inability to create a bug free OS is, well... MS's inability to create a bug free OS.
It's not a type of car that prevents accidents, it's the guy at the wheel that does.
Windows on Unix would be like Vista with airbags!
I'll take a good driver over airbags any day.
Repairs cost time and money.