Once identified only among graphic artists and so-called "liberal" and more "open-minded" IT users, the deployment of the Mac in small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is on the rise, as users are finding ingenious ways to work with Apple's platform, says Melvyn Chen, desktop product marketing manager of Apple Asia.
Chen says Mac's industry usage span home offices, start-ups, firms that have a large number of mobile professionals, finance, accounting and architecture firms, healthcare, real estate, retail and science and technology institutions.
"Enterprise users of Apple's XServe server highlight our solid hardware reputation, low running costs due to the unlimited Mac OS X Server client access license, and versatility as a virtualization platform, or the ability to run virtually on any OS like our latest advanced operating system the Mac OS X, even Windows and Linux," says Chen.
He shares a mid-2008 survey by Yankee Group among 750 senior IT executives which shows that nearly 80% have Macs onboard, an increase of 47% since 2006. "Nearly a quarter of these or more use Macs. Usability features such as Safari browsing, iChat videoconferencing, FileVault encryption, Back To My Mac remote control, Spotlight search, and Time Machine backup were cited as primary user attractions."
Citing reports from analyst firm NPD, the Apple executive says that Mac today is fiercely dominating the high-end computer market. NPD numbers last June reveal Apple captured 91% of the market for personal computers over US $1,000.
Angeline Tan, Apple Asia's marketing manager for portable products, believes that some of the factors that make the Mac attractive to enterprises are simplicity, ease of use, integration of hardware and software, graphics architecture, design aesthetics, robustness and, more importantly, the software suite of applications such as the iLife '09 and iWork '09 that are available for Mac users.
"Macs are designed with user needs and requirements in mind. We develop not just the hardware but also the software to cater to needs of consumers, businesses as well as the education segment," she says. "A lot of thought, attention to detail and R&D goes into minute details and features of the product -- right from a simple application icon, to the insides of the Macs and even to the packaging."
Tan says compared to PCs, Mac's advantage--more than the look and feel--is definitely on the OS and software side.
"When you buy a PC, you're buying hardware from one company and an operating system and software from other companies. Whereas when you buy a Mac, Apple builds both the computer and the software that comes with it. They're literally made for each other," she claims. "And Mac OS X resists most viruses, so you can do anything -- without worrying about losing everything."
Justin Zhang, Apple Asia's marketing manager for the Mac OS product, shares that the latest version of the Mac OS X is what attracts SMEs and educational institutions.
"The Mac OS X has many powerful features like Cover Flow, Quick Look, Stacks, Spotlight and Time Machine, which help users get work done more quickly with our legendary easy-to-use user interface," Zhang says.
He notes the Mac OS X is built on open, industry-standard protocols and the latest networking security standards which make the product easily integrate with existing IT infrastructure.
"Macs have long been able to work easily with PC-based clients, connect to PC-based networks, share files with PC users, and use the same peripherals," Zhang says. "Now with Boot Camp in Mac OS X Leopard, businesses can even run Mac applications side by side with Windows applications."
Designed with security in mind since day one, Mac OS X provides layers of protection that are built-in and not bolted-on.
"Right out of the box, Macs resists most viruses. And with automatic software updates, it's easy to keep a Mac secure. Plus, with many security features like library randomization, built-in firewall, signed applications and others, Mac OS X is like a nice, warm security blanket for the organization," Zhang says.
Yet the Mac's popular adoption among a variety of users is attributed to its wide range of portable computing machines.
"We have a wide range for portables ranging from our most popular notebook among students, the MacBook and the thinnest and lightest of Mac notebook -- the MacBook Air -- and the desktop level performance MacBook Pro," Tan says, adding the MacBook Pro 13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch are popular among mobile professionals because of its portability features, easy network access, and performance.
Tan elaborates that collaboration is one of the Mac's significant attractions to businesses today.
"Mac OS X server equips businesses with the power of collaboration through group calendaring, instant messaging, wikis, blogs, RSS feeds, mail server and other features," she says, adding all such services are included at no extra charge with Mac OS X Server that delivers the reliability, stability, and performance of Unix for the most demanding applications and services.
What the Mac OS X does is that it leverages the computing power of 64-bit Intel processors and offers an advanced networking architecture that ensures compatibility and integration with IP-based networks. Standards-based directory support, Tan notes, makes all of the services available in Mac OS X Server easy to set up and manage.
Tan says products like Parallels Desktop for Mac, Parallels Server for Mac, and VMware Fusion give Intel-based Mac and Xserve users the ability to run almost any operating system and its accompanying applications concurrently.
"With an Xserve running server virtualization software, your organization can eliminate the need to maintain outdated or redundant hardware -- reducing the load on IT administrators as well as server support costs," she says.
According to Chen, Xserve is a versatile 1U server that fits into a variety of workgroup and business deployments. Mac OS X Server v10.5, with an unlimited client license, is included with Xserve. "With this, you don't need to worry about hidden fees or per-client charges."
Chen says that, right out of the box, users can offer file, print, mail, iChat, and do calendaring services; set up group wikis; or quickly produce podcasts. He describes Xserve as "stable, secure, and expandable." He adds that the Xserve setup software makes it easy to deploy the server into an existing network.
"Xserve supports Mac, Windows, and Unix clients with cross-platform features and industry standards (both hardware and software). It reduces operational costs and has no annual fees like competing servers," Chen says.
He says the 1U form factor allows customers to add many servers in a small space (increasing computational density).
Among the latest features of the Xserve is the next-generation Nehalem server architecture, wherein each Xeon processor provides three channels of fast 1066MHz DDR3 ECC RAM for up to a 2x improvement in performance compared with the previous generation. And two x16 PCI Express 2.0 slots deliver massive bandwidth for expansion cards.
Chen explains the Xserve also has internal graphics, solid state drive option, and improved energy efficiency. With the latter, Xserve works hand in hand with Mac OS X Server to maximize energy efficiency.
"The high-efficiency power supply of about 89% average makes the most of its energy use. The result is a system that reduces idle power consumption by 19% and delivers 89% better performance per watt than the previous-generation Xserve," he says.
Although there are no exact figures, the executives claim that there are a growing number of businesses, broadcast and production houses and educational organizations that have deployed Macs in the Philippines.
For example, Apple's iWork '09 are being used by businesses because it can run on both the Mac and Windows operating systems. Another Apple software, the Final Cut Studio, is being used by TV stations, the broadcast industry, and film and production houses.
The company officials claim that Apple's multimedia and creative software are used among local media houses, creative and advertising agencies, and specialist firms like retail, architecture, legal, finance, and healthcare (doctors), among others.