Polishing the Apple for the enterprise
The darling of the ‘alpha geeks’ may also spark corporate interest
APPLE COMPUTER — longtime darling of the education, graphics, and desktop publishing markets — is pushing the enterprise envelope. A powerful server, a commitment to open standards, and killer innovations such as FireWire are slowly nudging the cult favorite into viability and credibility as a corporate solution. The company has also been quick to adopt wireless standards and develop pervasive devices. Apple claims it is not chasing the corporate market, yet its recent hardware and software releases suggest otherwise. So is Apple ready for the enterprise? Is the enterprise ready for Apple?
Our Special Report: Apple Unpeeled spans three sections this week, and it focuses on platforms, networks, and applications. Senior Editor Tom Sullivan and Editor at Large Ed Scannell lead off with an analysis of Apple’s enterprise position (see ” Apple’s road less traveled “). The company denies targeting large corporations, but its product releases seem to suggest otherwise. In the enterprise, Apple is up against tough competition from Microsoft’s massive installed base. However, Apple’s embrace of open standards and a strong track record of innovation are giving the company credibility from unlikely camps.
Lead Analyst Jon Udell weighs in with a Test Center Insight that uncovers the allure of Apple’s technology within the open-source community and the alpha geeks, a group known for identifying trends long before mainstream adoption (see ” Mac marks the enterprise “). Investigating the cultures that have had an effect on Apple solutions, Udell takes a stand on Apple’s potential in the enterprise as a result of its emphasis on standards and open-source technologies.
InfoWorld Test Center Technical Director Tom Yager and Section Leader P.J. Connolly engage in a lively debate in their Point/Counterpoint (see ” Too big for its niches “). Connolly follows up with a review of Apple’s Xserve (see ” No worms here “). Not just an aesthetic hit, the Xserve and its Jaguar operating system score big in features and performance. Xserve’s support of SOAP and XML and its development tools make it a player on the Web services field.
Editor at Large Ephraim Schwartz reports on Apple’s strong pervasive-device showing (see ” Apple gets bluetooth bug “). The company is betting on Bluetooth to enable wireless devices — and potentially Apple’s iPod device, which is gaining favor for its storage capabilities — to access data. Contributor Russell Kay reviews the iPod and calls into question its current suitability for corporate use, but remains upbeat about the device’s potential (see ” More than musical “).
Starting next week, we’re going to give our readers access to our editors’ views in this column. While we continue our search for an editor in chief, our editors will take the opportunity to express their opinions, discuss new initiatives, and reflect on the industry. News Editor Mark Jones will lead the charge.
P.S. Go Giants!
Return to the Special report: Apple unpeeled package.
Forum: Pick a side in the debate between Test Center analysts P.J. Connolly and Tom Yager over Apple’s enterprise worthiness.
