JumpCloud survey highlights the business case for Macs

Enterprises around the world are deploying more Macs than ever before, and IT leaders expect that trend to continue. However, despite the Crowdstrike disaster and sundry well-reported Microsoft security failures since, many IT teams also expect to invest in more Windows deployments, as well.

The latest SME IT Trends report from JumpCloud tells us the average tech stack for small- to mid-size enterprises (SMEs) includes 24% macOS devices (up from 22% in Q1 2024), 18% Linux devices (down from 22%), and 63% Windows devices (up from 60%). The report does not detail the use of iOS devices, but in a multi-device world of distributed endpoints and hybrid working models, iPhones are also seeing increased enterprise deployment.

The business case for macOS

The switch toward Macs in business is real.

Further, in line with a report earlier this year, JumpCloud reported 35% of IT teams anticipate increased Mac deployment in the coming year. And while 47% expect more Windows deployment, 16% expect Windows deployment to decrease in the same time period, compared to 8% who think Mac usage will fall; 25% foresee an increase in Linux use, while 13% predict a decline, the survey said.

Interestingly, in the UK, 25.3% of SMEs are using Macs — even larger than the 22.8% in the US, also according to JumpCloud.

The direction of travel is clear, it’s just taking some time. Why would it not? 

The battle of the boardroom

After all, everyone in the C-suite understands that power reflects budget and headcount. And for IT, the more insecure the platform, the more staff and the larger the budget required to manage it.

In a sense, Microsoft is a powerful executive’s best friend — at least in terms of creating that power balance. But it’s questionable whether that happy status will last forever in the wake of the Crowdstrike mess. 

The way I see it, the loss of billions of dollars as a consequence of supplier failure means CEOs, CFOs, and others in business have now seen the fiscal consequences of over-reliance on one platform. They’ve also seen previous disasters used as an excuse for increased IT budgets and headcounts. But what results have been delivered? If nothing else, this analysis will increase the number of voices at future board meetings supporting increased Mac adoption.

For the present, however, the JumpCloud report confirms we live in a multi-platform environment. That means companies actively seeking solutions to manage all these platforms as easily as possible.

Platform diversity is the name of the game

“The more our company grows, the more diverse our device mix becomes,” one IT director told JumpCloud. “Some employees only request macOS, some require Windows, and others are die-hard Linux users. It’s only going to grow more complex. The key is finding a solution that can manage them all.” (This, of course, is a reality that the recently-disclosed Jamf deal with Microsoft and Azure reflects — all the vendors in the Apple IT space are now actively seeking such parity.)

Beyond the talk about platforms, the JumpCloud survey confirms other emerging patterns. For example, three-quarters of SMEs rely on managed service providers (MSPs) to help with identity, user, and device management. In today’s business environments, MSPs help handle cloud storage, system security and management, and backups. Disincentives to working with MSPs include cost, and concerns around data security.

Keeping up with HypeAI

As the hype around artificial intelligence (AI) reaches a crescendo, it is also interesting the extent to which business users have become intentional around its deployment. Yes, 90% of organizations plan to implement AI initiatives in the next 24 months, but few intend to do so quickly. Indeed, 61% of IT pros think AI is outpacing their organization’s ability to protect against threats — and 25% of organizations have already experienced AI-generated attacks, the survey claims.

Not only this, but when asked how AI will impact their day-to-day job, 22% characterize the impact of AI as being much lower than they thought it would be. Thirty-four percent say the potential impact is moving slower than they thought it would, while 23% say it’s even faster than they expected. While it’s hard to draw too many conclusions from these data points, they do suggest that the reality behind the hype is beginning to dawn on then tech industry — perhaps the capacity to create fake videos isn’t such a great business to be in?

Everything is change, keep changing

One big takeaway that permeates the entire report is change. We’re using more devices, more platforms, and more services than before. Shadow IT is a growing problem, while the move toward MSPs is intensifying. Business leaders want good systems that help them control increasingly complex stacks, and the old war between incumbent technology and incoming change is being lost, one major Mac deployment at a time.

It’s no surprise. As the shortcomings of some platforms become more visible, expect to see others in the C-suite (CFOs, CEOs, human resources and business continuity experts) stand up against every growing IT budget, citing the security, TCO, and employee preference benefits of making such moves. The old ways are, it seems, rapidly changing; it’s way past time.

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