Opinion

An Apple today?

IT | John Tate | 1 Jul 2010

Apple mobile devices are forcing charities to consider supporting two operating systems, says John Tate. 

May 2010 marked a major milestone in the computer industry when the market capitalisation of Apple overtook Microsoft, giving it a value of $222bn. Not bad for a company that was on the verge of bankruptcy when Steve Jobs (its current CEO) rejoined in 1997. Back in 1997, Apple was worth $2.3bn. By comparison Microsoft’s capitalisation rose steadily through the 1990s, peaking at $556bn at the turn of the last century.

Those that follow the computer giants will know that Microsoft has had a challenging last decade. Efforts to branch out from its core Windows operating system have had mixed results. Battles have taken place with accounting software, computer gaming and entertainment and mobile phones and Microsoft has not come out well from these. At the same time the core Windows technology has been hit as Vista received a weak response and cloud technology (ie web-based applications) puts the ‘thick client’ desktop under threat. Netbooks and open source software continue to be a threat.

Meanwhile Apple got stuck into mobile technology, launching the iPod in 2001, the iPhone in 2007 and the iPad in 2010. Much of the growth of Apple can be attributed to the demand for mobile devices, a space which apple specifically targeted. It has the advantage over many of its competitors that the user experience of Apple is in the main very positive. People just love their Apple devices and are quick to buy new models. According to surveys by J.D.Power, Apple has the highest brand and repurchase loyalty of any computer manufacturer. 

What this means for charities

IT departments are under growing pressure to provide support for a mixed Apple/Microsoft environment. Staff members are increasingly being encouraged to work from home/ remotely and many will have Apple devices that they want to link to their employer’s network. This can create quite a challenge as non-Microsoft technology often has compatibility issues with the Microsoft world and this can lead to lengthy and complex support challenges.

Users who have had exposure to Apple technology want to use their personal machines in their work environment and employers are tempted to take advantage of this. Many charities still refuse to support an Apple device in the workplace but pressure grows and grows.

Generally speaking, interoperability of devices becomes easier as applications can be properly run via a web browser. However many applications such as membership and fundraising software are designed for a Windows desktop operating system and do not run easily on an Apple device. So charities needing mobile working should consider the support implications of a mixed environment and consider a technology architecture that will make this possible. IT staff may need training in the Apple world and third-party suppliers should be considered with skills in this space.

Looking forward it will be interesting to see how the Apple/ Microsoft war pans out. Today mobile devices are all the rage and many predict that the conventional desktop/laptop device will disappear.

Technology innovation actually goes round in circles. Once upon a time there was the mainframe and punch cards, then the mini with dumb terminals, then the PC with a ‘thick client’ and now the mobile device. The growth of the internet and cloud computing is once again creating demand for mainframes – with one server potentially supporting thousands of users. Efficiency gains in accounting that take advantage of this technology are still at their infancy. Most of what is keyed into your accounting system is generated by another computer and one day transaction processing will become almost completely automated between suppliers/customers and employees. This will drive out the need for the desktop to be used for high volume transaction processing. So perhaps small mobile devices are the future?

Looking elsewhere in the industry google is perceived by many as a greater threat to Apple than Microsoft. google is developing its own mobile devices, has a commanding presence in the cloud and google apps offer a real alternative to some Microsoft products. Back in 1989, Apple had a greater market cap than Microsoft – only to lose this position over the next decade. Steve Jobs left Apple, watched the decline and then returned. I wonder what Bill gates is thinking?

John Tate is an IT analyst in the charity sector and founder of Citra 

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