Apple Booms in Enterprise Without Really Trying
For some, success just comes naturally. Einstein was born a genius and Sophia Loren was born beautiful.
Apple has a similar type of luck or magic. It hasn't made a decent pass at the enterprise in years. And instead of feeling slighted, IT responded by buying up Apple gear. Sure, the Mac has fewer shares than it would if Apple would lower the price and license the OS. But the Mac is growing, nonetheless.
What is really booming, however, are iPhones and iPads. While Apple sits on its enterprise hands, app developers and IT have taken it upon themselves to make these both serious tools. According to Forrester, close to a third of IT shops formally support the iPad.
In fact, many of you wrote to me about successes with the iPad -- maybe it should be renamed the ITpad?
Over a dozen of you talked to me in great detail, leading to an in-depth report, IT Loves the iPad.
However, loving something doesn't mean it's perfect -- even the best couples have an occasional tiff. I beat even Ozzie and Harriet had a spat or two. The readers (who shared praises for the device) aren't afraid to point out the iPad's flaws. Here's a quick synopsis:
Many see iPads as immature when it comes to management -- there's no cheap or easy way to centrally manage a host of devices. That means an IT manager must struggle to keep a fleet of iPads consistent and updated.
Some found that the iPad was not 100 percent stable, and recovery can require a reinstall of all user apps.
And with such a new class of devices, security is a concern. At least one reader fears that iPads are not mature enough to be truly safe.
What do you see wrong with the iPad? Share at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 02/01/2012 at 1:19 PM