National Survey Findings Point to Boom of Apple Adoption in the Enterprise

New Research Finds Enterprise Apple Devices Have More Than Doubled Over the Past Three Years and IT Professionals Expect Growth to Continue. 

MINNEAPOLIS – June 11, 2014 – JAMF Software, the leader in Apple device management, today announced the results of an independent, national survey on Apple adoption in the enterprise. Sponsored by JAMF Software, the survey was conducted by Dimensional Research and included more than 300 IT professionals. Key findings indicate fast growth of Apple devices in the enterprise will not slow down, user choice is driving the trend, and IT professionals are not confident with the tools on hand to manage this influx of technology.

Apple devices have become a key part of today’s enterprise IT environment. Most survey participants say iPhone (91 percent) and iPad (89 percent) are supported by internal IT teams. Interestingly, the rise of Apple devices in the enterprise is due to employees stating they want to use Apple at work. In fact, 78 percent of IT professionals surveyed cited user preference as the main reason for supporting Apple.

IT pros expect this trend to accelerate, with 98 percent saying they anticipate Apple device growth in the enterprise to increase by at least 25 percent over the next three years. The report also reveals that the influx of Apple devices will mean more work for IT, as most (91 percent) say Apple device setup and enablement requires IT involvement.

To cope with this growth, just 40 percent say they will get additional IT budget and a mere 20 percent report they plan to hire more staff. Despite additional resources, many companies don’t have a solid plan in place to deal with the growing number of Apple devices (23 percent). And to make matters worse, 80 percent of IT professionals report they do not feel confident in the management software they currently use to support Apple devices. This is largely due to the fact that IT has had to rely on Windows-based solutions to manage Apple devices.

“Our survey findings show the majority of IT professionals expect to see more Apple in the enterprise,” said David Gehringer, principal at Dimensional Research. “Today, nearly 20 percent of respondents say they already support 1,000 Apple devices or more. Organizations are asking IT teams to manage this situation, making scalability and efficiency critical when selecting an Apple device management solution.”

“This research highlights what JAMF has been tracking for some time – users are bringing in (and in some cases) demanding their devices of choice,” said Jason Wudi, CTO of JAMF Software. “In addition, these findings point to a general lack of awareness around tools that can help IT meet new Apple device demands. JAMF Software remains committed to educating the market, and our Casper Suite represents the most comprehensive, reliable Apple device management solution designed specifically with the enterprise in mind.”

Summary of Key Survey Findings:

  • Use of Apple devices in the enterprise has more than doubled over the last three years
  • 98 percent of participants expect 25 percent more Apple devices in the enterprise over the next three years
  • More than 90 percent of businesses support Apple
  • 78 percent report Apple device growth in the enterprise has been mandated by user preference
  • 91 percent report Apple device setup and enablement requires IT involvement
  • 80 percent of IT professionals are not very confident in Apple device management solutions currently in use

JAMF Software's flagship product, Casper Suite, is the only Mac, iPad, iPhone and Apple TV management software that is developed exclusively for the Apple platform. Over the last 12 years, more than 4,000 customers around the world have chosen Casper Suite to manage more than three million Apple devices, and the number continues to grow.

To access a free copy of the Dimensional Research report, “Managing Apple Devices in the Enterprise: A Survey of IT Professionals,” visit www.modernmobileworkforce.com

An infographic highlighting key survey findings is also available at www.modernmobileworkforce.com

Survey Methodology

In April 2014, corporate IT professionals were invited to participate in an online survey on the topic of Apple device adoption and management in the enterprise. A total of 309 individuals participated, including a variety of stakeholders such as IT executives, managers and front-line IT professionals from a range of company sizes and industry verticals.

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About JAMF Software

Since 2002, JAMF Software – and our Casper Suite solution – has made it easy for businesses, schools and other enterprises to use and manage Apple devices in their organizations.

Find out why more than 4,000 businesses and schools rely on JAMF Software to manage 3,000,000+ Apple devices across the globe at jamfsoftware.com and join the conversation at @JAMFSoftware.