Hi, I'm a Mac, and I'm Your Enterprise Computer

Esther Schindler writes "Not just another 'why big companies should adopt Macs' article, CIO is running a piece assuming that Macs are already on the way in the door. Hi, I'm a Mac, and I'm Your Enterprise Computer offers advice to IT managers about how to integrate Apple systems into the existing IT infrastructure, and offers hints from leading Mac OS X experts on configuring those systems once they've arrived. '[A] key element in corporate Macintosh adoption is the importance of third-party software and custom solutions. They can help smooth the way for integrating Macs onto the network. While specialists say they wish third-party support were greater, the openness of the Mac makes correcting issues possible. Don't discount the lure of the well-worn path that draws and then traps your IT staff into familiar habits.'"

Comments

Re:Enterprise Central Management

[DurendalMac]

Remote Desktop can be configured on any OS X computer to allow connections from regular old VNC apps. I've used a free program called "Chicken of the VNC" to connect and it works great. In addition, you've got a standard POSIX layer for remote administration through the shell. I don't see what you're complaining about.

Odd...

[DurendalMac]

"The Macs require a greater density of field associates. Where we have 1-to-150 PC techs to users, we're somewhere down to 1-to-100 for Macs. I think that's due partly to the technology and partly due to the users. The creatives are more demanding and you have to be more responding, because those are the people that clearly create our revenue," says Anschuetz.

That's the direct opposite of my experience (More like one Mac guy for 700-800 Macs, one PC guy for about 100-150 PCs), but I suppose a university environment is a bit different from a creative environment (at least outside the art/music/etc departments).

Re:Odd...

[amper]

It's really not that odd. Creative users tend to need more and better support. They are the "exception that proves the rule", so to speak.

I've been supporting Macs as an independent consultant for seven years, and as part of a larger systems integration company for another five years before that. I have expertise in the fields of graphic design, photography, and audio production, among others

Creative users tend to replace software and hardware much more often. One reason is that creative houses tend to deal with files from many other companies, to say nothing of moving files around in house, and the upgrade cycle of each individual software package tends to introduce incompatibilities that even when minor can interrupt a workflow process to the point that a significant amount of time and money is lost in dealing with the problem, so everyone tends to upgrade at the same time. When your clients and freelancers start sending you QuarkXpress 8 files that can't be opened in QuarkXpress 7, you'll upgrade too. Of course, with every new software version, the hardware requirements go up.

Creative users, in order to be properly supported, require that their support personnel actually know something about their highly specialized field. Such people are difficult to come by, and cost a lot of money when you *do* find them [like me ;)]. It's rare that you'll find someone that's cross-trained at a high enough level to replace two or more people, so you end up consulting several different people for some issues.

We're not talking Microsoft Office here. This is some serious shit with big money involved and little time to dick around.

On the other hand, while there are less "enterprise" support tools for Macs, it's because they need them less. Ghost? Who needs it on a Mac? Sure, if you're doing a mass roll-out of hundreds of Macs, a multicast replication tool is nice to have, but it's nowhere near as necessary as when dealing with a Windows SID environment. Macs also break less often, and are easier to fix when they do. I would be nice, though, if Apple would do some better documentation of Open Directory. When I hear people talking about the lack of "enterprise support tools" for the Mac, they're usually approaching the problem with a Windows mindset rather than a Mac mindset.

Apple Remote Desktop, VNC

[CheeseburgerBrown]

Using Apple Remote Desktop (for OS patching, application installs, configuration) or any of several open-source VNC solutions (to help lost users by taking control of the machine) remote management of enterprise Macs is not only possible, but easy.

I manage a small cluster of Macintoshes (for video production) in a 95% Windows shop. If anything, I think I have a far easier time than the IT Service that maintains the Windows machines (they often have a lot of complex licensing issues to wade through).

Re:Apple Remote Desktop, VNC

[Chosen Reject]

Perhaps I'm biased, but if there were 9,500 Hondas and one Ford, it is quite more likely that the Ford will break down first.

Re:Enterprise Central Management

[0racle]

Ya, if only they had a Remote Desktop application, or something that could push settings the same sort of way that the Active Directory does.

Even ssh would be a start.

Why doesn't Apple make these tools available?

Do me a favour...

[MSFanBoi2]

Someone who has an Enterprise level agreement with Apple, let us know how much an "enterprise" level iMac costs in bulk.

I know for a fact that both Dell and HP's "enterprise" desktop systems with a 19" flat screen monitor are about $650. (HP DC7700 for example) This includes an Intel Core2 Duo, 1.0 GB of ram, an 100 GB SATA hdd, integrated Intel graphics, and a SATA DVD/CD-RW combo drive. Dell's product is very similar but a little bit less ($750). Both systems as I said, come with a 19" flat screen.

The cheapest iMac is the $999 iMac, which is only 512 MB (but does have a larger hdd). I'd love to know the corporate pricing. To move to the 19"... add another 200 to that. Still, thats retail store, so someone kindly provide the corporate pricing.

Till Apple has prices that are similar, no large enterprise in their right minds would make the move, considering most of those, if not all of the fortune 500's are running Windows on the desktop....

Re:Higher TCO?

[jimstapleton]

when I did tech support, our Windows:Mac ratio was probably 10:1

Our support call issues, excluding hardware, were about 20:1 (windows:mac), but 8:1 (est) hardware.

The time to fix a Windows problem was usually quicker though.

"Error 3" popping up when a program crashes usually /is not/ helpful.

Re:Higher TCO?

[WrongSizeGlass]

The time to fix a Windows problem was usually quicker though. With all that practice I certainly would hope so. ;-)

The end of Microsoft's Golden Age...

[The Media Mechanic]

I think years from now many people will look back on the period of approximately 1985-2005 as a "Golden Age" for Microsoft, when they were able to rake in huge profits by illegally dominating huge chunks of the personal computer industry with the Wintel duopoly. Of course for many of us we will look back on this period as "The Dark Ages" of little or no competition in the PC marketplace. Really what we are seeing now, as Apple and other firms like AMD start to make inroads into the enterprise market, is a return to normalcy. Competition on price and competition on features is a healthy state for the computer hardware & software industry. Capitalism and our free economy is really founded on the notion that there is not a central power (be it a totalitarian system of government, or a monopolistic corporation) that can control an entire sector.

Also, please take a look other major industries that have healthy competition - Plenty of airlines -> lower airfares. Plenty of car manufacturers -> lower car prices. Plenty of restaurants -> reasonable cost of food.

The idea that there is only one group of people in the world smart enough to create a reliable and modern PC operating system is simply a falsehood.

Re:Higher TCO?

[Mattintosh]

"Error 3" popping up when a program crashes usually /is not/ helpful.

There are two ways to correct this.

1) Find the APPL file (the executible APPLication) and open its Get Info box. Find the Memory section and double the number.
2) Wipe the HD and install a version of the Mac OS from this millenium.

I recommend the latter.

Re:Enterprise Central Management

[UnknowingFool]

No i didn't RTFA, . . .

Didn't read the article: Check

but one of my biggest concerns has always been remote central management in the enterprise structure.

Makes a blanket, factually correct statement: Check

IT can't always make "house calls" to each and every computer . . .

Makes a righteous, indignant statement: Check

there has to be ways of remotely accessing, configuring and maintaining the systems and I haven't seen much that supports OSX.

Introduces personal, anecdotal views as fact: Check

Even with Linux there are tools that allow you to do that, and most all central configuration tools are Windows based.

Brings up a meaningless comparison: Check

That is going to be a big hurdle to adoption from an IT standpoint.

Closes with a blanket assertion without any facts: Check

Congratulations, you are on your way to becoming a real slashdotter. You must not be new here! :P

Stereotyping of "Creatives"?

[ErikInterlude]

"The Mac itself, the nature of the Mac, how it works and how it looks, is actually more conducive to the creative mindset. But those same things have also created a religious factor where the typical 'creative'--they can't even touch a PC keyboard. I'm being actually serious," says Christian Anschuetz, executive vice president and CIO of Publicis Groupe, which is based in Paris.

I haven't finished the article yet, but while I can believe this mindset being prevalent in years past, but I don't think I've met any designer in the past 5 years or so with such an anti-PC attitude. I've worked on a mac since my freshman year in college, but still had no problem sitting down and doing design work on a PC. And this was over a 2 year period. Using CorelDraw because my employer was Canadian and apparently Corel is a Canadian company.

Likewise, I've met plenty of PC users who are willing to sit down with a Mac if that's what the job requires. I just don't think this idea of "He's creative so he HAS to use a Mac" is valid anymore. You do the job with the tools you have. At my current job, once the IT dept. found out that I was going to be hired they immediately went out and bought a Mac. If I had been asked I would have said I could work in either platform. It doesn't matter as long as I have the tools to get the job done.

Sure, PC and Mac users like to make jabs at each other every now and again, but the few times I've met hard core Mac/PC users, they've been jackasses who weren't nearly as productive as they'd like to believe.

Anyway, just my thoughts.

{first 6 lines of post go here}

[TinBromide]

Well, {obligatory statement about my computer background and/or preference}, but i {explanation of what is used at home and in office}.

With that said, {obligatory statement to stave off mac cult mods}, but really {please don't hurt me}.

In my experience,{statement involving one of the following: tech-staff experience, home experience, or work environment}.

Although, {subtle jab at microsoft indicating preference for neither windows nor mac}

{statement that anything to jab at big guys is good}

But really, my take on this? Businesses will use what businesses will buy. Sometimes you keep using a law firm because it works, and as long as they don't cause mistrials or fail due-dilligence, they stay on retainer. Until windows fails miserably, businesses will continue to use what they've used. The small, independent companies are the ones that get all the mac-related press.

{begins waiting for examples of "big" companies that use macs in numbers greater than 90%}