SURVEY: Apple Devices are Easiest to Manage in the Enterprise

Enterprise management software vendor Jamf recently completed a survey that concluded Apple devices are easier to manage than others, including PC’s, Chromebooks and Androids.

This is the organization’s third annual global survey, conducted by Dimensional Research, based on the adoption of Apple products. Nearly 300 commercial business, 300 K-12, and 300 higher education IT pros from across the globe participated.

Apple in the enterprise

Apple is becoming the most popular choice in the enterprise, according to the survey, which reported that 91 percent of organizations use either an iPhone, iPad or both. About half of the organization’s that took part in the poll said they offer a choice between an iPhone and other mobile devices, and are therefore managing a mixed-device environment. It was a common conclusion that managing Mac and iOS devices was much easier than rival device brands.

Other enterprise findings

About 99 percent of companies have iOS devices in use and 91 percent have Mac users, the survey reported. And the popularity of these devices is on the rise. The usage of Mac and iOS devices increased 74 and 76 percent, respectively, over the previous year.

The survey also found that Mac devices are easy or easier to manage than PC’s on five important tasks, including deployment, security, device configuration, software and app development, and support. The same goes for iOS devices when it comes to those areas.

Apple in the classroom

The survey found that Apple devices are widely used in the education vertical. About 70 percent of K-12 schools use Mac devices and about 90 percent use iPads to aid in teaching. Higher education doesn’t stray far from those numbers, with about 80 percent using Mac and 94 percent utilizing iPads. And those in the space agree that Mac and iPad devices are easier to manage than others.

Jamf listed the following summary of K-12 education takeaways from the survey:

• 90 percent of K-12 schools use iOS devices; 70 percent use Mac.
• Usage of Mac (83 percent) and iPad (81 percent) increased in K-12 in 2016.
• Security (55 percent), less maintenance (48 percent), and user preference (46 percent) are the top three factors driving Mac adoption in K-12.
• Mac is easier to manage than PC on five critical tasks in K-12: deployment (76 percent), security (75 percent), device configuration (69 percent), software and app deployment (66 percent), and support (69 percent).
• iPad is easier to manage than other tablets when doing the following: deployment (77 percent), security (65 percent), device configuration (71 percent), software and app deployment (66 percent), and support (66 percent).

They also listed the following summary of higher education findings:

• 94 percent of higher education organizations have iOS users; 80 percent use Mac.
• 87 percent of higher education institutions saw an increase in both Mac adoption and iPad adoption over the previous year.
• User preference (64 percent), security (51 percent), and less maintenance (45 percent) are the top three factors driving Mac adoption in higher education.
• Mac is easier to manage than PC in higher education on five critical tasks: deployment (65 percent), security (64 percent), device configuration (53 percent), software and app deployment (54 percent), and support (61 percent).
• iPad is easier to manage than other tablets when doing the following in higher education: deployment (60 percent), security (52 percent), device configuration (56 percent), software and app deployment (56 percent), and support (53 percent).

“This year’s Apple Trends Survey confirms what Jamf has been seeing for some time,” Dave Alampi, Jamf’s vice president of product management and marketing said. “Not only is Apple gaining momentum in the enterprise due to user preference, but IT is finding that with the right mobile device management solution, Mac, iPhone and iPad are easier to manage and enable a better overall experience for users.”