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By Don Reisinger on 2012-01-17
Apple looks set to continue its reign as the designer of computing products that consumers love, and that CIOs love to hate. We understand. With many of your core enterprise applications optimized for the Windows OS, you may not even have enough Apple experts on staff to help support the demand from your workers to bring new iPhones and iPads into the workplace, let alone consider accommodating products such as the MacBook Air. But, as Apple continues to win over consumer hearts and minds, you’ll need to be prepared for the day when your CEO wanders over and asks, “Why aren’t we using this?.” With that in mind, here are the 10 Apple products you’ll need to evaluate this year.
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Apple MacBook AirThe lightweight computer, which features a thin body, is well-priced, well-designed, and a top option for any company that wants to switch to Macs, yet keep employees productive while on-the-go.
Apple iPad 2iPads are already making inroads in the enterprise. If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to put the iPad 2 through its paces and figure out where it fits in your operation. But act fast: A new model will be out soon.
Apple iPad 3iPad 3 is reported to be due out in the coming months. That tablet will likely come with a better display than its predecessor, plus iOS5, an enhanced design, perhaps 4G connectivity and, possibly, the Siri voice recognition app that’s been so popular on the iPhone 4S.
Apple iPhone 4SApple’s iPhone 4S likely won’t be replaced for months, which gives you plenty of time to evaluate it. Deploying the iPhone will not only please your tech-savvy CEO, it might also improve morale among younger workers tired of the old BlackBerry.
Apple iPhone 5Speculation abounds that Apple will be launching the long-rumored iPhone 5 later this year. And when it does, you can expect to get knocks on your office door from employees asking if it will be coming to the office. Tell them you’ll evaluate the device and get back to them -- it’ll be the smart move.
Apple iOSAll this talk of iPads and iPhones misses one important point: in order to evaluate those products, you’ll need to also take a look at their operating system. And that software, iOS 5, is considered more enterprise-friendly than any of the previous Apple mobile platforms, and well ahead of its Android competitors in that regard. It’s no BlackBerry OS, of course, but it’s worth another look.
Apple iCloudIf you’re planning to go with iOS or Mac OS X this year, there’s no debating that you’ll need to also examine iCloud. Apple’s online syncing solution keeps calendar, media, and other content synced across multiple devices, including PCs. Is it right for your users?
Apple App StoreApple’s App Store is a great place to get business-focused applications, but it’s also a potential productivity and security killer. Evaluate Apple’s mobile store to see what sort of programs employees should use, install them on their devices, and then lock the store down.
Apple Mac OS XAlthough you can run Windows on Macs nowadays, it’s not something most people do. The Mac OS X operating system works so well. But, for users who need to core enterprise access applications that are only Windows compatible, you’ll want to know if Windows for Mac can meet your demands.
Apple iWorkMicrosoft Office has always been a favorite of companies around the world, but as of late, it’s been losing some of its market share to simpler solutions, such as Google Docs. So, what about Apple’s iWork platform? Sure, it’s not an Office replacement, but for companies that don’t rely so heavily on productivity suites, it might be a desirable solution. It’s certainly worth a look.
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