IBM Launches New Service to Deploy Macs to Businesses Around the World - MacRumors
Skip to Content

IBM Launches New Service to Deploy Macs to Businesses Around the World

by

imac_27_angleIBM today announced the launch of a new service that will allow large companies to easily incorporate Mac computers into their preexisting corporate infrastructure. The service, being deployed by IBM's MobileFirst Managed Mobility Services unit, will be aimed at companies around the world and not just based in the United States.

Thanks to the MobileFirst partnership with Apple that has brought about multiple waves of enterprise-focused apps as the company has increased its own usage of Macs, IBM saw an opportunity to commercialize its expertise in "enterprise deployment" of Macs in the workplace.

“Ease of adoption and use are at the foundation of every Apple product, and as these devices are used more in the workplace, people expect the same experience they enjoy with Apple technology in their personal lives,” said Richard Patterson, general manager, Infrastructure Services, IBM Global Technology Services. “IBM’s new enterprise services ensure a great user experience for clients using Macs, providing world-class support from installation through the life of the product.”

The company promises that the new MobileFirst service will be completely headache-free for clients, with the Macs delivered directly to customers and ready to go out of the box with easy network access setup screens and security measures. It will also support the personal Macs of employees if they bring their own devices to work. The source of the quick-and-painless software setup is a partnership with JAMF Software and its Casper Suite, the "leading solution" for the quick deployment and setup of enterprise computers.

Today's news comes after an internal video of IBM chief information officer Jeff Smith that leaked late last week, in which Smith told employees that the company could end up purchasing 150,000-200,000 Macs annually, significantly more than the original estimate of 50,000 Macs deployed through the end of the year announced in internal memo earlier in the year. IBM has told Apple it expects the initiative could eventually see 50-75 percent of IBM employees switching over to Mac from the company-standard Lenovo computers used at IBM.

Tags: IBM, MobileFirst

Popular Stories

Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

11 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro

Monday May 11, 2026 9:01 am PDT by
We're only four months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a...
Read Full Article • 35 comments
iOS 26

iOS 26.5 Features: Everything New in iOS 26.5

Monday May 11, 2026 5:09 pm PDT by
Apple released iOS 26.5 after a few months of beta testing, and while it doesn't have the Siri features we were hoping for since those are being held until iOS 27, there are a handful of useful changes worth knowing about. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. End-to-End Encryption for RCS Support for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and...
Read Full Article • 64 comments
General Apps Reddit Feature

Reddit Starts Blocking Mobile Website, Pushing Users to App Instead

Monday May 11, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
Social network Reddit recently began blocking mobile visitors to its website while pushing them to download the official Reddit app, and it's fair to say that the move is not going down well with users. If you visit reddit.com on your iPhone today, you may see a new popup that can't be dismissed, asking you to "get the app to keep using Reddit." A Reddit spokesperson told Ars Technica...
Read Full Article • 125 comments

Top Rated Comments

S
snebes
141 months ago
Surely, for business monitors, many workers need non-reflective, anti-glare, matte screens. Working people are looking at the screens virtually all day. Eyestrain is a terrible price to pay for having an attractive work of artistic, Jon Ive creation. People just need to get their work done, and many people suffer from eye strain from glossy screens. When is Apple going to stop this madness of only insisting on producing glossy screens?

Please don't tell me that the current iMac screens are less reflective. When I go to an Apple showroom, and I can see the mirror reflection of what's behind me, seen clearly in the mirror reflection on the iMac screen, I do not want that reflection in a computer I use for work.
As someone who has worked off an iMac under office fluorescents for years now, I can assure you, glare isn't that big of a deal. And considering the ****** state of cheap office monitors, although matte, look awful and cause me eye strain looking at them for extended periods.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
MacFather
141 months ago
Deleted.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
U
unplugme71
141 months ago
Surely, for business monitors, many workers need non-reflective, anti-glare, matte screens. Working people are looking at the screens virtually all day. Eyestrain is a terrible price to pay for having an attractive work of artistic, Jon Ive creation. People just need to get their work done, and many people suffer from eye strain from glossy screens. When is Apple going to stop this madness of only insisting on producing glossy screens?

Please don't tell me that the current iMac screens are less reflective. When I go to an Apple showroom, and I can see the mirror reflection of what's behind me, seen clearly in the mirror reflection on the iMac screen, I do not want that reflection in a computer I use for work.
The lighting in stores doesn't always reflect that of corporate America.

We have Macs in our campus at work and nobody ever has complained.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
A
aristobrat
141 months ago
Fascinating that IBM would turn to Apple Macs at the corporate level.
If they're going to be getting in the enterprise Mac management arena, it's good to see they're eating what they're selling. :)

Surely, for business monitors, many workers need non-reflective, anti-glare, matte screens. Working people are looking at the screens virtually all day. Eyestrain is a terrible price to pay for having an attractive work of artistic, Jon Ive creation. People just need to get their work done, and many people suffer from eye strain from glossy screens. When is Apple going to stop this madness of only insisting on producing glossy screens?

Please don't tell me that the current iMac screens are less reflective. When I go to an Apple showroom, and I can see the mirror reflection of what's behind me, seen clearly in the mirror reflection on the iMac screen, I do not want that reflection in a computer I use for work.
We've only got ~50 Macs where I work, but the number of complaints from those folks about glare and eye strain = 0. And trust me when I say they're not a group of folks that keep complaints to themselves.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H
hotpotato123
141 months ago
Surely, for business monitors, many workers need non-reflective, anti-glare, matte screens. Working people are looking at the screens virtually all day. Eyestrain is a terrible price to pay for having an attractive work of artistic, Jon Ive creation. People just need to get their work done, and many people suffer from eye strain from glossy screens. When is Apple going to stop this madness of only insisting on producing glossy screens?

Please don't tell me that the current iMac screens are less reflective. When I go to an Apple showroom, and I can see the mirror reflection of what's behind me, seen clearly in the mirror reflection on the iMac screen, I do not want that reflection in a computer I use for work.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zirel Avatar
Zirel
141 months ago
Surely, for business monitors, many workers need non-reflective, anti-glare, matte screens. Working people are looking at the screens virtually all day. Eyestrain is a terrible price to pay for having an attractive work of artistic, Jon Ive creation. People just need to get their work done, and many people suffer from eye strain from glossy screens. When is Apple going to stop this madness of only insisting on producing glossy screens?

Please don't tell me that the current iMac screens are less reflective. When I go to an Apple showroom, and I can see the mirror reflection of what's behind me, seen clearly in the mirror reflection on the iMac screen, I do not want that reflection in a computer I use for work.
Here comes the guy who thinks Apple is as incompetent as those PC brands...

Showrooms have much excess of light coming from all directions, much unlike the typical office.

Once you use a GLASS monitor, you won't want to go back to those crappy "mate" screens that are nothing more than a cheap plastic put over another piece of regular plastic.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments