The future is bright for Apple IT

The use of Apple technology continues to grow in the enterprise and as it does, so too do the career opportunities for IT admins with Apple device management skills. In fact, over the last three years, JAMF Software has seen a 44% YOY increase in Apple IT related jobs posted in the community, and a recent Dimensional Research survey has revealed that 98% of organizations predict an increase in the number of Apple devices in the enterprise over the next three years.

Why are Apple products growing so much in the enterprise?
Users like Apple products because they were designed with the user in mind. For Apple, the user experience is the most important factor to consider when driving technology decisions. Seamless, intuitive workflows, a rich ecosystem of devices and applications, fluid design, and fast, reliable access all come together to create a user experience that cannot be matched by any other end-user computing platform.

To support these comments, a Dimensional Research survey recently showed that user preference is by far the number one driver for Apple in the enterprise. With this considered, increases in the adoption of programs like Employee Choice and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) point to Apple continuing to trend significantly upward in the future.

And the exciting part for IT?
The skill set required to manage Apple devices in the enterprise shares many similarities to that which is required to manage other desktop and mobile device platforms. So it's not a far stretch from where IT is now, and (as mentioned above) users are starting to prefer Apple devices more and more — which makes the skill set more valuable. Also, Apple is working with IT to make Apple devices more secure and manageable and to create a great experience for users.

Apple programs like Mobile Device Management (MDM), Volume Purchase Program (VPP), Device Enrollment Program (DEP), and AppleCare for Enterprise have been created with both the user and IT in mind. These programs are making it easier for IT administrators to deploy, manage, and support Apple devices, while providing users with a superior experience that is consistent with what they would expect from both Apple products and from the new IT. And for the developers out there, Apple has provided a rich and safe ecosystem of apps for users, along with a growing development platform and community for developers, which is maturing and evolving every day with new innovations like Swift.

So if you don't already have Apple on your resume, you might want to consider changing that, because there is a bright future ahead.

So what are you waiting for?
For more information about Apple in the enterprise, check out JAMF Nation, the largest community of Apple IT admins in the world — with over 20,000 members. For more information on training and certifications, check out JAMF Software's education services and Apple's certification courses. Or, if you already have certifications under your belt, check out the job board on JAMF Nation. More and more leading and innovative organizations, like Cisco and Pixar Animation Studios, are out there looking for you every day.