Walmart May Retire 100,000 Windows PCs In Favor Of Apple Inc. Macs

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Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) could never compete with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in the smartphone category. Now it seems like Apple is eating into the market share of the Redmond-based company in the PC department. After big names such as Delta, IBM and GE, Walmart could also retire Windows PCs in favor of Macs.

Macs more efficient than Windows PCs?

At the Jamf Nation User Conference, the largest Apple-focused IT event in the world, Walmart talked of the considerable reduction in support costs among its current installed base of 7,000 Macs which run on Jamf pro software and Apple’s device enrollment Program, according to AppleInsider.

Undoubtedly, Apple’s high-end Mac systems cost more compared to Windows PCs initially. However, after considering lower support costs and licensing fees, higher residual value and better user experience, all contribute to their “Everyday Low Cost” slogan, said Walmart’s Technical Expert Miles Leacy.

So, there’s a good chance that going forward Walmart also could offer a Mac choice program, deploying about 100,000 Macs (Based on IBM’s projections), notes AppleInsider. In a statement, Joe Park, senior director of Associate Digital Experience at Walmart, said that they believe in offering a range of tools to create the best digital experience for the associates and help them in doing their job effectively. “We are always evaluating options, but at this time no program has been rolled out,” Park clarified.

Good work with enterprise efforts

Apple enterprise efforts have been gathering steam of late. Last year, the company entered the Top 15 enterprise vendors garnering $25 billion of business revenue, notes The Register. Apple’s main focus has been smartphones, but client additions lately, including companies such as Cisco, IBM, and SAP, suggests that the Cupertino, California-based company is working with a solid enterprise strategy.

Just a few days back, GE also announced a partnership with Apple to deploy Predix, GE’s Industrial software platform, on Apple’s iPhone smartphones and iPad tablets. The Predix-iOS software development kit is comprised of tools that the software developers could use to write industrial apps that will run on Apple’s iOS.

General Electric, which employs 330,000 staff worldwide, will offer Mac as a choice to any employee who wants it. The new partnership will also help boost productivity, for instance, a wind turbine mechanic in Oklahoma and engineers in New York City would be able to use their iPhones to fix a problem by using Apple’s Face Time video chat, which previously might have required a trip back to headquarters.

With all these developments, one thing becomes clear that Apple is just not satisfied with making tablets and phones a communication device, rather it wants these gadgets to play an important role in everyday working life. A push from the BYOD has surely given a lift to Apple, and with big names such as SAP, IBM and GE added to Apple’s portfolio, the road ahead looks encouraging for the company.

Microsoft, on the other hand, is also trying its best to overcome Apple’s threat. Microsoft has been quite aggressive in marketing its Surface Book 2, its third high-end laptop. The Surface Book 2, which is being pitched against Apple’s MacBook Pro, is referred to as “The most powerful Surface ever.”

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