Apple Threatening Microsoft’s Enterprise Share
Monday, January 9th, 2012Look out Microsoft. Apple is nipping at your enterprise heels.
Apple is going to see strong growth in both iPad and Mac computer sales to business users in 2012. So says Forrester Research. In fact, Forrester predicts Apple will bring home $19 billion in worldwide revenues on those two product lines in 2012.
What’s more, Apple will see more companies using its iPad this year than last year — a 68 percent rise, Forrester reports in its Global Tech Market Outlook — and a 45 percent increase in the sale of Macs to companies and organizations.
By contrast, the market research firm predicts Microsoft will see $69 billion in enterprise sales in 2012.
“The Apple assault on the corporate market has so far taken place without much formal Apple support, and probably without Apple itself understanding its full extent,” Forrester said in its report. “That’s because corporate adoption of Apple products has been largely clandestine.”
Apple: A Disruptive Force
Apple has made a name for itself in the consumer market, clearly, but Forrester is suggesting that the tide is shifting and Apple may finally get a larger piece of the enterprise hardware pie.
“The biggest disruptive force in the computer equipment market thus is…Apple,” said the report. “This is a surprise, because Apple has not and does not directly address the corporate market, while turning a wide variety of consumer technology markets upside-down. But its rapid growth in the corporate market has been the big surprise of 2011, and it will be even more of a factor in 2012.”
Rob Enderle, principal analyst at Enderle Group, said Forrester’s numbers are accurate. But, he added, like most of the numbers from market research firms — the numbers are old news because research firms are better at looking back than looking ahead.
“Forrester’s report does serve as a warning…
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