Much of the business focus over the past two years have been on minimising the disruption caused by the global pandemic. Today, employees access mission-critical data, systems, and applications regardless of their geographic location. But to do so effectively requires high-performance systems that provide the longevity companies need to future-proof operations. And it is in this environment where the Mac excels.
Mac delivers 20-30% in business savings
“There is a perception with decision-makers that Mac is more expensive, but the realities of lockdown and a distributed workforce necessitate a focus on systems that provide reliability, security, and user-friendliness beyond what can be offered on a PC. With fewer support tickets, less software needed, and a higher residual value, going the Mac route can end up saving a business more than R12 000 per end point over three years,” says Robert Kroger, Apple Business Manager.
Business and technology leaders are rethinking how to approach their organisational strategies when it comes to the hardware and software they use. The global chip shortages experienced by the PC market have reinforced this as components are difficult to come by, shipments are delayed, and price increases are experienced across the supply chain.
Microsoft integration
“Of course, Mac is more user-friendly and intuitive to use. But more than that, it integrates very effectively into existing Microsoft environments given how the likes of Microsoft 365 and Azure cloud services have become commonplace in the corporate environment. Managing Mac at scale across the business network is a smooth process for IT teams with the zero-touch deployment offered through the likes of mobile device management and Apple Business Manager.”
More recently, the scourge of loadshedding has negatively impacted on operational performance especially with distributed workers. With up to 18-21 hour battery life on the new M1 Mac range, the hardware can easily outlast extended loadshedding phases.
Security
“Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons to migrate to Mac is the focus on security. With ransomware and data breaches becoming commonplace, companies want environments where their data and networks are protected. Forrester recently released a Total Economic Impact study which showed that corporates could reduce their cyber risk by up to 50% just by switching to Mac.
Featuring the likes of hardware-verified secure boot, on-the-fly encryption, Touch I D, and Gatekeeper, Mac provides a safer corporate environment where people can focus more on doing their work with these inbuilt tools.”
Significant savings on hardware and support costs
In South Africa, a leading financial institution recently completed a business case indicating that they could save over 20% in hardware and related support costs over four years by switching to Mac. This led to a proof of concept with iStore Business that vindicated these numbers while also highlighting several additional benefits – Mac is more cost-effective, resulted in improved performance, and saw a significantly higher satisfaction rate amongst employees.
Enabling the workforce
Often, employees are not considered when it comes time for the organisation to select the technology to use. Global Studies indicate that 75% of the workforce would choose an Apple device over any other. So, just by giving employees a choice of device, it not only improves productivity, but it can also function as an invaluable talent acquisition and retention tool. Employees feel more valued and are more productive using Mac.
“Such is the confidence that Apple has in the quality and reliability of Mac that, through iStore Business, corporates can opt for a guaranteed buy-back programme if they are not satisfied with the performance of going with Mac in their environment. There are several rental and trade-in programmes also available.”
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