As mentioned in a previous entry of the GraVoc News Blog, we can now look back on Windows Vista and conclude that it may have been the worst thing to happen to Microsoft. Its hype and ensuing lack of popularity among end users, especially in favor of an older operating system in Windows XP, led to it becoming a complete flop.
Meanwhile, this failure has opened a small crack for Apple to penetrate the business/enterprise market, as explained in this recent whitepaper. Apple’s popularity with students who have since graduated and entered the business world, in conjunction with the ubiquity of the iPod and iPhone, has enabled Apple to gain market share in the enterprise. Granted, some outlets spin it in different ways than others–the whitepaper, which is ultimately promoting a cross-platform systems management application, cites a report stating that 80% of businesses have at least one Mac, while other reports claim that even after quadrupling their market share, Apple’s 4.5% share is dwarfed by Microsoft’s 94.9%. However, even if there is only one Mac in an enterprise, administrators must account for its well-being, both in terms of installing necessary software, fixing problems, and enhancing its information security measures.
Nonetheless, if this trend continues and Macs someday represent 1/10th of the machines in an enterprise, businesses will face the challenge of administration and maintenance of both Windows-based and Mac OS-based machines. This will inevitably result in higher costs, either in terms of labor/training time, more time doing manual implementations, or investing in a product that manages across platforms. With the advent of the heralded iPad tablet, and with enterprises still hesitant to make Windows 7 the operating system of choice, management of Macs in the enterprise may soon become a relevant topic.
Since 1994, GraVoc Associates, Inc. has been providing clients in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond with services in the fields of information systems, information security, and professional services. Among their professional services offered include network infrastructure design and management services. For more information about GraVoc, please visit https://www.gravoc.com.