Focus on enduring value
Apple’s focus on quality, performance and user experience makes it the device of choice for employees, Pillay notes. “Employee experience has become a top priority for organisations, and the technology employees use is a key enabler of a good employee experience. We have heard of employees hanging on to their Mac for six or seven years, because they’re afraid that if they hand them in, they won’t be issued with a Mac next time. Large enterprises were once autocratic around technology choices, now it’s all about enhancing the employee experience to keep staff happy and retain key skills.”
Local case studies have found that issuing staff with Mac dramatically improves user satisfaction and employee retention. “Once employees have worked with Mac, they don’t want to give them back,” Pillay says.
He notes that technology choice is also crucial in a digital nomad marketplace and for organisations with remote and hybrid workforces. “The devices remote workers use should be quick and easy to deploy, exceptionally secure, and require little to no repairs or tech support. Apple devices check all these boxes,” he says. In addition, Mac offers improved performance and longer battery life.
A Forrester Total Economic Impact report on Mac in Enterprise found that Mac devices are at least 50% more secure than other devices thanks to built-in security features such as automatic data encryption, anti-malware capabilities and the ease of enrolment into MDM technology. Mac deployments also reduce IT and operational costs and offer a cumulative cost advantage, with Mac retaining value and achieving around 35% of their original value as a trade-in after four years.
Mac devices require far fewer IT resources to deploy and manage, Macs last longer than PCs, and seldom need repairs or parts replacement, Pillay adds. “The PC world has long focused on repairs and maintenance rather than improving the product. This is why PC spares and repair centres are so abundant in the market,” he says.
Making the move
Moving from a traditional PC-only environment to a hybrid or Mac environment might be seen as a daunting task for organisations. However, Pillay suggests a strategic approach to make the transition an easy one. “First, do an App gap analysis for peace of mind. Start with one department as a POC, taking advantage of the Mac Buy and Try programme. This ensures zero risk for your business. The organisation should find a partner who can help them through the above, providing training and tech support if needed. Organisations can also trade in existing PCs to reduce the cost even further,” he says.
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