Jamf Survey Shows Enterprises Broadly Deploying Macs, iPhones

There was a time not so long ago when Apple products were the poor relations of the corporate world. Apple desktops and laptops were only used in departments or for applications where their graphics capabilities were in high demand. Meanwhile BlackBerry, Nokia or Motorola phones predominated in corporate offices. But all that has changed. Jamf, a company that specializes in corporate Apple device management has released a survey that shows the corporate world is investing heavily in Macs and iPhones. The survey also indicates many organizations believe that Apple products work best for their operations than competing Android mobile devices, or the Windows computers that used to have unassailable dominance in corporate offices. The study found that many IT professionals believe today that Apple’s products are easier to deploy, have a security advantage over competing platforms and deliver some of the best app integration in the corporate world. This slide show discusses the survey’s findings that describe in detail why Apple’s products have broad appeal in enterprises.

Jamf’s data, which includes responses from hundreds of IT professionals, shows that 91 percent of companies in 2016 were using at least one Mac. According to the IT professionals, 74 percent of companies increased the number of Macs they were using in the office last year.

Jamf’s data, which includes responses from hundreds of IT professionals, shows that 91 percent of companies in 2016 were using at least one Mac. According to the IT professionals, 74 percent of companies increased the number of Macs they were using in the office last year.

Seeing value in deploying Apple products, 44 percent of companies now offer employees the choice to go with a Mac or Windows PC, according to Jamf. Additionally, 71 percent of companies let employees decide whether they want an iPhone or Android-based handset.

Part of the Mac’s appeal is in deployment. More than six in ten IT professionals said that deploying a Mac is “as easy or easier” that deploying a PC in the corporate world. Ninety-three percent of IT professionals said deploying an iPhone or iPad was “as easy or easier” that deploying devices running on other mobile operating systems.

Apple still has a security advantage, Jamf’s study finds. Two-thirds of IT professionals said it’s “as easy or easier” to create and maintain a “secure environment” on the Mac than in the Windows ecosystem. Ninety percent of respondents believe it’s easier to secure iOS than any other mobile platform.

Configuring a Mac to get it up and running is at least as easy as it is on a Windows PC, according to 58 percent of IT professionals. Additionally, 91 percent of IT professionals say configuring an iOS device is easier than an Android device.

When it comes to actually supporting device, 61 percent say it’s at least as easy to support a Mac as a PC. Eighty-nine percent of IT professionals believe it’s “as easy or easier” to support iOS device rather than mobile hardware running on other platforms.

Deploying software across the enterprise is “as easy or easier” on a Mac than a Windows machine, 57 percent of IT professionals told Jamf. Nine in ten IT professionals believe it’s at least as easy to deploy apps on iOS than on Android or Windows 10 Mobile.

When it comes to getting an iPhone or iPad up and running in the office, 79 percent of IT professionals say the process is “as easy or easier” than it would be on another mobile device. That said, just 36 percent of IT professionals think it’s easy to integrate Macs into the office.

In its report, Jamf also shared Apple integration inside IBM. The company reported that in 2015, alone, IBM deployed nearly 100,000 Macs across its business. The move seems to have paid off for Apple: 73 percent of IBM employees now want a Mac for their next computer.