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The eternal question: Can Apple go enterprise?

Is there a grass-roots enterprise IT interest in Apple? NetworkWorld seems to think so and outlines a few key reasons why Apple could get traction in the enterprise.
Written by Larry Dignan, Contributor

Is there a grass-roots enterprise IT interest in Apple? NetworkWorld seems to think so and outlines a few key reasons why Apple could get traction in the enterprise. Among the reasons:

  • Apple is powered by Intel now.
  • Switching to OS X isn't any more difficult than moving to Vista.
  • And networking is easier on today's Macs compared to previous versions.

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It all sounds perfectly logical. In fact, I've pondered how Apple could pierce the enterprise market before.

The catch? Apple just doesn't care about the enterprise unless it's narrowly defined as companies creating content--movies, publishing etc. NetworkWorld notes that Apple doesn't have a dedicated enterprise unit.

Why? Here's a theory. The enterprise market is crowded and a bit staid. Let's assume Apple gets into the enterprise market. Steve Jobs takes the stage at Macworld and says "here's our latest Xserve (above)!" The reaction would be silence.

There's just no interest. The iPhone is much sexier and makes Apple's lack of focus on the enterprise clear.

However, there are IT managers out there that would consider the Apple platform if only Jobs & Co. showed a smidge of interest. Maybe Apple should at least seed a grass-roots enterprise movement.

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