I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “a company’s greatest asset is their employees.” However, they can only be your greatest asset when they have the tools they need to be successful. For this, and many other reasons, many enterprises are offering Apple products to their employees.

This is especially true as the need and desire for flexible working environments has grown. offers simplified deployment and management, all while offering superior security, interconnectivity between devices, and productivity benefits for users.

As an added bonus, Apple devices are a popular choice as personal tech devices, meaning there’s a good change your employees are already familiar with using Mac, iPhone, and iPad at home. This familiarity is an added productivity bonus, on top of letting your employees utilize devices they already know and love for work.

The Availability of New Technologies and Ease of Updates

There’s a reason why Apple is the gold standard for new and shiny pieces of tech. With frequent and significant upgrades to hardware and their signature operating systems, iOS, macOS, and now iPadOS, Apple offers your employees the latest and greatest in digital technology.

Recently, Apple announced a at , their annual worldwide developers conference. The news included the reveal of , , and All three will be available to the general public sometime this fall. In the meantime, it’s time for IT to see how these updates will impact the enterprise’s IT environment and get prepared for the switch.

Thankfully, Apple makes this easy too. While there are third-party alternatives for managing software patches and updates, Apple offers a cloud-based service called Software Update, which enables IT teams to apply security patches and operating system updates.

The service also publishes patches and updates for frequently used applications such as Safari and iTunes for added efficiency. Mac is pointed to the service by default, which automatically notifies end users of any patches and updates they need to apply, and then prompts them to execute the downloads. For enterprises, putting self-service in the hands of your users keeps them focused and productive and reduces IT support tickets.

Apple Offers Unbeatable ROI

Beyond all the previously mentioned benefits of Apple devices in the enterprise, your business will see additional savings when it comes to IT.

A found that when organizations decided to implement an employee choice program and offer Mac, they “reduced IT support costs, improved employee productivity and engagement, and improved overall security.”

By reducing the amount of time spent managing devices and responding to the help desk, Apple helps reduce overall costs and lets IT focus on more important and complex tasks.

BONUS: Read our 2-part blog series that shares the ROI highlights from Forrester’s TEI study about Mac.

Apple Helps Enterprises Keep Data Safe

Security is on everyone’s mind right now. New threats are popping up every day and the financial ramifications of a successful cyberattack just keep growing.

To help reduce the risk that cyberthreats pose, Apple has gone to great lengths to ensure the use of Apple devices in the enterprise does not pose a security risk.

Here are a few of the strategies and technologies utilized by Apple to ensure security:

• Secure startup processes
• Extensive system safeguards
• Strong passcode policies
• The Apple T2 Security Chip
• Runtime protection, sandboxing, and other tools used to ensure downloaded apps are only accessing data in pre-authorized ways

Over the last few years, Apple has emerged as an industry leader when it comes to user data privacy and security and has taken a firm stance on data protection as a corporation. Find out more about Apple’s security strategies from Apple CEO Tim Cook’s presented at the most recent Computers Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP) Conference.

Apple Authorized Resellers Can Help Enterprises Get Started

Enterprises looking to implement Apple devices can work with Apple Authorized Resellers to get started, as well as utilizing them for ongoing maintenance and support. As an Apple Authorize Reseller, WEI can help you quickly and efficiently integrate Apple into your enterprise with full lifecycle support, so you can deliver the user experience your employees have come to expect.

Are You Ready to Empower Your Employees with Apple In The Enterprise?

Implementing Apple for those employees who consistently request them drives productivity, collaboration, and creativity throughout the enterprise. Many of our customers have already made the transition to a blended Windows and Apple environment that enables employees to enjoy how they use technology in their jobs. Find out how WEI can help you create efficiencies with Apple device management and how our specialized services can help you roll out a user experience that will empower your employees to do their best work. Contact WEI today to find out how we are helping our employees deploy and manage Apple in the enterprise with full lifecycle support.

NEXT STEPS: Get our official guide to everything you need to know to prepare for offering Apple in the Enterprise in our exclusive eBook below.

The post Why Apple Is Gaining Traction In The Enterprise appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

When we talk about Mac in the workplace, many typecast the typical corporate Mac user as someone working in marketing or creative departments. Let’s start out with a couple of statistics from the . The purpose of the study was to determine the key drivers of Mac adoption within enterprises today. The one thing in common amongst all survey participants was that they used a Mac at work. Participants held multiple job roles working for companies of all sizes and industry sectors. Here are a few of the findings:

• 50% of respondents from the Engineering department along with 56% of those who held HR roles said they prefer Apple products

Now, there is certainly nothing surprising here. Apple users are passionate about their beloved devices. But here is where the findings take an unexpected turn:

• 54% of HR employees stated that Apple devices work best with the apps and resources they need to do their job. 44% of Mac users in the Engineering department said the same.
• 54% of HR employees found Apple products more reliable. 58% of IT workers expressed similar sentiment.

In fact, 83% of respondents in the job roles of IT and HR felt that using a Mac was critical to their job function. This sentiment was expressed by 79% of respondents across the board.

Increased job performance

Regardless of their job role, these Mac users recognized the value that their Mac brought to their job roles. Some of their stated benefits of using a Mac included the following:

• 97% claimed increased productivity
• 95% claimed increased creativity
• 94% claimed self-sufficiency with technology
• 91% acknowledged increased collaboration

When asked to compare the usability of their Mac versus a PC, 89% stated that Mac applications are easier to use than Windows applications. Ease of use translates into greater productivity, which feeds greater innovation.

More application choice

While some may still cling to the idea that PCs offer a greater enterprise application selection, this outdated notion is not experienced by Mac users. 94% of respondents said it was very or moderately easy to find Mac applications and other resources that pertained to their job functions. Nearly 2 in 3 leverage the App Store to find the applications they need. It wasn’t just choice that Mac users appreciated, however. 89% agreed that Mac applications are easier to use than applications on PCs.

Greater reliability

Of course, performance and app selection mean very little if your computer isn’t functioning correctly. Here is what reliability looks like:

• 40% of respondents experienced no issues with their Mac for a 12-month period
• 70% cited having no more than 2 issues within the same 12-month period

Anyone familiar with helpdesk operations knows how disruptive and costly computer problems are for a business. But don’t loop Mac in the same pool as PCs when it comes to performance irregularity. 74% of those survey participants stated that they experienced less problems with their Mac than a previous PC. Reliability was the second most touted reason amongst participants for using a Mac.

Employee choice programs

Most would agree that having a choice of options is a good thing. There are endless examples of businesses that discovered new opportunities by opening themselves up to new ways of doing things. Yet, so many enterprises today continue to only offer PCs to their employees.

Employees are like everyone else, they value choice. In fact, 94% of workers say they are more likely to choose an employer who offers an employee device choice program.

Some may scoff that these preferences attribute to the greater familiarity of Mac users who exclusively use Apple products at home. In actuality, this is good thing. Wouldn’t you want your employees to use the same technology platform that they openly embrace and prefer in their personal lives? The familiarity and personal devotion that Mac users have to the will most likely encourage them to utilize these devices even more. Having a consistent computer platform at home and work eliminates the frustration of learning curves whenever new product features and updates are released.

Automated Zero-touch Deployment

Mac isn’t just about individual choice and user preferences. IT admins will appreciate the greater manageability offered today with . IT can now automate zero-touch deployments for Mac by configuring their MDM system for Auto Advance. Upon arrival, simply power up your newly ordered Mac with an Ethernet connection and it will automatically locate the MDM solution assigned to it. Settings are then configured in the background, eliminating the need for setup assistant screens. Users only need to enter a username and password to begin working.

MDM management doesn’t end with deployments, however. Some of the other capabilities include the following.

• Mac can be started, shutdown and rebooted remotely, even if unresponsive.
• Software updates now begin in the background and admins can defer them when necessary.
• User-approved MDM enrollments are now considered supervised, giving internal IT more control and greater management flexibility.
• Admins can now prevent users from removing mission critical managed apps.

Security is a priority

Mac offers best-in-class security thanks to the combination of its new Apple M1 chip and new Big Sur macOs, which touts as the biggest design upgrade since the introduction of Mac OS X. Enhanced security includes secure boot, automatic high-performance encryption for all files and new cryptographically signed system volumes that protect against malicious tampering. The software update processes now take place in the background, ensuring that the OS remains secure and up to date.

Greater choice of platforms

Freedom of choice isn’t just about Windows or Mac. Apple offers different platform options for Mac users as well so that companies can match each job role with the device that also works for departmental budgets as well.

• The  – Apple’s thinnest and lightest notebook still offers the speed and performance that is expected of Mac products thanks to the new Apple M1 chip. It offers accelerated performance of both an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, all within a silent, fanless design that gives users up to 18 hours of battery life.
•  (13 inch) – Apples’ most popular professional notebook that still boasts a 3-pound design that features an advanced 16-core Neural Engine provides more machine learning power for business apps. The perfect choice for even the most complex and robust workflows including video and photography editing. With superfast unified memory and a battery life of up to 20 hours, it is still the reigning champion.
•  – Still the desktop standard, this do-it-all productivity machine offers 3x faster CPU performance, 6x faster graphics and a powerful Neural Engine that offers 15x faster machine learning, all in an ultracompact design that can’t be beat.

The question of choice

With all of these benefits and user accolades, the question is no longer “should we offer Mac to our employees?” The clear question is now, “why would we not offer Mac to our employees?”

NEXT STEPS: We’ve compiled all the Apple best practices, important questions to ask and the critical details for offering Mac as a Choice in your organization in our eBook below, “An IT Leader’s Guide to Preparing for Apple in the Enterprise.” Click below to start reading, and then contact us with all your Apple questions. WEI is an Apple Authorized Reseller and we’re here to help!

Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, macOS, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

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