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Topic: Apple

Another view of "Apple in the enterprise: Living without Xserve"

Summary: My colleague, David Morgenstern, just posted Apple in the enterprise: Living without Xserve and I found myself compelled to add a comment or two.Apple has often found itself at odds with large enterprise IT departments because the company really doesn't understand how they work or what they really do.

Dan Kusnetzky

By for Virtually Speaking |

My colleague, David Morgenstern, just posted Apple in the enterprise: Living without Xserve and I found myself compelled to add a comment or two.

Apple has often found itself at odds with large enterprise IT departments because the company really doesn't understand how they work or what they really do. So, they've bumbled about, occasionally won some business, and then proceeded to do things that made their customers look bad.  The unsung heroes of IT have long memories and hate working with suppliers that make them look bad. Apple seems bound and determined to make the IT folks who made an Apple server decision look bad.

IT staff are tasked with keeping the lights on and making sure that everything runs smoothly in spite of change coming at them from every quarter. Obviously, doing this successfully takes careful planning and careful execution.

The IT folks expect suppliers to share (at least roughly) their plans and expect them to act in a consistent manner. Apple doesn't offer much insight into what it is going to do and makes surprising moves all of the time making planning problematic. So, the decision-makers in IT routinely select other suppliers.

It is clear that Apple has forced its way into the enterprise at the smartphone, the tablet, the laptop and, to some extent, the desktop PC world.  End users like the experience and are bringing the devices into the enterprise regardless of the views and concerns of the IT organization.

It is also clear that Apple's approach to server-based computing, with virtualized environments, openness and a few other areas are self-imposed obstacles in Apple's membership in the enterprise computing suppliers club.

Topic: Apple

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12 comments
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  • Not Just Servers, Dan...

    Since Apple surreptitiously left Macworld, those of us who rely on Apple equipment are [i]completely[/i] left in the dark. My work is about the purchase some 30 laptops for its faculty, but I have no clue as to what Apple may or may not be introducing this year. There's no road map. No keynote. Nothing that'll let me know if a new laptop or iPad is coming out this week, or next week, or next month.

    I'm really not keen on gambling with my PTA's money. Do I buy the 7-month old laptops now? What if they're updated next month? I've now paid for 8-month old laptop specs when I could have gotten brand new, up to date laptops for the same price.

    Or even worse. Better specs [i]and[/i] a price drop. In that light, we've decided to simply hobble along with our 2006 MacBooks until Apple gives the [i]teensiest[/i] nod in our direction.
    WarhavenSC
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Another view of

      @WarhavenSC
      All one has to do it look at the pattern, to predict the future. Figure that this year a new notebook will come out that has higher specs at roughly the same price. Apple has used that formula for the last decade, if not longer.
      Rick_K
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Another view of

      @WarhavenSC

      Roadmaps are POINTLESS....

      Buy what you want when you need it and use it for its lifetime. End of discussion.

      I laugh at them because it doesn't matter that company XXX will release YYY in ZZZ. Why? Because we will buy YYY no matter what.

      It's like MS announcing Server 2012 or whatever. I don't care cause we will blindly deploy it. So knowing they are working on it is pointless since we will do it no matter what.
      itguy08
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Another view of

      @WarhavenSC HAH! Hobble..... geek problems are manufactured.
      gnostication@...
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Another view of

      @WarhavenSC
      Where does Idaho rank? We have been living in Montana for the past 5 years and I am not supri<a href=http://www.meusexshop.com>sexy shop</a>to find it #3 on the "worst" list. Considering a<a href=http://www.produtodesexshop.com.br>sexshop</a>move to Idaho to escapthe high cost of living a low income in MT. There may not be a sales tax here but they get you if you own property!
      filhomarques
      Reply Vote

  • Huh?

    "The unsung heroes of IT have long memories and hate working with suppliers that make them look bad."

    Then how did MS get to be popular? Every time there's a new virus, worm, exploit or something else, it's usually on MS's OS's...... That would make an IT department look bad.
    itguy08
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Another view of

      @itguy08 Ah, that's an easy one. Microsoft has done its best to control the APIs people use to develop code, the development environments, the networking protocols and using incompatibilities creatively. Once a person uses one of their tools, personal productivity products and the like, the often find that they have to purchase the rest of the stack from Microsoft because other products either don't work as well (because of creative incompatibilities or performance issues) or don't work at all.

      Microsoft also understands the golden rules of IT. Once a product has found its way into the enterprise, it is easier to keep using it and all the the problems it causes than move to something else.

      This, by the way, is one of the reasons that some have gravitated towards Web-based applications requiring only a browser on the desktop, laptop and handheld device.

      Dan K
      dkusnetzky
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Another view of

    Apple has no enterprise strategy at all - at least not that I can observe - other than, "Hey, people say they want this so let's make something that'll work and put our idol on it."

    And, it's "manner" not "manor".
    gnostication@...
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Another view of

      @gnostication@... I should add, I am a fan of their products for certain applications. Just not enterprise (or anything where one seeks/desires/requires full control over their computing potential).
      gnostication@...
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Another view of

      @gnostication@... Thanks! Would you believe it if I blamed it on my cat? No? Well, it was a good try.

      Dan K
      dkusnetzky
      Reply Vote

  • A whole lot of whining

    Here's a clue. If Apple has what you need, then buy it. If not then buy something else or wait. As was mentioned already, their product release cycles are not that difficult to predict. They don't pretend to predict the future, that is for the supposed 'tech' companies that aren't really doing ANYTHING. (So it's easy to tell you when that next v. of Windows or Office with the pretty new wallpaper or the commands all reconfigured for no apparent reason will be deemed ready to ship to your uncritical hands.) You might whine about IT wanting to know, etc. but your generic equipment will not replace the Mac.
    comp_indiana
    Reply Vote

  • Apple does not get server market

    They have a fantastic OS but enterprises have so much stuff on the server side they need a lot of resources from the suppliers.
    If Apple allows virtualizing OS X Server on VM Ware, I don't think it is such a bad move for enterprises...
    alan_zapper@...
    Reply Vote
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