go ahead and take the enterprise
In Goliath Wants David’s Market Justin Watt writes:
In enterprise, Apple is David. The Goliath in enterprise that is Microsoft wants Apple’s market in mobile enterprise. Apple hasn’t entrenched itself nearly deep enough in enterprise. Microsoft has the ability to successfully corner the mobile enterprise market just as it has with the desktop enterprise market.
There’s a big difference between the then desktop market, and the now mobile market.
Then, computers were still out of reach for the average person. Their tasks were accordingly suited to the needs that could afford them. Business productivity was king, and it won the desktop war for Microsoft.
Now, iTunes and iPod (and their progeny, App Store and iPad) have set off a boon in entertainment options on computing devices from music to video to apps. With the masses casually communicating on Twitter and Facebook with no signs of slowing, people are using computers more and more for leisure.
Apple products have always been better suited to those intent on enjoying their devices, and today people expect that from their computers. As casual gaming has outpaced hardcore gaming as a wide industry trend, so casual computing will outpace enterprise computing (if it hasn’t already). While the enterprise was poised to be the big piece of the pie in 1990, the consumer market seems poised to lay hold of the majority today.
If you think Apple’s success is about to crest, you’re still not seeing the bigger picture.