My one question for Steve Jobs in 2000

"Is Apple ever going to go after the enterprise market?" (Steve's response, a refreshing "If you're interested in that, you're probably at the wrong company.")

You like our software enough to want to use it at work and/or want others to get to use it? Yeah, fuck that.

Re: My one question for Steve Jobs in 2000

#5

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Aug 25, 2011, 4:54 PM UTC

boredguy8 wrote: post #3

I like the friend's response. Almost always, the only wrong response to a "two roads diverged in a yellow wood" situation is to stall.

[deleted]

Re: My one question for Steve Jobs in 2000

#6

Post by mgkimsal » Thu, Aug 25, 2011, 5:02 PM UTC

cbs wrote: post #4

"Is Apple ever going to go after the enterprise market?" (Steve's response, a refreshing "If you're interested in that, you're probably at the wrong company.") You like our software enough to want to use it at work and/or want others to get to use it? Yeah, fuck that.

I thought that at first too, but I think it could be interpreted a couple other ways too.

What we've seen over the last 10 years or so is the increased consumerization of the enterprise. Essentially, large IT depts have been forced to accommodate iPhones and iPads, due to large numbers of people buying them then saying "I want to use this at work", rather than Apple having to accomodate "enterprise" needs (and thereby perpetuating often antiquated or just poor ways of doing things).

I'm generalizing here a bit, but that's another way I'd read it. It probably would have been difficult for people in the late 90s to foresee how much consumerization of IT we'd see 10-15 years in the future

Re: My one question for Steve Jobs in 2000

#7

Post by boredguy8 » Thu, Aug 25, 2011, 5:06 PM UTC

cbs wrote: post #4

"Is Apple ever going to go after the enterprise market?" (Steve's response, a refreshing "If you're interested in that, you're probably at the wrong company.") You like our software enough to want to use it at work and/or want others to get to use it? Yeah, fuck that.

...what?

The 'cost', to Apple, of going to Enterprise is pretty large. Enterprises need things like stable patch schedules, forward-looking roadmaps, and integrated control structure. The toughest, culturally, on that list, is the forward-looking roadmaps. As one of many examples: Apple's switch from PPC chips to Intel chips was done with no warning & negatively impacted order fulfillment. (I was working at a university at the time, and lab computers ordered well in advance of the change were delayed 2 weeks -- other schools who ordered later were waiting months.)

Compare & contrast Microsoft's "patch Tuesday" with Apples "patch whenever". There's a cost to 'going enterprise' that goes far beyond "we don't want you to use this at work".

And that's not even touching the issue other's have pointed out regarding 'image' and 'branding' and emotional associations with the system you're using at the job you hate.

Re: My one question for Steve Jobs in 2000

#8

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Aug 25, 2011, 5:07 PM UTC

cbs wrote: post #4

"Is Apple ever going to go after the enterprise market?" (Steve's response, a refreshing "If you're interested in that, you're probably at the wrong company.") You like our software enough to want to use it at work and/or want others to get to use it? Yeah, fuck that.

[deleted]

Re: My one question for Steve Jobs in 2000

#9

Post by tommi » Thu, Aug 25, 2011, 5:08 PM UTC

mgkimsal wrote: post #6

cbs wrote: post #4

"Is Apple ever going to go after the enterprise market?" (Steve's response, a refreshing "If you're interested in that, you're probably at the wrong company.") You like our software enough to want to use it at work and/or want others to get to use it? Yeah, fuck that.

I thought that at first too, but I think it could be interpreted a couple other ways too. What we've seen over the last 10 years or so is the increased consumerization of the enterprise. Essentially, large IT depts have been forced to accommodate iPhones and iPads, due to large numbers of people buying them then saying "I want to use this at work", rather than Apple having to accomodate "enterprise" needs (and thereb…

Also the needs of consumer and a enterprise have converged. Everybody expects to able to read email on their phone. Many people expect their consumer laptops to be able to encrypt their hard drive (at least Apple users) just like the enterprise IT department. The difference between enterprise and consumer as an IT user has become smaller.

Re: My one question for Steve Jobs in 2000

#10

Post by cbs » Thu, Aug 25, 2011, 5:17 PM UTC

mgkimsal wrote: post #6

cbs wrote: post #4

"Is Apple ever going to go after the enterprise market?" (Steve's response, a refreshing "If you're interested in that, you're probably at the wrong company.") You like our software enough to want to use it at work and/or want others to get to use it? Yeah, fuck that.

I thought that at first too, but I think it could be interpreted a couple other ways too. What we've seen over the last 10 years or so is the increased consumerization of the enterprise. Essentially, large IT depts have been forced to accommodate iPhones and iPads, due to large numbers of people buying them then saying "I want to use this at work", rather than Apple having to accomodate "enterprise" needs (and thereb…

rather than Apple having to accomodate "enterprise" needs (and thereby perpetuating often antiquated or just poor ways of doing things).

Thats kind of a plastering over of the reality though.

iOS plays nice with ActiveSync, right there thats Apple accommodating enterprise needs. I can hit up exchange to remote wipe any employee's iPhone right now.

Its not that IT departments are forced to accommodate iPhones, they're forced to accommodate yet another smartphone.