IBM pushing Mac adoption in enterprise with new cloud-based IT services

Posted:
in macOS edited August 2015
IBM on Wednesday announced a new program that's designed to help large enterprises incorporate Macs within their existing IT infrastructures, making it easier than ever for corporations to transition to Apple's OS X platform.




The newly announced program utilizes cloud-based IT services that IBM says will help clients to quickly, easily and securely integrate Macs within their enterprise systems and applications. In a press release announcing the program, IBM noted that shipments of Macs have outpaced the overall PC market every year for the last decade.

IBM's MobileFirst Managed Mobility Services will utilize Big Blue's own experiences from its internal Mac@IBM program. IBM's ongoing partnership with Apple to push enterprise adoption allowed the company the opportunity to commercialize its own efforts.

Clients of IBM will now be able to order Macs and have them delivered directly to their employees without any additional setup, configuration or imaging. IBM says this will save companies time, reduce costs, and create a better employee experience.

IBM's services include the entire suite of Mac models: 12-inch MacBook with Retina display, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, and Mac Pro. The services also feature the Casper Suite from JAMF Software and IBM's enterprise integration and support services.

"Ease of adoption and use are at the foundation of every Apple product, and as these devices are used more in the workplace, people expect the same experience they enjoy with Apple technology in their personal lives," said Richard Patterson, general manager, Infrastructure Services, IBM Global Technology Services. "IBM's new enterprise services ensure a great user experience for clients using Macs, providing world-class support from installation through the life of the product."




The new Mac-based product offering joins the rest of IBM's established MobileFirst services portfolio, which already includes support for Apple's iPhone and iPad. IBM will provide clients with OS and image management, software application and update management, an enterprise app catalog, automatic compliance and configuration updates for security, and inventory and reporting for hardware and software. Self-help resources are also available for users.

"Today's announcement is a powerful testament to the growing demand for Apple technology in the enterprise and to the strong relationship between IBM and JAMF to help organizations inventory, deploy and secure their Apple devices," said Dean Hager, CEO, JAMF Software. "This is a great opportunity for us to work with IBM in helping businesses and other large organizations succeed with Apple."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 83

    IBM's really been throwing Microsoft the middle finger lately.

  • Reply 2 of 83
    bkkcanuckbkkcanuck Posts: 864member
    Looks like IBM is going all in trying to become the premier Mac@Enterprise service provider.

    This is great. The most annoying thing for me right now is using my bash shell locally, then remoting in to my Windows machine at work.... going to the "dos shell" having everything backwards - Cntrl vs Cmd, / vs \, and just a bunch of different commands, which is then completely different than telneting into their IBM server (which unfortunately is setup with just bare shell no history) and then having it reversed again.

    If Windows had a full bash shell natively (power shell is a piece of crap) where everything is uniform... it would be great. I have been able to bypass IT and install some of my own utilities (took uploading attachments in email, then downloading the attachments on the otherside) to make it more uniform....
  • Reply 3 of 83
    bkkcanuckbkkcanuck Posts: 864member

    I am hoping that this is big enough to move the needle a little higher over the coming year with regards to mac sales....  more people on my prefered platform the better....

  • Reply 4 of 83
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,241member

    Are these systems still being tied to an Active Directory environment or is IBM providing an alternative method? I'm sure people will pooh pooh Apple's implementation of Open Directory but without an alternative to AD, all Macs will still be considered a stepchild to PCs even if the servers are all supplied by IBM. 

     

    I appreciate IBM's move to buy more Macs for themselves and to provide configured Macs to IBM customers but someone big has to take the leap and decide a Microsoft-centric environment isn't necessary to stay in business before Macs finally become the primary desktop platform.

  • Reply 5 of 83

    The sad truth is, many businesses will stick with PCs (Dell, HP) because they feel they're less expensive. The smarter ones will realize the cost of hardware is far from the main factor deciding cost. 

  • Reply 6 of 83
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,241member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by RedGeminiPA View Post

     

    The sad truth is, many businesses will stick with PCs (Dell, HP) because they feel they're less expensive. The smarter ones will realize the cost of hardware is far from the main factor deciding cost. 


    Actually they are less expensive and the way corporate taxes, profits, and operating costs are allowed to be calculated, dumping computers every other year (if they last that long) can actually be more profitable than keeping good computers for a longer period of time. Of course, many companies keep PCs until they die, reducing their throughput and profit because too much is spent on maintenance costs but they always find a way to make these operational costs help their bottom line. 

     

    If my comment sounds crazy, just look at the tax rules and how some companies pay almost nothing in taxes.

  • Reply 7 of 83
    bkkcanuckbkkcanuck Posts: 864member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by rob53 View Post

     

    Are these systems still being tied to an Active Directory environment or is IBM providing an alternative method? I'm sure people will pooh pooh Apple's implementation of Open Directory but without an alternative to AD, all Macs will still be considered a stepchild to PCs even if the servers are all supplied by IBM. 

     

    I appreciate IBM's move to buy more Macs for themselves and to provide configured Macs to IBM customers but someone big has to take the leap and decide a Microsoft-centric environment isn't necessary to stay in business before Macs finally become the primary desktop platform.


     

    If it is an existing installation (most will be), then why worry about replacing the Active Directory server if you don't have to.   For purity?  Apple does not have a server business anymore for the most part - so I don't see the need.  There are other directory services which may or may not fit the bill depending on what it is used for, but again if I were a service company I would not push change unless you really can prove it is far superior or massive cost savings or both....   IBM Tivoli Directory Server is one, Apache has one -- but since I am not familiar with the needs of IT I cannot tell you what shortcomings/issues there are.  

     

    It is not about pushing it out to all their clients, but it is about giving alternatives to customers that are predisposed to wanting to move to Macs in the enterprise (because the execs themselves have them and like them) but have not pushed the issue because of risk/reward calculations.  I would be happy with just getting more in the door at enterprises because once that happens the employees will push for more macs themselves....  It is about increasing the marketplace - ridding Windows from everywhere.  

  • Reply 8 of 83
    bkkcanuckbkkcanuck Posts: 864member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by rob53 View Post

     

    Actually they are less expensive and the way corporate taxes, profits, and operating costs are allowed to be calculated, dumping computers every other year (if they last that long) can actually be more profitable than keeping good computers for a longer period of time. Of course, many companies keep PCs until they die, reducing their throughput and profit because too much is spent on maintenance costs but they always find a way to make these operational costs help their bottom line. 

     

    If my comment sounds crazy, just look at the tax rules and how some companies pay almost nothing in taxes.


    Many companies lease them....  I know my last company did - of course the leaseholding company is a financial company owned by the same family.  As they roll over the leases - they can move more macs in.

  • Reply 9 of 83
    Methinks IBM is capable of bringing a substantial Mac server and backend infrastructure on the market and make it a success. I hope they will go that way eventually.
  • Reply 10 of 83
    bkkcanuckbkkcanuck Posts: 864member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Planetary Paul View Post



    Methinks IBM is capable of bringing a substantial Mac server and backend infrastructure on the market and make it a success. I hope they will go that way eventually.

     

    Apple backed out of the business....  not likely... besides... on the server side IBM is pushing Linux... even in favour over it's own AIX now.

  • Reply 11 of 83
    bkkcanuckbkkcanuck Posts: 864member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post

     

     

    Please explain.

     

    I don't see how you could save money buying $2,000 computer every 2 years instead of every 4 years.

     

    Regardless of the tax savings the highest taxes rate is about 50%.


     

    I know with leasing in my company it comes down to where the profits are earned ... low tax jurisdiction or high.  We leased computers from another subsidiary which cost the company more monthly in Canada, but the profits for the leasing company were taxed in a ultra-low tax jurisdiction.  Every 3 years the equipment was disposed of.  Best I could figure out in our case.

  • Reply 12 of 83
    bkkcanuckbkkcanuck Posts: 864member

    ^ BTW, IBM replaces their computers every 3 years as well.... would not be surprised if they lease their computers from another entity as well.

  • Reply 13 of 83
    I wonder how Swift and FoundationDB fit into the Apple/IBM partnership and the relationship with enterprise IT.
  • Reply 14 of 83



    Doesn't have to be OSX server specifically, as long as they create something that has the Mac ease of use. 

  • Reply 15 of 83
    bkkcanuckbkkcanuck Posts: 864member

    The one area that IBM could have a big impact.... is internationally...   With Mac sales I think you will find that sales are more skewed towards certain western markets and lesser towards the iPhone growth markets....  so if IBM throws its weight behind it it could expand the sames in some countries other than US more than average. 

  • Reply 16 of 83
    IBM and Apple just keeps getting better.

    I'm still waiting for something regarding Watson, where IBM sets up specific use cases for industries that would benefit from Watson, and then links that into Siri on your iPhone providing invaluable information to users in those industries.
  • Reply 17 of 83
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    This partnership was genius on Tim's part, but I don't expect him to ever get the credit he deserves, just like everything else.
  • Reply 18 of 83
    am8449am8449 Posts: 392member

    I think this could be huge.

     

    Imagine if Apple does as well in enterprise as it does in consumer. Tons of room for growth in this traditionally Windows-dominated area.

  • Reply 19 of 83
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    bkkcanuck wrote: »
    Apple backed out of the business....  not likely... besides... on the server side IBM is pushing Linux... even in favour over it's own AIX now.

    A lot of people don't realize these days how deeply into Linux IBM is. It is a good thing for the Linux and UNIX communities.
  • Reply 20 of 83
    [IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/61515/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]


    What a wonderful time being an IBM rep selling to / consulting with Enterprise IT ... (nobody ever got fired for buying IBM) ...

    Now, you IT dudes & dudas (hay dudas) ... if you're not careful, we'll convince top management that, to be effective, you all need Macs & iPads, iPhones and Apple Watches!
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