Three-quarters of large US firms now using more Apple devices — survey

Accelerating enterprise adoption of Apple devices feels inevitable, with 76% of large businesses now using more Apple devices, and nine in 10 IT professionals praising the business advantages of Macs, iPhones, and iPads in the workplace.

Those are some of the findings within an extensive Dimensional Research survey that identifies trends for IT use across US enterprises. Commissioned by Apple device management company Kandji, the study sheds fresh light on how Apple hardware is now being used in business, and the benefits they bring.

It follows reports that IDC expects business use of Apple devices to increase rapidly over the coming 12 months.

The fresh data seems to confirm the momentum, with 57% of US businesses agreeing that adoption of Apple devices is growing faster than other options.

As clear as the sun

In part, that’s because of advantages, including reliability (56%) and a longer usable life (53%). Business users like machines that don’t break often and stay usable longer.

Apple’s iPad is the most-wanted tablet system across business IT; it’s requested almost three times as often as Android equivalents and — bad news for Microsoft — almost eight times as sought-after as Surface. Apple’s grip on the mobile enterprise seems to be intensifying.

The survey, which is available for download here, carries dozens of valuable data points that illustrate not just the enterprise ascendancy Apple now has, but also confirms many advantages of a move to those devices. For example, 67% of IT pros saw  productivity improve just by switching to Apple devices, while 56% note that iPhones and iPads are preferred to Android in terms of both productivity and user experience.

User satisfaction is a big part of the growth story, with 87% of IT pros saying they have benefited from moving to Apple and around 75% saying their systems are now more secure.

A familiar song

Security is a very big deal driving this enterprise transition.

76% of IT pros say Windows and Android devices are more likely to be targeted for attack than the equivalent devices from Cupertino. And, of course, the cost of ownership is lower, the data confirms. That’s been known for some time, ever since IBM revealed astonishing TCO savings by shifting to Macs.

Just 10% of respondents see no advantage to Apple ownership, making that position a clear outlier in denial of facts. All these data points confirm the momentum for Apple in the enterprise, but they also go a long way to showing that in terms of cost of ownership, security, employee choice, and productivity the move is far more than a change of chassis — it’s a strategic decision that promotes company growth.

“Apple devices have exceeded the bounds of fulfilling employee enjoyment and are now proven to be a strategic choice for the business,” said Adam Pettit, founder and CEO of Kandji. “I look forward to seeing their continued growth across enterprises of all sizes.”

Not just a good choice, a smart one

The report observes that in an environment of continued economic uncertainty, making shrewd platform choices has become a business advantage. Facing budget cuts and closer scrutiny on spending, enterprises can yield cost and productivity advantages by switching to Mac, for example.

Of course, to some extent you’d expect an Apple device management company sponsored survey to make these claims, but it is important to note the high quality group of respondents.

How the survey was constructed

Dimensional Research surveyed 315 qualified participants, at least 100 of them at C-suite levels of responsibility. The survey deliberately targeted larger businesses with a minimum of 500 devices deployed and at least 1,000 employees — in other words, mid- to large-sized firms.

With an eye on the expanding Apple device management market, most in that space will likely take heart from news that only a third of businesses report having a mature device management system in place. That’s a huge opportunity for such companies and suggests that enterprise integration of Apple devices may be a bright star in an otherwise challenging environment for that segment.

Driven by Apple’s big success in mobile devices, the Mac is having a renaissance. It should only be a matter of time until the Apple in business experience in the US becomes an international trend.

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