SA Mac adoption surges as TCO, EX become top priorities
When choosing end user devices, South Africa’s leading enterprises are focusing less on upfront costs and more on total cost of ownership, total economic impact, productivity and employee experience, which is driving Apple Mac sales.
This is according to Sudesh Pillay, executive head of iStore Business, who says fintechs, major financial institutions, cyber security firms and large enterprises are increasingly rolling out Mac devices to their employees.
“In major banks, for example, the Mac installed base has grown to around 10%, and indications are that this will double in the coming year,” Pillay says.
There are numerous reasons for this surge in adoption, he says: “For one thing, the price gap between Mac and PC has closed.”
He notes: “We find that comparable PCs for large enterprises are becoming considerably more expensive, with the prices of high-end machines for knowledge workers rising by 35 – 40%. As a result, we are seeing an increase in interest from enterprises.”
Apple’s price increases have been a lot more controlled, he says. “Apple Silicon means Apple no longer depends on chip manufacturers, plus – they control their own supply chain. These factors have contributed to keeping Mac pricing fairly stable over the past year.”
Another factor helping drive Mac adoption is the move to the cloud. He says: “The cloud offers the benefits of enabling a remote workforce and increasing collaboration and productivity. Importantly, it is platform agnostic, so people can benefit from cloud tools using the device of their choice.”
Changing perceptions around the role of the devices is also a factor driving Mac adoption. “Mac was once seen as a tool for creatives and executives. People assume that if you want to use Microsoft tools, you need a PC. However, these perceptions are changing fast and enterprises have realised that they can use Word, Excel and PowerPoint on a Mac just like on a PC. Mac has become the device of choice for knowledge workers, digital workers, developers and more.”
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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