For example, the company typically holds three events a day as part of its business. Previously, that required more than an hour of setup time per event - time which has been reduced to just 15 minutes after switching to a Mac environment and iPad controllers. "Saving that three to five hours a day in maintenance alone has been a significant financial improvement," Frey says.
The company also saves $12,000 to $15,000 a month as a result of eliminating the use of outside companies for Windows support. "We used to average 28 support tickets a day," he says. "Now we average five."
To support the multi-device environment, the company uses Kerio Connect, an alternative to Microsoft Exchange that supports Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems as well as iPhones, iPads, Android and Windows Phone 7 mobile devices.
The future
Looking ahead, it's clear that the trend toward Macs shows no sign of abating. According to Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer, 92% of Fortune 500 are now testing or deploying iPads, as are 52% of Global 500 companies, while iPhones are being tested or deployed at 93% of the Fortune 500, and 60% of the Global 500.
And once users are on iPhones and iPads, Macs can't be far behind. For example, Newport Beach, Calif.-based private equity fund Kodiak Capital Group recently upgraded to new iPhone 4Gs - which came with a discount on Mac laptops.
As a result, the firm switched from PCs to Macs, says managing partner Ryan Hodson. "The learning curve has definitely been interesting, but in the long run I think we will all wonder why we ever used PCs," he says.
Korolov is a freelance business and technology writer in Massachusetts. She can be reached at maria@tromblyinternational.com.
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