Apple Devices Demand Integration, Not Tolerance, In Today's Workplace

The incursion of Apple devices into the workplace—driven partly by the corporate trend to bring marketing and creative teams in-house—means Apple can no longer be swept under the carpet or tolerated by corporate IT teams because economies of scale do not justify full-time support.

Neil McGowan, the Managing Director of Digital Arena, a specialist in Apple IT services to corporate marketing teams and the marketing industry, says the tide of Apple integration in the New Zealand workplace is irreversible, which presents unique challenges for organisations rooted in Windows-based systems, not least lack of in-house experience and expertise.

“Devices are the tools of your trade, and people have preferences and employees increasingly expect device choice as part of their work environment, which reflects a broader trend over the last 14 years - in the first quarter of 2024, Apple had captured 8.1% of the PC market and 31% of tablet share in 2021.

"With the rise of Apple use, many organisations now embrace a device-agnostic culture where Apple is an option, not just within marketing teams and creative departments. Yet, while 80% of corporate adopters no longer see Apple devices as security risks, practical barriers persist, particularly for IT teams with limited Apple expertise, resources and infrastructure."

McGowan says he has seen instances where Apple users in an organisation are relegated to the guest Wi-Fi and have to save their files on their device's hard drive with no backup or access to a network printer. Some staff have had to do their printing at home.

"Corporate IT infrastructures are often not well equipped to support Apple devices fully," says McGowan. "Challenges such as secure access to company data and resources. Staff, particularly those in the in-house creative departments, often resort to ad hoc solutions like USB drives or external hard disks, which compromises privacy and compliance.

"The consequence is that staff feel excluded, unappreciated and divorced from the culture. Incomplete integration causes loss of productivity because they can’t do their best work or stay in their ‘flow’.”

McGowan says resource limitations are often to blame. In many cases, one IT professional supports 70 to 140 staff members, and the cost of dedicated support to a small number of Apple users is often deemed unsustainable.

"The result is halfway adoption where Apple devices are tolerated but not fully integrated. Marketing teams, for instance, are frequently unable to work at full capacity because of these technical constraints."

McGowan says that to address the gaps, companies must decide between building in-house Apple expertise or outsourcing to specialist providers.

"It is critical that companies adhere to compliance standards such as CIS Level 1 and NIST 800 for Apple devices, even if there are only a handful in the organisation, so as to ensure parity with Windows systems.

"While dedicating in-house support to Apple users can be costly, the upside of outsourcing specialised skills is cost-effective, includes improved productivity and a seamless workflow for creative teams reliant on tools like Adobe Creative Cloud.”

Key takeaways:

1. Commit to Full Integration or None:

Avoid halfway adoption by investing in necessary expertise, whether in-house or external, to ensure Apple users are treated as equal to Windows users.

2. Prioritise Compliance and Security:

Adhere to global standards like CIS Level 1 to ensure security and compliance without creating vulnerabilities.

3. Streamline Workflows with Cloud Solutions:

Evaluate cloud-based storage and collaboration tools to create greater enablement for new, Apple-centric teams such as in-house creatives.

"With the right approach, organisations can unlock the creative potential of Apple devices while maintaining robust security and compliance frameworks. Success, however, depends on decisive action and a commitment to addressing the unique challenges of Apple technology.

ABOUT

Established in 1996, Digital Arena is an Auckland-based IT consultancy specialising in Apple technology solutions for New Zealand's creative industries. With a team boasting over 246 years of combined experience, they focus on optimising workflows to maintain clients' creative momentum. Their services include tailored IT support, system monitoring, and security, all designed to meet the unique needs of creative professionals.

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