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re: Why Apple Is IT's Arch Frenemy
8 macs huh? We run a global enterprise with over 90,000 pc's in 13 different languages whose various duties are anything from connecting point-of-sales to large inventory systems to providing logistics for armed forces around the world and many international air traffic control towers. There is no way you can sanely compare 8 macs to a global operation that runs the world's economies of scale.
But I'd like to point out the most important point that the author missed: Apple makes abandonware...
...and this is fatal to most enterprises - even for those with only 8 users.
But I'd like to point out the most important point that the author missed: Apple makes abandonware...
...and this is fatal to most enterprises - even for those with only 8 users.
re: Why Apple Is IT's Arch Frenemy
Thats not the point the author was trying to make. The point is that if Apple ever...EVER tries to twist my enterprise's global arms...the deal's off baby. I never do business with tyrants - only with optimists and people that have a "can-do" attitude. Apple devices are the epitomy of "cannot-do".
re: Why Apple Is IT's Arch Frenemy
You're missing a key point -- scale. I believe that many small or medium sized businesses could replicate the experience of your small business story. But this article (note the recent large client, for whom the author consulted) is aimed at large businesses, which have data centers and hundreds or thousands of desktops/laptops. If the scalability of Apple's management tools is less than satisfactory, that will matter a lot more to large enterprises than a small enterprise "with about 8 Macs."
Having said that, I will agree that many IT pros in large enterprises have less firsthand experience with MacOS systems. Both my daughters elected to take Macs to college, but my experience with their systems is secondhand. More to the point, my experience with 2 Macs at home doesn't inform my decisions/recommendations concerning 1000s of systems that my colleagues are supporting at work.
Having said that, I will agree that many IT pros in large enterprises have less firsthand experience with MacOS systems. Both my daughters elected to take Macs to college, but my experience with their systems is secondhand. More to the point, my experience with 2 Macs at home doesn't inform my decisions/recommendations concerning 1000s of systems that my colleagues are supporting at work.
re: Why Apple Is IT's Arch Frenemy
One of the problems here is that many IT people are dead set against Apple products. This frequently goes to fanatical extreme as you still hear some people referring to Macs as "toys."
Let's face it, these people (or their companies) have 10s of thousands of dollars invested in MS training. They hear a constant barrage of anti-Apple propaganda. Therefore, any perceived problem or issue, is exaggerated. This is normal human behavior.
In the end, IT has no real interest in long term costs and harp incessantly on the buy-in costs. Almost all studies on the topic have shown that Mac Total Cost of Ownership is a fraction of that of Windows PCs. This is mainly because the Mac support and training costs are a fraction that of MS PCs. This is pretty much a fact that IT personnel ignore.
For example, I know a small business with about 8 Macs. Since they set up 15 years ago, aside from some FileMaker Pro database support, they have not had to hire a professional IT person once! One of the workers handles OS and software upgrades. He can do this without any significant adjustment to his normal work.
Additionally, the lifetime of Macs and their resale value are way above that of most PCs.
These, however, are not issues that most IT pros care to discuss.
Let's face it, these people (or their companies) have 10s of thousands of dollars invested in MS training. They hear a constant barrage of anti-Apple propaganda. Therefore, any perceived problem or issue, is exaggerated. This is normal human behavior.
In the end, IT has no real interest in long term costs and harp incessantly on the buy-in costs. Almost all studies on the topic have shown that Mac Total Cost of Ownership is a fraction of that of Windows PCs. This is mainly because the Mac support and training costs are a fraction that of MS PCs. This is pretty much a fact that IT personnel ignore.
For example, I know a small business with about 8 Macs. Since they set up 15 years ago, aside from some FileMaker Pro database support, they have not had to hire a professional IT person once! One of the workers handles OS and software upgrades. He can do this without any significant adjustment to his normal work.
Additionally, the lifetime of Macs and their resale value are way above that of most PCs.
These, however, are not issues that most IT pros care to discuss.
re: Why Apple Is IT's Arch Frenemy
"One example is Apple's arm-twisting of AT&T and other telecom carriers to change their business models to accommodate the iPhone."
This, however, has been a benefit for the USERS. The iPhone remains the ONLY OS that never has any carrier-installed crapware.
This, however, has been a benefit for the USERS. The iPhone remains the ONLY OS that never has any carrier-installed crapware.
re: Why Apple Is IT's Arch Frenemy
Let me suggest that the entire concept of centralized management is under assault by BYOD and we could be in the early stages of a shift to a new paradigm.
re: Why Apple Is IT's Arch Frenemy
It isn't that they aren't nice products and have nice user software for them. It is the lack of CENTRAL management for thousands of devices. With PC's we can remotely install software, configure the anti-virus, lock down file shares, configure the browser setting, install security certificates, etc. With Mac's it is configure your Mac, walk over to next Mac start over.
re: Why Apple Is IT's Arch Frenemy
Is it really Apple products' susceptibility to security issues or IT managers not wanting to work their current (most likely Windows based) systems to work with them? My experience with Apple products (hardware/software) is that third party security for them is quite robust and always current to any threats. As to Apple's OS security, sometimes vulnerability is from third party integration - i.e. the Java (Sun) current issue. And on the mobile devices, Apple chose not to allow Flash content for that reason, frequent vulnerabilities and their slow response to patches. Would these IT managers be waiting for the Surface Pro to become real and easier to integrate into their existing systems? Just a few things that came to my mind as I read the story.
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