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

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.

Top Rated Comments

snebes Avatar
109 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)
MacFather Avatar
109 months ago
Deleted.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
unplugme71 Avatar
109 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)
hotpotato123 Avatar
109 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)
aristobrat Avatar
109 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)
nostaws Avatar
109 months ago
"Headache-free"? How do you quantify/qualify that?
I have a headache right now. Do I get some sort of reimbursement?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16 4 Web Push

Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
best buy snowflakes

Best Buy's New Weekend Sale Has Record Low Prices on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air

Friday December 8, 2023 7:37 am PST by
Best Buy's month-long holiday sale continues this weekend with multiple all-time low prices on Apple's line of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air computers. In addition to Apple notebooks, Best Buy's event has discounts sitewide on home appliances, TVs, video games, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive...
iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
beeper mini

Apple Puts a Stop to Beeper Mini's iMessage for Android Feature

Friday December 8, 2023 2:24 pm PST by
Apple appears to have closed the loophole that Beeper Mini used to bring iMessage to Android, putting a stop to blue bubbles from Android devices. Beeper Mini quit working earlier today, with users receiving "failed to lookup on server: lookup request timed out" error messages. Beeper said on Twitter that it is investigating the issue, but Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky told TechCrunch that "all ...
maxresdefault

Review: Two Months With the iPhone 15 Pro Max

Thursday December 7, 2023 12:04 pm PST by
Apple's iPhone 15 lineup came out in September, and while most reviews are done shortly after a new device launches, we like to follow up with a longer term review that gives us an opportunity to provide a deeper dive into what it's like using these phones on a day to day basis for months. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been...
apple watch black friday

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Hits New Record Low Price of $699, Alongside Series 9 and SE Sales

Friday December 8, 2023 8:55 am PST by
Amazon has a few big discounts on Apple Watch today, headlined by a new all-time low price on the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Many of these watches can be delivered by Christmas, with delivery dates around the middle of next week for most models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site ...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 May Reuse Existing iPhone 14 Battery

Wednesday December 6, 2023 1:17 pm PST by
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
iOS 17

35 Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 17.2 Coming This Week

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:57 am PST by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers in October. Since then we've seen three more betas, and with each iteration Apple continues to add more new features and changes, many of which users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 35 new things that are coming to your iPhone when the finalized version is publicly released in mid-December. 1....