Should we be afraid of Mac in Windows environments?

Hybrid networks management

Since the arrival of the iPhone, and even since the change for INTEL processors, Apple made its way slowly into businesses. Indeed, in this era of the «Bring your own devices" trend, employees who use Macs at home harass us to allow them to integrate them to the corporate network. Well, there is no need to fear, cohabitation may well do. Moreover, despite the dominance of Windows in terms of market share, we must now accept the new place occupied by MAC computers. Despite that very few networks are 100% Apple and the vast majority is in Windows, we can now implant hybrid networks. Indeed, Windows servers are great for managing network resources; ensure compliance with corporate security policies, etc. All this is simple in a homogeneous environment, but what happens when we have a hybrid park? Little difference, actually. MAC workstations integrate seamlessly with an 'Active Directory' Windows network, you can control the access to share files via the network directories, access to printers, etc. Whether with cloud services (Office 365, Google Apps or other) or a local service like «Microsoft Exchange», there is no technological nor security limit for using an Apple computer.

Useful tools

There are also several tools that help for a better managing, either "Remote Desktop" on MAC for the management of clients, or even "Mac Centrify Suite" for the integration of the MAC to the "active directory" and GPO (for deployment and policy applications). Besides, thanks to the availability of such tools, it becomes interesting to enjoy the benefits of a Windows server environment within a 100% MAC park. In the end, on the client side, it's more a matter of personal choice than a technological issue. It is also important to note that at equal components, you pay more for an Apple Mac computer than a Windows PC, without forgetting that if we want to run Windows on a Mac, for application availability reasons or even to have the best of both worlds, there is a significant cost as more RAM, double the cost of licenses, etc.

To conclude

Finally, a tool is a tool. Depending on your comfort level and appreciation, the use is personal. Thus, when an employee is comfortable with his tools, he is more efficient. The beauty of the arrival of the MAC business is that it will add competition to Windows and when there is competition to provide the best tools, everyone comes out a winner! By : Patrick Hardy, Director Managed Services