Blame It on the iPad

Apple’s iPad is extremely popular in the enterprise. As noted, the device has been deployed or is in testing in nearly all of the Fortune 500 companies. A whopping 85 percent of the Global 500 are testing or deploying the iPad. Add that to the increasing popularity of the iPad in small businesses, and it’s clear why the slate is making Apple more popular in the enterprise than ever before.

Apple’s iPhone might have kicked off the bring your own device (BYOD) craze, but it wasn’t until the last year or so that the trend truly took shape. According to the latest data from mobile-management company iPass, more iPhones were deployed in the enterprise last year than BlackBerrys. That’s the first time it happened. Wondering why? Blame it on BYOD.

Windows 8 was supposed to be the operating system that would keep Microsoft’s enterprise dominance in place. However, the operating system’s deployment in the corporate world has been slow in the first few months of its availability. Due to Windows 8’s new user interface design and the potential loss in productivity that goes with learning to use it, enterprises are in no hurry to upgrade. That’s providing a window of opportunity for Macs to catch in the enterprise. Who knew Windows 8 would hurt Microsoft and help Apple?

Apple’s recent successes in the enterprise have been due in part to the company’s inherently more secure operating systems. Android, Apple’s chief mobile competitor, became the most-targeted operating system in the world last year, with advertising malware, like Plankton, hitting it hard. Apple’s iOS, however, has remained relatively secure, making IT decision makers quite happy.

When Apple added remote device management to its iOS platform, the enterprise breathed a collective sigh of relief. Without remote device management features, the IT side could never justify deploying an iPhone or iPad. But since the operating system supports it, IT professionals can effectively monitor and provision devices.

Apple’s App Store has proven to be an extremely important selling point for enterprise decision makers. Proprietary app development for iOS has also been a lure to the operating system. With iOS, companies can create their own applications and use them internally to make employees more productive. Home improvement retailer Lowe’s is doing it quite effectively in its stores. Many other companies have followed.

Now more than ever, the business side is making decisions on the products that companies will deploy in the office. In fact, a recent study from iPass found that IT decision makers are increasingly losing control over their mobility budgets to business decision makers. Why? Business leaders want to decide what smartphones and tablets they use in the office. These days, they’re choosing Apple’s iPhone and iPad.

Apple was smart enough to realize that mobile productivity would be a huge concern for enterprise users going into this decade and beyond. The company delivered innovative smartphones and tablets that were versatile, powerful and readily appealed to consumers and delivered greater productivity to business users. That cleared the way for rapid adoption of these products in enterprises.

Looking around the enterprise-computing space, it’s hard to find many products that can deliver the level of power that Apple’s products deliver. That’s why the MacBook Pro is now the world’s most popular notebook and one of the most sought-after models in the enterprise, according to Apple. Confidence in the Apple brand is also why the Mac Pro still has a home under the desks of many workers around the world.

The impact consumerization has had on the enterprise cannot be understated. More than ever, consumer products are being considered worthwhile purchases by businesses, and employees are happier because of it. Consumerization is expected to increase in its impact in the coming years, and that should only benefit Apple.