InformationWeek

June 14, 1999

PCs And Macs: Bridging The Gap

Companies with both types of computers are finding better ways to keep them working together

By Joe Mullich

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or many large companies, Macintosh desktops often remain an island in a sea of PCs, confined to creative and publishing departments. But at least managing this mix of systems is no longer a trial. IT managers are relying on outsourcing arrangements, the Internet, and their own common sense to administrate and integrate multiplatform environments.

The first question many companies instituting new IT administration strategies tackle is, who should be responsible for the Macs? Some large PC-centric companies say it's better to outsource support for the Apple computers rather than put this burden on their own IT staffs. Parametric Technology Corp., a $1 billion manufacturer of engineering and information-management software in Waltham, Mass., has some 5,500 PCs and a PC-savvy IT staff, but the 10 Macs in the creative department are supported by Conduit Systems Inc., a systems integrator and IT services firm in Lincoln, Ohio.

According to Shawn Cuddy, Parametric's creative director, the financial department was on the verge of moving the designers in his department to PCs because it thought it would be more cost-efficient to have the entire company on one platform. After convincing the department to let his staff keep their Macs, Cuddy says it became his responsibility to make sure those users were supported. Based on the assumption that he would need 1,000 hours of support a year, Cuddy could hire a part-time department support person for $39 an hour or contract to outsource the support function for $78 an hour.

Cuddy decided to go for the pricier option because of the additional benefits Conduit could supply, including 24-hour emergency support, planning proposals, and server implementation. Cuddy worried about the problems that would ensue if he hired one part-time technician who might not be around when a problem strikes--or might not know how to solve the problem. "By going with an outsourcer, we had an entire companywide knowledge base to draw upon," he says.

Miller Systems Inc. has taken over support of a handful of Macs in otherwise PC-centric companies, including Lotus Development Corp. and State Street Bank in Quincy, Mass. "It makes no sense for an IT department to keep up on the latest Mac drivers and utilities if 99.5% or more of the corporation uses PCs," says Dan Blumenthal, VP of IT consulting for Miller Systems. Usually, when Mac users at PC-centric companies call the help desk, their problems are added to a list of questions to be dealt with later, Blumenthal says. Outsourcers, he says, "provide the immediate knowledge to the Mac users that the PC population gets." This benefits the company because it lets users experiencing problems get back to work faster. If the problem is related to the infrastructure rather than the Mac, Blumenthal says, Miller Systems can alert the company's IT staff that it has a larger problem that must be addressed.

David Buschini, manager of computer and network operations for Vantage Deluxe World Travel, a direct-mail marketing firm in Brooklyn, N.Y., agrees that outsourcing Mac support is the right road for many IT managers. Vantage uses iCorps Technologies Inc., a consulting firm that works with midsize clients on Mac and PC integration, to handle Mac support.

"I'm more of a PC person, and we don't cross-train on the Mac platform as much as we should," says Buschini, whose company has just a dozen Macs in its creative department, compared with about 130 PCs spread throughout the rest of the 150-person operation. "We need expertise to help keep us current with Mac technology."

Still, he advises IT departments that outsource Mac support to make sure they know what their Mac users are up to. "You need good consulting resources you can call on, but I want to keep a finger on everything," says Buschini.