A Perfect Storm For Apple

I think the world is about to experience an Apple explosion. If you’re an Apple fan or professional, you might be saying to yourself, “What, Apple isn’t already exploding by dominating the music player market, capturing 12.9% of the smartphone market (according to PC World) in under two years after entering it, and posting record sales while Microsoft announces its first-ever layoffs and almost every PC maker is losing business?” To that I say, maybe they are, but I expect the explosion to get even bigger.

I think the world is about to experience an Apple explosion.  If you’re an Apple fan or professional, you might be saying to yourself, “What, Apple isn’t already exploding by dominating the music player market, capturing 12.9% of the smartphone market (according to PC World) in under two years after entering it, and posting record sales while Microsoft announces its first-ever layoffs and almost every PC maker is losing business?”  To that I say, maybe they are, but I expect the explosion to get even bigger.

I say it’s a “perfect storm”, and frankly, I feel a little dirty using a buzzword that’s often tossed around frivolously, but I believe it applies here.  Consider the following:

  • We’re experiencing what the popular news media refers to as “the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression”.
  • Companies are looking to save money in order to survive.
  • A Mac’s total cost of ownership can be half that of a Windows PC, according to CIO Magazine.
  • Consumers and businesses have become soured on the Vista debacle.
  • With the next major iteration of Mac OS X, code named Snow Leopard, Apple is taking the time to tweak and fix their OS rather than slap on a bunch of shiny new features.  This will just widen the stability, security and ease of use divides that separate Mac OS X from Windows.
  • There is at least one shiny new feature in Snow Leopard.  Apple has announced “out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange 2007 built into Mail, Address Book, and iCal.”  This promises to be a joy for employees at organizations where Exchange is entrenched in the infrastructure who have had to put up with the inadequacies of Entourage.

Further, an ITIC/Sunbelt Software survey released in December 2008 delivers some good news for Apple in the near future.

  • 68% of the companies surveyed plan to allow their employees to use Macs as their corporate desktops.
  • Half of the respondents intend to increase adoption of iPhones and other Apple consumer products.

I think the best is yet to come for Apple and for those of us who manage and support their products for a living.

 

References:
PC World on Smart phone market share
CIO Magazine on Mac TCO
ITIC/Sunbelt Software Survey Press Release