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Cisco
Cisco has long been an enterprise favorite, and the company offers many solutions favored by CIOs. But, over the last several years, Cisco has lost its way by focusing on consumer exploits rather than its core customers. How this may change as a result of the company's current restructuring -- which includes the elimination of 9% of its worldwide workforce -- remains to be seen.
Research In Motion
Research In Motion may dominate the enterprise smartphone space, but researchers forecast that this will change in the coming years. The firm’s BlackBerry platform isn’t as popular as it once was, and Apple’s iPhone appears to be making inroads in the enterprise. RIM just isn’t doing what it should to maintain its position in the enterprise.
Microsoft
Microsoft has been a disappointing enterprise provider over the last several years, starting with its Windows Vista operating system. Now, Microsoft is trying to force companies to consider Windows 8 next year, even though the vendor only recently switched to Windows 7. Combine this with Windows’ continued security problems and Internet Explorer’s lack of appeal, and it appears that Microsoft is failing CIOs in key areas.
Apple
Never a favorite among enterprise IT leaders, Apple's mobile devices, including the iPhone and iPad, have caught on with some. That’s why it’s too bad Apple continues to show little care for corporate needs with its Mac OS X. The company’s latest launch, Lion, is by no means a worthwhile enterprise solution.
Google
Google purports to care about the enterprise, but whether or not it actually understands what the corporate world wants is up for debate. The company’s cloud applications aren’t as appealing as Microsoft Office 365, and the firm’s online productivity suite is also falling short. Maybe over time, Google will be an enterprise-friendly company. But it still has a long way to go.
Dell
Dell once stood atop the enterprise-computing space. Over the last several years, the company’s market share has lost ground to HP. While Dell has invested in some enterprise solution providers, it hasn’t shown anything worthwhile as a result. Combined with weak mobile products, Dell has become a disappointment for many CIOs.
Motorola
When Motorola offered the Droid Pro Android-based smartphone, some thought it might prove Google’s operating system worthy of enterprise attention. It’s clear now that’s not the case. The Droid Pro fell flat in every way, and it practically ran Motorola out of the enterprise.
Every Other Android Vendor
Every other vendor of Android-based smartphones should also be included in our list of firms that fall short for CIOs. After all, none of these companies has done anything to make Android a worthwhile option for enterprise users, even though CIOs would like to see that happen. For now, it appears Android vendors are focused squarely on consumers.
Acer
Acer has been trying to deliver enterprise solutions for years. The company has corporate laptops, servers, and other products that it wants to get into the enterprise. So far, it hasn't been successful as CIOs turn elsewhere for products with more appeal.
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