IT Management - CIOInsight
Home arrow IT Management arrow We're Going All-In With Apple: Now What?

IT Management Slideshow:
We're Going All-In With Apple: Now What?

By Don Reisinger on 2011-09-22


In a recent slideshow, we examined why it's time for CIOs to consider going with an “all-in Apple strategy.” If you have made up your mind to switch to Apple products in your enterprise, you need to be ready for some significant changes. At first, your employees might experience some loss in productivity as they transition to new platforms. And, with the added entertainment value of many of Apple's consumer-focused products, you'll have to make sure they aren't having too much fun with the devices. Over time, though, once the kinks are worked out, the benefits of going all-Apple might outweigh the troubles. That said, here are 10 things you need to know if you decide to go all-in with Apple for your enterprise.

LATEST STORIES
- IT Careers: Departures Mark Exec Shuffles at...
- Microsoft Office on iPads, Android Tablets C...
- Quest Software Acquisition Would Bolster Del...
- N.J. Mayor, Son Arrested for Computer Hackin...
- Why HP's Next Leader Should Come from Within...

BLOGS
 
  • of
Training Time
If your employees are not already using Apple products in their personal lives, then you may need to invest in some training in order to get them up to speed on Apple's products. But don’t worry: Apple products are intuitive, and in most cases, employees will pick up how to use the devices quite quickly.

Short-Term Productivity Loss
As your employees learn how to perform tasks on their new devices, you might see an initial slowdown in productivity. And your IT staff might have some trouble in the beginning coming to a quick solution to an issue. However, over time, everything should fall back into place.

Entertained Employees
Let’s face it: Macs are designed for consumers first. So, your employees might be a little too busy searching for tracks on iTunes, downloading apps in the Mac App Store, making videos in iMovie, or flipping through images in iPhoto. Remember: those applications can also be used to extend business functions.

Happy Employees
One nice thing about Apple products is that they usually appeal to employees. Your workers will enjoy surfing the Web on the iPad, reading Emails on the iPhone, and creating audio on the MacBook Pro. Happy employees mean productive employees.

Recruitment Prospects
Young workers coming out of college want to have the tools they use in the personal lives running in the office. So, they’ll be looking for iPads, iPhones, and Macs when choosing an employer. Since you’ll have them, you should be able to improve your recruitment prospects.

A Well-Rounded App-Use Policy
Right now, you might have a basic app-use policy in place in your company. If you've been a BlackBerry shop, you probably haven't seen much need to develop a full-fledged app-use and mobility policy. Once you introduce iPad and iPhone, all that will change. Be ready with a well-rounded app-use policy when the devices are deployed to employees.

Fewer Security Woes
One of the issues with Windows has always been its relatively poor security. Malicious hackers have too easy a time breaking into networks with malware, and the security solutions out there don’t always cut it. But with Mac OS X, you should face far fewer security problems.

A Short-Term Budget Hit
Make no mistake: Apple products are expensive. And if you want to go all-in on Apple, you’re going to have to drop some serious cash. Understand that you’ll take a short-term budget hit that could limit your investments in other solutions.

All About Mobility
Most enterprises are playing catch-up when it comes to making the most of mobility. An all-in Apple strategy will instantly make your firm more mobile-friendly, because mobility is ingrained in all of Apple's products.

You Can Still Use of Windows
The operating system won’t go away. It will be running on Macs either on a partition on the hard drive or as a virtual platform in Mac OS X. Windows is just too valuable to the enterprise to get rid of it, but you can pursue an all-Apple strategy while still protecting your significant Windows investments.

  • More slideshows
FEATURED SPONSORED VIDEOS
FEATURED SPONSORED ARTICLES

Erasable E-Paper Saves Trees, Cuts Costs

Why Smart Companies Should Adopt the Lessons of Gaming

Interest in Mobile WiFi Hotspots Fuels New Solutions

A Closer Look at Public Cloud Security

View More Articles

  Brought to You By
Click Here

 

Advertisement
Sponsored Links
  • Try Windows Azure free for 90 days

  • Introducing the world's first family of systems with integrated expertise

  • FREE Securing Smartphones & Tablets for Dummies Book from Sophos
  • 77% of the Fortune 500 Manage Content Securely with Box.
  • Leverage your virtual computing environment with Dell.
  • Build an IT Infrastructure That Delivers the Future
  • 5 New Technologies That Will Change Enterprise ITAdvertisement
    		•

    CIO Insight:  

    Issue Index | Contact Us | About | Advertise | Magazine Customer Service | Site Map

    Quick Links:  

    Enterprise Mobility Zone | Management Case Studies | Loyalty Programs | Term Sheet | Strategy Maps | Organizational Behavior | Net Present Value Calculator | Link to Us

    eWEEK Quick LInks

    Security:
    Network Security
    Entprise Networking
    Infrastructure Security
    How To: Data
    IT Security News
    Cheap Hack Blog
    Security Watch Blog
    Storage:
    Storage
    Cloud Storage
    Storage Virtualization
    Network Access Storage
    Storage Reviews
    Data Storage News
    How To: Storage
    Storage Station Blog
    Computing:
    Apple OSX
    Linux Systems
    Windows Vista
    Managed Print Services
    Cloud Computing
    PC Reviews
    Microsoft Watch Blog
    Apple Watch Blog
    Google Watch Blog
    Communications:
    VoIP Solutions
    Wireless Technology
    Messaging Software
    Web Services
    Mobile Applications
    Wireless News
    Mobile Reviews
    Apps & Development:
    Application Development
    SAAS
    Search Engines
    Database Software
    Web 2.0
    IT Project Management
    Emerging Tech Blog
    CIO Insight Blogs
    CIOs

    Vertical Markets:
    Federal Government IT
    Health Care IT
    Finance IT
    Mid-Market
    Channel Partners
    Careers Blog
    Value Added Resellers
    More eWeek Links:
    Green Computing
    Tech Knowledge Center
    Tech Newsletters
    Tech RSS Feeds
    White Papers
    Tech Podcasts
    Tech Videos
    Magazine Subscriptions
    Enterprise Websites:
    ZDE Home
    eWeek
    Baseline
    Channel Insider
    CIO Insight
    eSeminars
    eWeek Mid-Market
    Publish Online
    Web Buyers Guide
    Developer Websites:
    Dev Shed
    DeveloperShed
    ASP Free
    MS DevSource
    SEO Chat
    Codewalkers
    Tutorialized
    Scripts.com
    Dev Mechanic
    Dev Articles
    Web Hosters
    Dev Hardware
    Technology Websites:
    Device Forge
    Desktop Linux
    Linux Devices
    Windows for Devices
    TechDirect
    iGrep Search Engine
    PDF Zone
    Linux Watch

    Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
    Copyright ©1996-2012 Ziff Davis Enterprise Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved. eWEEK and Spencer F. Katt are trademarks of Ziff Davis Enterprise Holdings, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff Davis Enterprise Inc. is prohibited.
    eWeek is your best source for the latest Technology News.
    ZDE Cluster 5. 
     
    Close this advertisement