The data comes from a Sept. 2015 survey by JAMF Software, as reported by ZDNet. First revealed to Computerworld, the survey found 67 percent of enterprise IT professionals believe Macs will cut into the PC’s dominant market share in the next three years.
Should this come true, the Mac will have its largest market share since 1995.
It’s worth noting that JAMF Software has a focus on Apple software and hardware at the enterprise level, so there may be some bias attached to the results. Still, the numbers show Macs are gaining ground for a number of reasons.
The survey said 96 percent support Macs, while 92 percent support PCs. About 28 percent support Chromebooks. While the meaning of “support” in the language isn’t specified, this could mean the organization has at least one of the operating system in its ranks.
While PCs still dominate at the computer level, Apple has the edge when it comes to tablets. In the survey, 81 percent said they use some form of iPad, 46 percent use Windows tablets and about 33 percent use Android tablets.
There are three main reasons why IT professionals support Macs over PCs.
First, about half of the survey respondents said Macs support increased productivity. Second, about a third said Macs need less maintenance. At the end of October 2015, Apple claimed IBM is saving $270 for every Mac it uses over a PC.
Finally, about 75 percent believe Mac OSX is a more secure platform than Windows.
ZDNet points out one more reason not included in the survey: Macs can run Windows, but PCs cannot run MacOSX.
Aside from enterprise, Apple is apparently doing well in the education market — 94 percent of K-12 schools and 97 percent of higher-learning organizations support Macs. However, Apple may see Chromebooks coming up in the rearview mirror. As Digital Journal reported on Saturday, 50 percent of all computers meant for education are now Chromebooks.
