HomeSpotlight Page 18 - Top 20 Tech and Channel Trends of 2009
The last 12 months will go down as one of the most disruptive and tumultuous periods in channel and technology market history. Not all the trends of 2009 are bad; in fact, some are quite positive. Channel Insider reflects on the top 20 trends of 2009 and their impact on the technology and channel marketplaces.
Top 20 Tech and Channel Trends of 2009 - 4. Apple in the Enterprise
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4. Apple in the Enterprise
When Channel Insider asked solution providers what their customers were asking for the most, the answer was shocking: smartphones. No, end users weren’t asking their VARs for the actual smartphone devices, but rather the service and support for those handheld and increasingly powerful mobile devices. Chief among those smartphones is Apple’s iPhone. Increasingly, Apple is appearing in enterprise and business settings beyond the graphic arts. Mac notebooks and desktops are now being offered by businesses to their employees as an alternative to Windows-based PCs. iPhones are nearly as common as BlackBerrys. And Apple innovations are being replicated by competitors in their consumer and business-class products. The proof of Apple’s increasing influence is the growing number of solution providers supporting Apple products. When people ask whether Apple will begin focusing on business sales, the answer is patently obvious: Apple is already there.
When Channel Insider asked solution providers what their customers were asking for the most, the answer was shocking: smartphones. No, end users weren’t asking their VARs for the actual smartphone devices, but rather the service and support for those handheld and increasingly powerful mobile devices. Chief among those smartphones is Apple’s iPhone. Increasingly, Apple is appearing in enterprise and business settings beyond the graphic arts. Mac notebooks and desktops are now being offered by businesses to their employees as an alternative to Windows-based PCs. iPhones are nearly as common as BlackBerrys. And Apple innovations are being replicated by competitors in their consumer and business-class products. The proof of Apple’s increasing influence is the growing number of solution providers supporting Apple products. When people ask whether Apple will begin focusing on business sales, the answer is patently obvious: Apple is already there. 
