The Total Economic Impact™ Of Apple Mac For Business
Cost Savings And Business Benefits Enabled By Mac Devices
A Forrester Total Economic Impact™ Study Commissioned By Apple, April 2024
More often than ever before, today’s organizations are prioritizing the improvement of their digital employee experiences (DEX) and end-user experiences. 1 A strong DEX contributes to business outcomes such as employee retention, security, and customer satisfaction. 2 By investing in Mac devices for business, whether as a standard offering or as part of a choose-your-own-device (CYOD) program, an organization can improve its DEX while decreasing its total employee device costs and improving its security posture, IT efficiency, and employee productivity.
Apple commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study and examine the potential return on investment (ROI) enterprises may realize by deploying Mac devices.3 The purpose of this study is to provide readers with a framework to evaluate the potential financial impact of Mac devices on their organizations.
Return on investment (ROI)
186%186%
Net present value (NPV)
$49.4M$49.4M
To better understand the benefits, costs, and risks associated with this investment, Forrester interviewed 11 decision-makers from nine organizations and surveyed 242 hardware decision-makers and 53 end users with experience using Mac devices for business at their organizations. For the purposes of this study, Forrester aggregated the experiences of the interviewees and survey respondents and combined the results into a single composite organization that is a global enterprise organization with more than 50,000 employees.
has about 0 employees and generates $0 in annual revenue. Custom results are based on user inputs and the TEI case study.
Interviewees said that prior to using Mac devices, their organizations struggled with inefficient device provisioning, suboptimal security posturing, and poor device user experiences. Multiple interviewees said small groups of employees at their organizations used Mac devices for work outside of the company’s fully managed IT infrastructure. They said these employees were attracted to the performance of the devices and that they were often previously familiar with the Mac operating system (OS). As the number of employees who wanted to use Mac devices grew, the organizations struggled with a lack of visibility into these unmanaged devices. Attracted to the improved performance and cost of the MacBook Air with Apple silicon, the organizations decided to officially offer Mac devices to employees to bring the Mac devices under management, standardize to a single device type, simplify device security, and/or improve their DEX.
Interviewees said that after their organizations invested in a device choice program that offered Mac devices, a considerable number of employees chose Mac devices. They explained that as a result, their organizations became more secure, and their IT teams became more efficient. At the same time, employees who switched to using Mac devices benefitted from increased performance, improved battery life, and more reliability. Interviewees said the benefits of Mac devices compounded with the number of Macs deployed.
Key Findings
Quantified benefits . Five-year, risk-adjusted present value (PV) quantified benefits for the composite organization include:
- Reduced device support and management costs by almost one-third. It’s more efficient for the composite organization to provision and update Mac devices over other devices because Mac devices are cheaper to maintain and manage and experience fewer security incidents. With 60% fewer tickets filed per device per year and tickets that are cheaper to resolve, the composite spends less on support tickets per device with Macs. In addition, its IT employees spend less time on device management, and they manage twice as many devices per employee. With a cumulative 13,125 Mac devices deployed, the composite organization saves $7.3 million in support and management costs over five years.
For , this benefit might be worth over five years.
- Reduced and avoided hardware, software, and energy costs worth $21.2 million. By purchasing Mac devices, the composite avoids the cost of PC devices it would have provided to employees along with the cost of all associated device software. Mac devices do not require the additional purchase of an OS license, and interviewees said they require fewer security applications to achieve higher levels of security. According to the interviewees and Forrester research, Macs consume 56% less energy than PCs.
For , this benefit might be worth over five years.
- Reduced risk of a data breach by up to 90%. Apple’s fundamental device architecture, automatic encryption, operating system design and automatic updates, and facilitation of threat detection improves the overall security of Mac devices, which helps the composite reduce its vulnerability to some types of data breaches. Usage of a Mac rather than a PC decreases the composite’s level of risk exposure from a breach due to an external attack or internal incident by 15%, and it decreases its risk of exposure from a breach due to a lost or stolen asset by 90%. Over five years, the reduced risk of a data breach is worth $530,000 to the composite organization.
For , this benefit might be worth over five years.
- A 3.5% increase in employee productivity due to device performance and reliability. Employees at the composite organization who choose Mac devices spend 45 fewer minutes per month waiting for their devices to start up or update and 55 fewer minutes per month on issue investigation and waiting for resolution. In addition, faster device-processing speeds, better application reliability and performance, a more intuitive user experience, and a longer battery life all contribute to improving overall employee engagement and productivity. Over five years, this improvement in employee productivity and saved end-user time is worth $46.4 million to the composite organization.
For , this benefit might be worth over five years.
- Three times the device residual value after four years of use. The composite organization purchases its laptops outright and, after four years, it retires them to an asset recovery program that allows it to recover the residual value of each device. According to the interviewees and Forrester research, the average cost of an enterprise PC is $1,100, and it maintains a 15% residual value after four years. The cost of an enterprise MacBook Air is $1,299, and it maintains a 30% residual value after four years. In Year 5, when the composite retires 3,750 Mac devices, this increase in residual value is worth $498,000 to the composite organization.
For refreshing about 0% of devices per year, this benefit might be worth .
Unquantified benefits. Benefits that provide value for the composite organization but are not quantified for this study include:
- Extended device lifetime. The composite organization may get a longer usable lifespan from its Mac devices before retiring them due to build quality and durability and a slower degree of performance degradation. Survey respondents reported that their organization extended its device lifetime with Mac devices by more than 13 months over previously used devices.
- Improved brand reputation and employee acquisition. In addition to enhancing employee productivity and engagement, offering Mac devices to employees can positively contribute to the composite organization’s brand reputation, talent acquisition, and retention rates.
- Synergies with other Apple products. If the composite organization uses other Apple products in addition to Mac devices, Apple’s device connectivity can enable a seamless transition between other devices (e.g., iPhones, iPads) to further increase employee productivity.
- Reduced emissions from lower energy usage. With environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals becoming more common and the SEC setting a future mandate for climate-related investor disclosures, corporate tracking of energy usage and carbon footprints will accelerate in importance. According to the interviewees and Forrester research, Mac devices consume less than half the electricity of equivalent PC devices, and they generally contribute less carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Extrapolated to thousands of devices at the composite organization, these savings would signify a notable ESG improvement.
Costs. Five-year, risk-adjusted PV costs for the composite organization include:
- Implementation and management labor costs of $1.1 million. The composite organization dedicates four FTE resources to implementation over about six months. They set up the organization’s device provisioning and infrastructure, site-to-site authentication, and user access, and they train frontline support teams on Mac device management. Ongoing labor, including managing the organization’s MDM solution, overseeing the Apple relationship, managing the employee device choice program and inventory, coordinating and testing device updates, managing device residual value programs, and decision-making on an ongoing basis consumes 1.5 FTE resources in Year 1 and two FTE resources from Year 2 onwards.
For , these costs could represent over five years.
- Hardware and software costs for 13,125 employees, amounting to $25.5 million. With investment in a Mac choice program, the composite organization incurs the costs of the devices, AppleCare, an MDM solution, and the security software installed on the devices. The organization pays $1,299 for each Mac and $105 for AppleCare Enterprise up front at the time of device deployment, as well as $10 per month per user for a third-party MDM solution and $8 per month per user for a security application installed on all devices.
For with a total of 0 MacBook devices deployed, these costs could represent over five years.
The financial analysis which is based on the decision-maker interviews and survey found that a composite organization experiences benefits of $76.0 million over five years versus costs of $26.6 million, adding up to a net present value (NPV) of $49.4 million and an ROI of 186%.
might experience benefits of over five years versus costs of , adding up to an NPV of and an ROI of 0%.
Key Statistics
-
Return on investment (ROI)
186%186%
-
Benefits PV
$76.0M$76.0M
-
Net present value (NPV)
$49.4M$49.4M
-
Payback
<6 months <6 months
Benefits (Five-Year)
Reduced support and management costs Reduced and avoided hardware, software, and energy costs Cost savings from reduced risk of a data breach Imrpoved employee productivity Recovered device residual valueTEI Framework And Methodology
From the information provided in the interviews and survey, Forrester constructed a Total Economic Impact™ framework for those organizations considering an investment in Mac devices.
The objective of the framework is to identify the cost, benefit, flexibility, and risk factors that affect the investment decision. Forrester took a multistep approach to evaluate the impact that Mac devices can have on an organization.
-
Due Diligence
Interviewed Apple stakeholders and Forrester analysts to gather data relative to Mac devices.
-
Interviews And Survey
Interviewed 11 decision-makers from nine organizations and surveyed 242 hardware decision-makers and 53 end users of Mac for business at organizations using Mac devices to obtain data about costs, benefits, and risks.
-
Composite Organization
Designed a composite organization based on characteristics of the interviewees’ organizations.
-
Financial Model Framework
Constructed a financial model representative of the interviews and survey results using the TEI methodology and risk-adjusted the financial model based on issues and concerns of the interviewees.
-
Case Study
Employed four fundamental elements of TEI in modeling the investment impact: benefits, costs, flexibility, and risks. Given the increasing sophistication of ROI analyses related to IT investments, Forrester’s TEI methodology provides a complete picture of the total economic impact of purchase decisions. Please see Appendix A for additional information on the TEI methodology.
Disclosures
Readers should be aware of the following:
This study is commissioned by Apple and delivered by Forrester Consulting. It is not meant to be used as a competitive analysis.
Forrester makes no assumptions as to the potential ROI that other organizations will receive. Forrester strongly advises that readers use their own estimates within the framework provided in the study to determine the appropriateness of an investment in Mac devices. For the interactive functionality using Configure Data/Custom Data, the intent is for the questions to solicit inputs specific to a prospect's business. Forrester believes that this analysis is representative of what companies may achieve with Mac devices based on the inputs provided and any assumptions made. Forrester does not endorse Apple or its offerings. Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy and completeness of this model, Apple and Forrester Research are unable to accept any legal responsibility for any actions taken on the basis of the information contained herein. The interactive tool is provided ‘AS IS,’ and Forrester and Apple make no warranties of any kind.
Apple reviewed and provided feedback to Forrester, but Forrester maintains editorial control over the study and its findings and does not accept changes to the study that contradict Forrester’s findings or obscure the meaning of the study.
Apple provided the customer names for the interviews but did not participate in the interviews.
Forrester fielded the double-blind survey using a third-party survey partner.
Consulting Team:
Emma Conroy
Nahida Nisa
Nick Ferrif
Drivers leading to the Mac investment for business
Key Challenges
Forrester interviewed 11 representatives of nine organizations and surveyed 242 hardware decision-makers and 53 end users with experience using Mac devices for business at their organizations. For more details on these individuals and the organizations they represent, see Appendix B.
Interviewees said that before investing in Mac devices, their organizations primarily deployed PC devices from several brands to all employees. While most of the organizations had not sanctioned Macs for official use, several of the organizations’ IT teams were aware of subsets of employees who were using Mac devices, most often in leadership or software development roles. For some organizations, these devices were not formally managed. The interviewees noted their organizations struggled with common challenges with their device makeups, including:
- Inefficient device provisioning and low security positioning. Interviewees’ organizations often piled multiple security and management applications on top of their PC devices, which lengthened and complicated device provisioning and slowed the devices themselves. The organizations that heavily prioritized security found that their legacy devices were more vulnerable than they wanted to be.
- Poor device experience. Interviewees noted their organizations’ legacy devices had loud fans and emitted a lot of heat while consuming a lot of energy. They had short battery lives and poor portability, and users experienced frequent device glitches, errors, and shutdowns.
- Unmanaged internal use of Mac devices. Interviewees from multiple organizations said small groups of employees had personally opted to use Mac devices for work. These employees included developers who used the devices to build iOS applications, but who utilized the devices professionally outside of the organizations’ fully managed IT infrastructures. As the number of employees who wanted to use Mac devices grew, the organizations struggled with a lack of visibility into the devices.
- Few employee or business options. Without a device choice program, few, if any, employees had a choice in one of their most-used productivity tools. Interviewees said their organizations speculated that giving employees a choice of device would increase employee engagement and satisfaction. The director of IT infrastructure at a foods manufacturing and distribution organization told Forrester: “[We] do not want to be too restricted by a certain brand, so we hope to enable our company to operate sustainably in the office field [and] let our office platform have more choices instead of just relying on [PC devices].”
Investment Objectives
To solve for these challenges, the interviewees’ organizations evaluated implementing a device choice program that could:
- Provide long-term cost savings. Multiple interviewees expressed that in the long run, Mac devices would have a lower cost of ownership than their organization’s previous devices. They spoke of Mac’s power efficiency, longer device lifespan, and reduced effort to deploy and maintain as contributors to lower overall costs. The VP of clinical systems at a healthcare organization described: “If the price [of a Mac] is within spitting distance [of another device], but I’m saving half of my energy costs and […] it’s easier to deploy, it’s less effort to maintain, and users are happier, [then] all of those things continue to wash out some of the purchase economics.”
- Take advantage of higher-performant devices at a lower cost than before. Interviewees said the release of native Apple silicon and the decreasing cost of Macs was a motivating factor for their organizations to offer Mac devices. The head of Apple partnership at a technology organization told Forrester: “Now, we’re at a price point that was under $1,000 and had unbelievable performance. It made the case a lot easier.”
- Attract and retain top talent. Interviewees hoped that giving employees a choice of device or switching entirely to Apple devices would help their organizations attract and retain talent. They expressed that Apple often delivered a better user experience and employees who were able to choose their device type would be more satisfied in their jobs overall.
- Improve user experience and productivity. In addition to improving the user experience, interviewees’ organizations hoped to improve existing employee productivity because they were equipped with the devices they wanted. In addition, some organizations that were using other Apple devices such as iPads or iPhones for business thought the connection between devices would benefit employees working across form factors.
- Improve device management and tighten security strategy. Interviewees pointed to Apple’s MacOS, upgrades and management, and security as reasons for choosing to move forward with companywide embrace of Mac devices. Organizations with unmanaged Mac devices in use looked to fully manage the devices. An interviewee from a financial services organization said their company chose to switch to Mac devices primarily because of their reputation for security and low frequency of malware attacks.
FIGURE 1
“Please select the top three drivers or objectives that led your organization to deploy MacBook Air devices.”
Base: 242 hardware decision-makers at their
organization
Source: A
commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Apple,
March 2024
Ultimately, the interviewees’ organizations chose to implement a device choice program that included Mac or to switch to Apple devices entirely.
- Seven of the interviewees’ organizations chose to implement a device choice program for employees, while one rolled out Mac devices to all employees. Another switched to offering Mac as the default for all new hires as a way to gradually shift to Apple devices as its primary device type.
- The principal product manager at a food and beverage organization said their company conducted a formal evaluation of device types across metrics like total cost of ownership, user feedback, architectural fit, and functional requirements. The interviewee said Mac scored the highest in terms of functional, architectural, and security fit.
- Interviewees said that, generally, about 40% of the employees enrolled in a device choice program began using Mac devices, with the percentage of employees that chose Mac rising over time.
- All of the interviewees’ organizations invested in mobile device management (MDM) software to manage the new devices.
FIGURE 2
“What are the top features that you and others in your organization value most about Apple MacBook Air devices?”
Base: 242 hardware decision-makers at their
organization
Source: A
commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Apple,
March 2024
Composite Organization
Based on the interviews and survey results, Forrester constructed a TEI framework, a composite company, and an ROI analysis that illustrates the areas financially affected. The composite organization is representative of the 11 interviewees’ nine organizations, and it is used to present the aggregate financial analysis in the next section. The composite organization has the following characteristics:
Description of composite. The global, multibillion-dollar business-to-consumer organization is headquartered in North America. More than 50,000 of the organization’s employees utilize a personal computer at work, and all personal computers are refreshed on a four-year cycle. The vast majority of employees were given PCs that ran on the PC OS, although a select few were given a choice of personal computer type based on their role or type of work. Some of these employees — mainly those in engineering, data science, creative, design, or executive roles — chose to use a Mac device for work. The organization managed these devices, but it did not have employees with specific expertise of Apple devices or any dedicated to the devices given the very small number of such devices compared to PCs. Many employees utilize iOS devices for work in addition to personal computers.
Deployment characteristics. Decision-makers at the composite organization choose to implement a device choice program for employees. Employees are newly eligible for a choice of device when their existing personal device is retired at the end of its four-year lifespan. Eligible employees can select from multiple device options, including Macs and PCs, within a specified performance tier based on their role and specific responsibilities. The MacBook Air with M1 serves as a capable device option for a range of employees across multiple tiers due to its power and performance.
During the first year of the choice program, when 12,500 employees are offered a choice of device, 30% of eligible employees choose to use a Mac. In the second year, 35% of eligible employees choose a Mac. And in the third year and beyond, 40% of eligible employees choose a Mac.
Overall, during the first three years of the program, the organization deploys a total of 13,125 Macs vs. 24,375 PCs. In order to maintain the same device refresh schedule for all devices, Mac devices are standardized to the organization’s existing four-year device lifespan.
has 0 employees and refreshes about 0% of devices per year. During the first year of the choice program, 0% of eligible employees choose to use a Mac. In the second year, 0% of eligible employees choose a Mac. And in the third year and beyond, 0% of eligible employees choose a Mac.
For a comprehensive analysis of the costs and benefits of each device, this model extends the calculation of the benefits and costs of the Mac devices purchased during Years 1, 2, and 3 through the end of Year 5 of the device choice program. Although Forrester excluded these from the modeled costs and benefits, it assumes the composite organization continues to deploy Mac devices to employees as part of the choice program in these years.
The following table shows custom results for .
Total Employees Using Mac Devices
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XX1 | Total employees eligible for choice of device | CompositeComposite | 50,00050,000 | 50,00050,000 | 50,00050,000 | 50,00050,000 | 50,00050,000 |
| XX2 | Percentage of employees eligible for device refresh with choice of device | CompositeComposite | 25%25% | 25%25% | 25%25% | ||
| XX3 | Percentage of employees choosing MacBook Air | CompositeComposite | 30%30% | 35%35% | 40%40% | ||
| XX4 | Employees receiving a new MacBook Air device | XX1*XX2*XX3 | 3,7503,750 | 4,3754,375 | 5,0005,000 | ||
| XXt | Total employees using Mac devices | XX4, cumulative | 3,7503,750 | 8,1258,125 | 13,12513,125 | 13,12513,125 | 13,12513,125 |
Quantified benefit data as applied to the composite
The following table shows custom results for .
Total Benefits
| Ref. | Benefit | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Total | Present Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atr | Reduced support and management costs | $737,595 $737,595 | $1,598,123 $1,598,123 | $2,581,583 $2,581,583 | $2,581,583 $2,581,583 | $2,581,583 $2,581,583 | $10,080,465 $10,080,465 | $7,297,100 $7,297,100 |
| Btr | Reduced and avoided hardware, software, and energy costs | $4,826,003 $4,826,003 | $6,679,151 $6,679,151 | $8,707,103 $8,707,103 | $3,670,853 $3,670,853 | $3,670,853 $3,670,853 | $27,553,961 $27,553,961 | $21,235,562 $21,235,562 |
| Ctr | Cost savings from reduced risk of a data breach | $57,340 $57,340 | $114,680 $114,680 | $186,354 $186,354 | $186,354 $186,354 | $186,354 $186,354 | $731,083 $731,083 | $529,909 $529,909 |
| Dtr | Improved employee productivity | $4,694,760 $4,694,760 | $10,171,980 $10,171,980 | $16,431,660 $16,431,660 | $16,431,660 $16,431,660 | $16,431,660 $16,431,660 | $64,161,720 $64,161,720 | $46,445,721 $46,445,721 |
| Etr | Recovered device residual value | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $801,563 $801,563 | $801,563 $801,563 | $497,707 $497,707 |
| Total benefits (risk-adjusted) | $10,315,698 $10,315,698 | $18,563,934 $18,563,934 | $27,906,699 $27,906,699 | $22,870,449 $22,870,449 | $23,672,012 $23,672,012 | $103,328,792 $103,328,792 | $76,005,999 $76,005,999 | |
Reduced Support And Management Costs
Evidence and data. According to interviewees, Mac devices were more efficient to provision, required less maintenance and fewer manual updates, and experienced fewer security incidents than other devices, which enabled IT teams to manage more devices per employee. The organizations reduced support and management costs in the following areas:
-
Deployment.
Most of the
interviewees said that to deploy PC devices at their organization, IT team
members physically had to intercept the devices and conduct the initial
setup. The organizations drastically shortened their device deployment
processes for Mac devices by implementing a process for automatic,
zero-touch deployment.
The director of mobile product and innovation at a financial services organization said that for Mac devices with Apple Business Manager and streamlined enrollment already in place, the devices ship directly to users. They said: “It’s completely operationally hands off so that you can request it through service now. When it is ordered, it goes through our reseller, our reseller then ships it, [and] it’ll either ship to the office or ship to home. So, [there is no] IT support staff that helps handle the devices on the Mac side … because it’s essentially just drop-ship to user, and the user is set up.”
The global head of Apple partnership at a technology services organization described using an open-source tool to create a user interface presentation layer that would run automatically for new users while their devices were being set up on the back end. They told Forrester, “[With the new deployment process], we’re saving seven hours of time per [Mac] device that we roll out here [compared to other devices].” -
Support tickets.
Interviewees also reported receiving fewer support tickets from Mac users
and that problems on Mac devices were easier to solve. The global head of
Apple partnership at a technology organization shared that their Level 1
support team received five times more support calls from PC users than Mac
users. The IT superintendent in financial services noted: “[With a PC], you
face so many problems regarding memory leaks, processor problems, and
application malfunctions. These are things that you don’t face with Mac
devices.”
Interviewees said that when issues did arise, they were often easier to identify and resolve than issues on other device types due to device conformity, lower complexity of the Mac ecosystem, and the mobile device management solutions they used to manage the devices and applications remotely. The director of mobile product and innovation in financial services said: “It makes things a little bit simpler when it comes to triage. So, you’re not asking [users] all these 30 different questions like, ‘What’s your image?’ [and] ‘What do you want?’” -
Ongoing IT management.
Interviewees said that in addition to saving time during procurement and
support, IT teams at their organizations found efficiencies in device
management and updates, vulnerability identification and remediation, and
compliance and auditing that allowed them to manage more devices with fewer
IT employees. The senior MacOS engineer at a healthcare organization told
Forrester that just two people at their company managed 2,500 Mac devices.
The CTO at a financial services organization shared, “We have a process to
identify vulnerabilities or operating system lack of updates, and it was
much easier to run those updates and enhance the Mac operating systems than
[it is for PCs].”
Interviewees said Apple’s investment in enterprise management capabilities helped streamline the patching process and make it easier for IT teams to apply common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE) updates. The director of mobile product and innovation at a separate financial services organization explained that when minor macOS updates were released, there were rarely issues that would impact the core operating system, which made it easier to apply updates without encountering compatibility or stability issues. They said: “It’s less time patch on CVEs for sure. … When we look at minor releases of macOS to address CVEs, we rarely, if ever, see any issue that would impact the core build with the patch. So, say you are going from 13.6.0 to 13.6.1, you don’t need to go and requalify all the applications on the OS to make sure that there’s no downstream impacts to the CVE remediation on the Mac.”
The director of IT infrastructure at the foods manufacturing and distribution organization calculated that image maintenance of PC devices security incident resolution took hundreds of hours per year, which was drastically reduced for Apple devices.
FIGURE 3
“Which, if any, of the following IT benefits has your organization experienced from using MacBook Air devices (compared to non-Apple devices)?”
Base: 242 hardware decision-makers at their
organization
Source: A
commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Apple,
March 2024
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
- Thirty percent of the 12,500 employees who enter the device choice program in Year 1 (3,750 employees) choose Mac as their new or replacement machine. This percentage increases to 35% in Year 2 and to 40% in Year 3. By the end of Year 3, 13,125 employees use a Mac.
- Each PC user files an average of six support tickets per year. Each ticket costs $20 to resolve on average, including the time spent by support staff and any hardware or software replacements or repairs.
- Mac users create 60% fewer tickets than PC users, and each Mac ticket costs 20% less to resolve than a PC ticket.
- Following Mac deployment best practices, an IT FTE can manage an average of 600 Mac devices compared to 300 PCs.
- The average fully burdened annual compensation for an IT FTE is $102,410.
- Each IT FTE recaptures 80% of their saved time into added productivity.
Risks. The expected financial impact is subject to risks and variation based on factors including the organization’s:
- Employee eligibility for device choice and preference for Mac devices.
- Average cost to resolve a support ticket per PC and per Mac.
- Integration challenges associated with deploying Mac devices into PC environments.
- IT device-management structure and efficiency.
- Compensation amounts and structures for IT employees and recapture rates of productivity on saved time.
- Deployment and management structures of Mac devices in the organization.
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 10%, yielding a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $7.3 million.
For , this benefit may have a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Reduced Support And Management Costs
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Average support tickets per PC per year | CompositeComposite | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | ||||
| A2 | Percent reduction in support tickets with Mac | Interviews | 60%60% | 60%60% | 60%60% | 60%60% | 60%60% | ||||
| A3 | Average cost to resolve tickets per PC | CompositeComposite | $20 $20 | $20 $20 | $20 $20 | $20 $20 | $20 $20 | ||||
| A4 | Reduced cost to resolve tickets per Mac | Interviews | 20%20% | 20%20% | 20%20% | 20%20% | 20%20% | ||||
| A5 | Support cost per PC | A1*A3 | $120 $120 | $120 $120 | $120 $120 | $120 $120 | $120 $120 | ||||
| A6 | Support cost per Mac | A1*(1-A2)*A3* (1-A4) | $38 $38 | $38 $38 | $38 $38 | $38 $38 | $38 $38 | ||||
| A7 | Subtotal: Reduced support costs | (A5-A6)*XXt | $307,500 $307,500 | $666,250 $666,250 | $1,076,250 $1,076,250 | $1,076,250 $1,076,250 | $1,076,250 $1,076,250 | ||||
| A8 | PCs managed per IT FTE | InterviewsInterviews | 300300 | 300300 | 300300 | 300300 | 300300 | ||||
| A9 | Macs managed per IT FTE | InterviewsInterviews | 600600 | 600600 | 600600 | 600600 | 600600 | ||||
| A10 | Fully burdened annual compensation for an IT employee | TEI standard TEI standard | $102,410 $102,410 | $102,410 $102,410 | $102,410 $102,410 | $102,410 $102,410 | $102,410 $102,410 | ||||
| A11 | IT employee productivity recapture rate | TEI standard | 80%80% | 80%80% | 80%80% | 80%80% | 80%80% | ||||
| A12 | Subtotal: Reduced management costs | (XXt/A8-XXt/A9) *A10*A11 | $512,050 $512,050 | $1,109,442 $1,109,442 | $1,792,175 $1,792,175 | $1,792,175 $1,792,175 | $1,792,175 $1,792,175 | ||||
| At | Reduced support and management costs | A7+A12 | $819,550 $819,550 | $1,775,692 $1,775,692 | $2,868,425 $2,868,425 | $2,868,425 $2,868,425 | $2,868,425 $2,868,425 | ||||
| Risk adjustment | ↓10% | ||||||||||
| Atr | Reduced support and management costs (risk-adjusted) | $737,595 $737,595 | $1,598,123 $1,598,123 | $2,581,583 $2,581,583 | $2,581,583 $2,581,583 | $2,581,583 $2,581,583 | |||||
| Five-year total: $10,080,465 $10,080,465 | Five-year present value: $7,297,100 $7,297,100 | ||||||||||
Reduced And Avoided Hardware, Software, And Energy Costs
Evidence and data. Interviewees said that by purchasing Mac devices, their organizations avoided the cost of the PC devices they would have provided to employees along with the cost of all associated device software. Because Mac devices do not require the additional purchase of an OS license, some of the interviewees’ organizations took advantage of Apple’s automatic OS updates and built-in security features to forego purchasing and deploying endpoint security licenses for Mac devices that they deployed on all PCs.
- The architect at a retail organization told Forrester that in terms of employee device choice, they equated a MacBook Air to a very premium PC. They said, “A PC that we procure today costs us about $2,300, and the same MacBook Air that would be deployed to the same type of user who’s chosen a Mac costs us about $1,250.”
- The VP of clinical systems in healthcare highlighted that the simplicity of the software their organization deployed on Apple devices streamlined their provisioning, “[For] the [PC] architecture, our security and device provisioning is pretty clunky because we have a custom soup of stuff that gets put onto each of these devices based on our legacy policies for devices in the [PC] environment.”
- Interviewees whose organizations tested the energy consumption of their devices found that Mac devices consume less energy than equivalent PCs. The VP of clinical systems in healthcare said their organization tested the baseline average draw for all legacy devices that were on the PC architecture and then did the same comparison for iMacs, Mac Minis, and MacBook Airs. They found that a [PC] laptop had a draw of 45 versus a draw of 20 for a MacBook Air, which delivered an energy reduction of more than 50%. Nearly two-thirds of the surveyed decision-makers agreed that their organization reduced its energy consumption after investing in MacBook Air devices.
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
- The average cost of an enterprise PC is $1,100, which represents an average of all PCs that would be provided to employees eligible for the device choice program.
- The composite organization pays $85 per device for a third-party hardware support contract that covers the device for four years.
- The organization pays an average of $132 per device per year (or $11 per month) for a combined MDM and OS license.
- The organization deploys security software on each PC that costs $192 annually per device (or $16 per month).
- The organization pays 17 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity, and it pays for the consumption of each laptop for 8 hours a day for 144 in-office working days per year or 60% of 240 standard working days per year.
- Deployed PCs on average draw 45W of power, while deployed Mac devices draw 20W.
Risks. The expected financial impact is subject to risks and variation based on factors including the organization’s:
- Employee eligibility for device choice and level of preference for Mac devices.
- Choice of enterprise PC, third-party hardware support, OS, MDM solution, and security software, and their associated costs.
- Cost of energy and number and frequency of employees using company-supplied electricity to power their devices.
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 15%, yielding a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $21.2 million.
For , this benefit may have a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Reduced And Avoided Hardware, Software, And Energy Costs
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | New MacBook Air devices deployed | XX4 | 3,7503,750 | 4,3754,375 | 5,0005,000 | ||||||
| B2 | Cost of deployed PC | CompositeComposite | $1,100 $1,100 | $1,100 $1,100 | $1,100 $1,100 | ||||||
| B3 | Third-party hardware support contract costs | CompositeComposite | $85 $85 | $85 $85 | $85 $85 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | ||||
| B4 | PC MDM and OS license costs | CompositeComposite | $132 $132 | $132 $132 | $132 $132 | $132 $132 | $132 $132 | ||||
| B5 | Security license costs | CompositeComposite | $192 $192 | $192 $192 | $192 $192 | $192 $192 | $192 $192 | ||||
| B6 | Subtotal: Avoided hardware and software costs | B1*(B2+B3)+XXt* (B4+B5) | $5,658,750 $5,658,750 | $7,816,875 $7,816,875 | $10,177,500 $10,177,500 | $4,252,500 $4,252,500 | $4,252,500 $4,252,500 | ||||
| B7 | Energy costs per PC | CompositeComposite | $15 $15 | $15 $15 | $15 $15 | $15 $15 | $15 $15 | ||||
| B8 | Reduced energy costs per Mac | CompositeComposite | 56%56% | 56%56% | 56%56% | 56%56% | 56%56% | ||||
| B9 | Employees in office | CompositeComposite | 60%60% | 60%60% | 60%60% | 60%60% | 60%60% | ||||
| B10 | Subtotal: Reduced energy costs | XXt*B7*B8*B9 | $18,900 $18,900 | $40,950 $40,950 | $66,150 $66,150 | $66,150 $66,150 | $66,150 $66,150 | ||||
| Bt | Reduced and avoided hardware, software, and energy costs | B6+B10 | $5,677,650 $5,677,650 | $7,857,825 $7,857,825 | $10,243,650 $10,243,650 | $4,318,650 $4,318,650 | $4,318,650 $4,318,650 | ||||
| Risk adjustment | ↓15% | ||||||||||
| Btr | Reduced and avoided hardware, software, and energy costs (risk-adjusted) | $4,826,003 $4,826,003 | $6,679,151 $6,679,151 | $8,707,103 $8,707,103 | $3,670,853 $3,670,853 | $3,670,853 $3,670,853 | |||||
| Five-year total: $27,553,961 $27,553,961 | Five-year present value: $21,235,562 $21,235,562 | ||||||||||
Cost Savings From Reduced Risk Of A Data Breach
Evidence and data. Interviewees cited Apple’s fundamental device architecture, automatic encryption, operating system design and automatic updates, and facilitation of threat detection as contributors to improved overall security of Mac devices. Multiple interviewees pointed to a lower frequency of security incidents on their organization’s Mac devices. Two-thirds of 242 surveyed hardware purchase decision-makers said their organization improved its security management or security posturing by using MacBook Air devices, and they cited an improved ability to detect, respond to, and recover from threats. More than half said their organization reduced the time IT teams spent on compliance and audit activities and decreased the number of security incidents on devices.
- The senior MacOS engineer at a healthcare organization told Forrester they believe the built-in protection from malware and viruses allows their organization to consider each Mac secure out of the box. They said, “Macs come secure in the box. [With PCs], you need to do a lot of stuff [to get the same level of security]. So, for me, it’s a big difference.”
- Interviewees pointed to Apple’s software partitioning and single component sourcing as minimizing third-party threat vectors. With Apple’s declarative device management model, devices can identify actions such as OS updates or security patches that are based on defined criteria and take them independently of a command from a centralized server. The VP of clinical systems at a healthcare organization told Forrester: “We feel that even if something bad happened to a device and it crumpled, there’s no spread across the enterprise’s origin vector into the organization as the source for a cybersecurity event. That’s how [the security benefits are] manifesting on our end. And related to that, [as a] further reason to strip out the extra [security applications], that’s relevant in a [PC] environment but not relevant in a macOS environment because of that single supply for all the components and the firmware and the operating system and the software.”
- The IT superintendent at a financial services organization shared: “[PC devices] have more vulnerabilities than [Mac devices] because you are able to install any kind of application that you can download, and you can click on an email with a phishing [link], and Apple devices are shielded against this kind of software. We are a bank, so we are very concerned about security and data privacy, and we know that the human [part] in this chain is the weakness of the process. So, I think that Apple devices are able to shield [my organization] from the vulnerabilities that [PCs are] exposed [to].”
- The director of IT infrastructure at the food manufacturing and distribution organization shared that their company analyzed its security incidents and learned it experienced about 37 security incidents in a quarter from PC platforms, but only two from Apple.
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews and Forrester research, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
- The composite organization has an 89% chance of experiencing at least one data breach each year, and its mean cumulative cost of breaches in one year is $5,065,000. 4
- More than 71% of breaches originate from external attacks or internal organizational incidents, and another 10.2% of breaches come from a lost or stolen asset. 5
- Usage of a Mac rather than a PC decreases the composite’s level of risk exposure to a breach due to an external attack or internal incident by 15%.
- Usage of a Mac rather than a PC decreases the composite’s level of risk exposure to a breach due to a lost or stolen asset by 90%.
Risks. The expected financial impact is subject to risks and variation based on factors including the organization’s:
- Employee eligibility for device choice and level of preference for Mac devices.
- Unique risk profile as it relates to the average risk of different types of data breaches and overall scale, impact, and cost of a potential breach.
- Security posturing and sophistication and speed of threat prevention, response, and remediation.
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 20%, yielding a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $530,000.
For , this benefit may have a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Cost Savings From Reduced Risk Of A Data Breach
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | Likelihood of experiencing one or more breach per year | Forrester research | 89%89% | 89%89% | 89%89% | 89%89% | 89%89% | ||||
| C2 | Mean cumulative cost of breaches | Forrester research | $5,065,000 $5,065,000 | $5,065,000 $5,065,000 | $5,065,000 $5,065,000 | $5,065,000 $5,065,000 | $5,065,000 $5,065,000 | ||||
| C3 | Percent of breaches originating from external attacks or internal incidents | Forrester research | 71.3%71.3% | 71.3%71.3% | 71.3%71.3% | 71.3%71.3% | 71.3%71.3% | ||||
| C4 | Risk exposure from data breaches via external attack or internal incident | C1*C2*C3 | $3,214,097 $3,214,097 | $3,214,097 $3,214,097 | $3,214,097 $3,214,097 | $3,214,097 $3,214,097 | $3,214,097 $3,214,097 | ||||
| C5 | Reduced likelihood of data breach via external attack or internal incident with Mac devices | Interviews | 15%15% | 15%15% | 15%15% | 15%15% | 15%15% | ||||
| C6 | Percent of breaches originating from lost or stolen assets | Forrester research | 10.2%10.2% | 10.2%10.2% | 10.2%10.2% | 10.2%10.2% | 10.2%10.2% | ||||
| C7 | Risk exposure from data breaches via lost or stolen assets | C1*C2*C6 | $459,801 $459,801 | $459,801 $459,801 | $459,801 $459,801 | $459,801 $459,801 | $459,801 $459,801 | ||||
| C8 | Reduced likelihood of a data breach via lost or stolen assets with Mac | Interviews | 90%90% | 90%90% | 90%90% | 90%90% | 90%90% | ||||
| C9 | Percent of employees using Mac | XXt/XX1 | 8%8% | 16%16% | 26%26% | 26%26% | 26%26% | ||||
| Ct | Cost savings from reduced risk of a data breach | (C4*C5+C7*C8) *C9 | $71,675 $71,675 | $143,350 $143,350 | $232,943 $232,943 | $232,943 $232,943 | $232,943 $232,943 | ||||
| Risk adjustment | ↓20% | ||||||||||
| Ctr | Cost savings from reduced risk of a data breach (risk-adjusted) | $57,340 $57,340 | $114,680 $114,680 | $186,354 $186,354 | $186,354 $186,354 | $186,354 $186,354 | |||||
| Five-year total: $731,083 $731,083 | Five-year present value: $529,909 $529,909 | ||||||||||
Improved Employee Productivity
Evidence and data. Interviewees and surveyed end users highlighted faster device startup, saved time, and improved productivity for employees who chose to switch to Mac devices. They said faster processing speeds, better application reliability and performance, a more intuitive user experience, and a longer battery life all contributed to improving overall employee engagement and productivity. Overall, 70% of surveyed Mac end users reported that using a Mac device at work contributed to higher levels of productivity and 55% said it led to higher satisfaction.
-
Faster device startup and login.
Interviewees lauded the speed of Mac startup and logins and said
it saved end users time each time they began to work. The senior MacOS
engineer in healthcare described: “If I close my lid, open my lid, [or] put
my finger on the touch bar [or] the touch ID, I can do my work. It [takes]
seconds.”
Interviewees from organizations with employees whose time or engagement is directly correlated with revenue said this was particularly valuable. The VP of clinical systems at a healthcare organization noted that Mac devices directly improved doctor profitability and experiences. They said: “If I open up a [PC] today, I wait and I wait. I might even have to wait till I can log in, and then I wait. Each cycle that I’m waiting is a doctor’s time wasted. … It takes seven minutes to get all your sessions to load up, log in, [and] authenticate. So, it’s time. Doctor time is doctor money is doctor engagement scores is burnout.” The interviewee also said that with Mac’s biometric login, their organization’s physicians reduced their productivity lag to zero.
End users were also able to get started faster when they first received their laptops. The director of mobile product and innovation told Forrester, “In the last year, I’d say the developer onboarding process for a new developer to get himself set up was two days. And to get them sorted, we’ve got it down to an hour.” -
Faster processing speeds and application
performance.
Interviewees lauded Mac’s speed and
performance for both routine and compute-heavy tasks. The director of mobile
product and innovation in financial services noted that their organization’s
dedicated AI team leverages Macs for its modeling and
development.
The architect at a retail organization said: “In general, software runs in a better way on a Mac. That’s why we have to have more powerful horsepower on the PC side. Even [competitors’] own software runs better. [A competitors’ messaging app] works better on a Mac Air M1 than it does on a [PC]. So, a processor that costs double the amount can’t deal with the software in the same way. And I can say that for a fact because I’ve tested [the messaging app] on both platforms and proved this point internally because people didn’t believe me.”
The same interviewee said the biggest piece of end-user feedback their team has received since moving to the MacBook Air M1 series was that users no longer have to close tabs or applications due to overworked memory and CPU. -
Better battery performance and portability.
Interviewees said that Macs have longer battery life,
which enabled users to continue to work while on the go or in remote
locations without interruption or having to carry around a large power
block. The senior MacOS engineer at a healthcare organization said this was
especially helpful for doctors who frequently move from room to room. They
said: “People are carrying their [PC] AC adapters with them because the
battery dies on a [PC]. But on a Mac, you can easily work 10 [or] 11
hours.”
The CTO at the retail organization told Forrester that the battery life remained long throughout the device lifespan, saying: “The battery life changed dramatically since the M series. … It’s amazing. I can work up to 10 hours without charging, even [with] my laptop from 2020.” -
Easier navigation and user
experience.
According to interviewees, many end users
were already comfortable using Mac devices because they used iOS or Mac
devices outside of work. The director of mobile product and innovation at a
financial services organization described, “Employees know how to navigate
far more effectively on a Mac than they do on [PCs], so there are definitely
experience improvements in that regard.”
The IT superintendent at another financial services organization said: “The Apple devices are very, very easy to use. You just move your fingers [and] you can use your touchpads, and it’s very easy to access the applications and move through the applications.”
The principal product manager at a food and beverage organization told Forrester their company tracked end-user satisfaction across devices. When describing the results, they said: “The Mac was through the roof on … satisfaction and importance. ‘Importance’ got a 99%, ‘satisfaction’ [got a] 92%, ‘works reliably’ [got a] 91%, ‘makes job easier’ [got a] 96%, ‘easy to use’ [got a] 93%, [and] ‘easy to navigate’ [got a] 92%. … Other devices that were being scored were not even in the ballpark. This is by far the highest-scoring device or application that they use. We’ve also correlated satisfaction to retention and reducing turnover, but this has been one of the most successful products that we’ve had in the retail space.” -
Fewer device issues and faster issue
resolution.
In addition to IT service teams saving
time, end users also benefitted from Mac devices experiencing fewer support
tickets. Almost two-thirds of 39 surveyed Mac end users who responded to
this question experienced fewer device issues with the Mac device, and more
than half reported they spend less time investigating device issues or
waiting for issue resolution.
Additionally, interviewees said Apple’s supply chain ensured that replacement devices were shipped quickly. The lead systems analyst at the food and beverage organization noted, “We’ve found that people who need replacement MacBooks are getting them in half the time that it takes to get [a competing OS] today.”
FIGURE 4
“Do any of the below features of a Mac device help improve your ability to do your job?”
Base: 53 end users with experience using Mac
devices for business at their organization
Source: A commissioned study conducted by
Forrester Consulting on behalf of Apple, March 2024
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
- Employees who choose Mac devices spend 45 fewer minutes per month waiting for their devices to start up or update and 55 fewer minutes per month on issue investigation and waiting for resolution.
- The average fully burdened hourly compensation for a Mac end user is $42.
- Employees who switch to Mac from PC experience a 3.5% overall increase in productivity.
- Each Mac end user recaptures 40% of saved time into added productivity.
Risks. The expected financial impact is subject to risks and variation based on factors including the organization’s:
- Employee eligibility for device choice and level of preference for Mac devices.
- Employee duties and opportunities for improved productivity based on device performance, reliability, portability, and other device features.
- Employee compensation rates and structures, as well as recapture rates of productivity on saved time.
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 20%, yielding a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $46.4 million.
For , this benefit may have a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Improved Employee Productivity
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | Time saved monthly per Mac user waiting for device to start up or update (minutes) | Interviews | 4545 | 4545 | 4545 | 4545 | 4545 | ||||
| D2 | Time saved monthly per Mac user on issue investigation and resolution (minutes) | Interviews | 5555 | 5555 | 5555 | 5555 | 5555 | ||||
| D3 | Fully burdened hourly salary for an employee | TEI standard TEI standard | $42 $42 | $42 $42 | $42 $42 | $42 $42 | $42 $42 | ||||
| D4 | End-user productivity recapture rate | TEI standard | 40%40% | 40%40% | 40%40% | 40%40% | 40%40% | ||||
| D5 | Subtotal: Savings from time saved due to quicker device startup and issue resolution | XXt*(D1+D2)/60* 12*D3*D4 | $1,260,000 $1,260,000 | $2,730,000 $2,730,000 | $4,410,000 $4,410,000 | $4,410,000 $4,410,000 | $4,410,000 $4,410,000 | ||||
| D6 | Fully burdened annual salary for an employee | TEI standard TEI standard | $87,780 $87,780 | $87,780 $87,780 | $87,780 $87,780 | $87,780 $87,780 | $87,780 $87,780 | ||||
| D7 | Increased productivity for employees choosing Mac | Interviews | 3.5%3.5% | 3.5%3.5% | 3.5%3.5% | 3.5%3.5% | 3.5%3.5% | ||||
| D8 | End-user productivity recapture rate | D4 | 40%40% | 40%40% | 40%40% | 40%40% | 40%40% | ||||
| D9 | Subtotal: Value of improved end-user productivity | XXt*D6*D7*D8 | $4,608,450 $4,608,450 | $9,984,975 $9,984,975 | $16,129,575 $16,129,575 | $16,129,575 $16,129,575 | $16,129,575 $16,129,575 | ||||
| Dt | Improved employee productivity | D5+D9 | $5,868,450 $5,868,450 | $12,714,975 $12,714,975 | $20,539,575 $20,539,575 | $20,539,575 $20,539,575 | $20,539,575 $20,539,575 | ||||
| Risk adjustment | ↓20% | ||||||||||
| Dtr | Improved employee productivity (risk-adjusted) | $4,694,760 $4,694,760 | $10,171,980 $10,171,980 | $16,431,660 $16,431,660 | $16,431,660 $16,431,660 | $16,431,660 $16,431,660 | |||||
| Five-year total: $64,161,720 $64,161,720 | Five-year present value: $46,445,721 $46,445,721 | ||||||||||
Recovered Device Residual Value
Evidence and data. Interviewees’ organizations had a variety of approaches to device lifetime and recycling or reutilization. Refresh rates ranged from three to five years, though some interviewees said their organization still supported devices that were up to nine years old. Most organizations that utilized both Mac and PC devices standardized both device types onto the same device lifecycle rate. For organizations that purchased their devices and received a residual value for trading them in at the end of their specified lifecycles, the residual valuation depended on device age, technical specifications, and specific agreements between external partners. Interviewees who knew residual values their organization received for device types reported that they received higher amounts for Mac devices than equivalent PCs to the order of 30% of the device cost. The retail CTO told Forrester, “The value after three years of a Mac is still way higher than any [PC] laptop on the market, so it keeps its value.”
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
- The composite organization purchases its laptops outright and retires them after four years to an asset recovery program that allows it to recover the residual value of each device.
- The average cost for an enterprise PC is $1,100, and it maintains a 15% residual value after four years.
- The cost of an enterprise MacBook Air is $1,299, and it maintains a 30% residual value after four years.
Risks. The expected financial impact is subject to risks and variation based on factors including the organization’s:
- Employee eligibility for device choice and level of preference for Mac devices.
- Device purchase type (e.g., purchasing or leasing) and life-cycle length.
- Choice of what to do with Mac devices at the end of their life.
- Device use cases and average device wear and tear.
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 5%, yielding a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $498,000.
For refreshing about 0% of devices per year, this benefit may have a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Recovered Device Residual Value
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | Average cost per Mac device | CompositeComposite | $0 $0 | $1,299 $1,299 | |||||||
| E2 | Residual value of Mac after four years | InterviewsInterviews | 30%30% | 30%30% | 30%30% | 30%30% | 30%30% | ||||
| E3 | Recovered value of Mac devices | E1*E2 | $0 $0 | $390 $390 | |||||||
| E4 | Average cost per PC | B2 | $0 $0 | $1,100 $1,100 | |||||||
| E5 | Residual value of PCs after four years | InterviewsInterviews | 15%15% | 15%15% | 15%15% | 15%15% | 15%15% | ||||
| E6 | Recovered value of PCs | E4*E5 | $0 $0 | $165 $165 | |||||||
| Et | Recovered device residual value | B1(4 years prior) *(E3-E6) B1(4 years prior) *(E3-E6) | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $843,750 $843,750 | ||||
| Risk adjustment | ↓5% | ||||||||||
| Etr | Recovered device residual value (risk-adjusted) | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $801,563 $801,563 | |||||
| Five-year total: $801,563 $801,563 | Five-year present value: $497,707 $497,707 | ||||||||||
Unquantified Benefits
Interviewees mentioned the following additional benefits that their organizations experienced but were not able to quantify:
- Extended device lifetime. Multiple interviewees lauded Mac devices as having a longer usable lifespan than their organization’s PC devices due to build quality, durability, and a slower degree of performance degradation. Interviewees in financial services said their organizations have hundreds of Macs that they used for more than five years. The lead systems analyst at a food and beverage organization explained: “We’ll hear that when a Mac user is up for a refresh in the non-retail setting, more of the Mac users say: ‘I don’t need a new machine. Mine works fine.’ Whereas a lot of the [PC] users are like, ‘Oh, [thank] goodness.’” Survey respondents reported that their organization extended its device lifetime with Mac devices by more than 13 months over previous device types.
- Improved brand reputation and employee acquisition. Interviewees said that in addition to enhancing employee productivity and engagement, offering Mac devices positively contributed to their organization’s brand reputation and employee acquisition and retention. The retail CTO said to Forrester, “Everybody’s happy with [the Mac devices]. They’re also important during job interviews and talent acquisition.” Interviewees said they believe employees with a choice of device or who were offered Mac devices upon employment felt like the organization was investing in their well-being.
- Synergies with other Apple products. Interviewees whose organization used other Apple products in addition to Mac devices spoke of the seamless transition between devices as a productivity add for employees. The VP of clinical systems at a healthcare organization described: “The interaction between macOS, iPadOS, and iOS is noteworthy — particularly around productivity. Pick up on one device where you left off on the other device, even though it’s a different class of device.” Other interviewees pointed to personal hotspots and iPhones as particularly valuable examples of device connectivity. Additionally, they said because M-series Macs are compatible with iOS and iPadOS applications, it enables their organizations to run iPhone and iPad applications natively on Mac laptops.
- Reduced emissions from lower energy usage. With ESG goals becoming more common, and the SEC setting a future mandate for climate-related investor disclosures, corporate tracking energy usage and carbon footprints will accelerate in importance. According to interviewees and Forrester research, Mac devices consume less electricity and they generally contribute less carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than PCs or even older Mac devices. Extrapolated to hundreds or thousands of devices, these savings can lead to significant ESG improvements for an organization.
Flexibility
The value of flexibility is unique to each customer. There are multiple scenarios in which a customer might implement the use of Mac devices at their organization and later realize additional uses and business opportunities, including:
- Enhanced ability to take advantage of technology that requires highly performant devices. With the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other computationally intensive technologies on the rise, having the internal architecture in place to quickly deploy and easily manage highly performant Mac devices may prove beneficial. The IT superintendent from one of the financial services organizations said they’re specifically looking forward to using Mac devices for generative AI use cases in the future: “The M1 and M2 processors have an advantage processing and testing machine learning algorithms. So, in the next years, maybe [my organization] can take advantage of processing these kinds of algorithms in a large way.”
- Improving time to value for mergers or acquisitions of organizations with Mac deployments. One of the interviewees said their organization acquired another organization that mostly used Mac devices, and their company had not been managing any Mac devices and had no visibility into the new devices. Organizations running a choice program that includes multiple device types and operating systems may facilitate more seamless technology integration when they encounter new device types.
- Future synergies with products within the Apple ecosystem. Just like the existing synergies between iPhones, iPads, and Mac devices, future Apple products that businesses use will be more valuable when they can integrate with the primary devices that employees use for work. The CTO at a retail organization told Forrester that Apple Vision Pro will benefit their organization’s scalability, with uses such as helping designers and decision-makers imagine stores in different cities around the world.
- Access to future device upgrades. As Apple continues to invest in software upgrades, Mac users will enjoy device and OS upgrades at no cost throughout the duration of device ownership.
Flexibility would also be quantified when evaluated as part of a specific project (described in more detail in Appendix A ).
Quantified cost data as applied to the composite
The following table shows custom results for .
Total Costs
| Ref. | Cost | Initial | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Total | Present Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ftr | Implementation and management labor costs | $243,984 $243,984 | $182,988 $182,988 | $243,984 $243,984 | $243,984 $243,984 | $243,984 $243,984 | $243,984 $243,984 | $1,402,908 $1,402,908 | $1,113,424 $1,113,424 |
| Gtr | Hardware and software deployment costs | $0 $0 | $6,682,500 $6,682,500 | $8,687,250 $8,687,250 | $10,840,500 $10,840,500 | $3,118,500 $3,118,500 | $3,118,500 $3,118,500 | $32,447,250 $32,447,250 | $25,465,494 $25,465,494 |
| Total costs (risk-adjusted) | $243,984 $243,984 | $6,865,488 $6,865,488 | $8,931,234 $8,931,234 | $11,084,484 $11,084,484 | $3,362,484 $3,362,484 | $3,362,484 $3,362,484 | $33,850,158 $33,850,158 | $26,578,918 $26,578,918 | |
Implementation And Management Labor Costs
Evidence and data. Interviewees said their organizations incurred labor costs in the following areas:
-
Implementation.
Implementation timelines ranged for interviewees’ organizations from a few
months to roll out devices and centralize their management to more than a
year to train frontline support teams on handling the most likely Mac
issues. An interviewee from one of the financial services organizations said
that in order to make the end-user experience as smooth as possible, their
company
spent a
year preparing its frontline support teams to handle escalations around Mac,
set up site-to-site authentication and user access, proactively address
potential concerns, and build out knowledge material to define common
scenarios that end users could face.
Some of the interviewees’ organizations tested Mac devices before implementation to build out automatic application installation and setup. They typically utilized internal experts to help ensure they followed Apple’s best practices for deployment.
Once the infrastructure and processes were set up and finalized, most of the interviewees’ organizations were able to provision new Mac devices to employees with a zero-touch experience that did not require any IT involvement per device. - Ongoing platform support. Interviewees said ongoing labor included time spent managing their organization’s MDM solution, overseeing the Apple relationship or Apple channel partner relationship, managing the employee device choice program and inventory, coordinating and testing device updates, managing device residual value programs, and ongoing decision-making. Some employees spent time helping Mac users best utilize their new devices either as part of a formal change management team or informally as a Mac champion.
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
- The organization dedicates four FTE resources to implementation over a period of 26 weeks, or about six months.
- The average fully burdened hourly compensation for an implementation resource is $51.
- The composite dedicates 1.5 FTE resources to ongoing platform support in Year 1, and this goes up to two FTE resources from Year 2 onwards.
Risks. The expected investment is subject to risks and variation based on several factors that may increase costs or extend deployment, including:
- The organization’s prior experience deploying Macs.
- The number of Macs deployed to employees.
- The burdened compensation of IT and other implementation resources.
- The complexity of the organization’s existing hardware and software infrastructure and required integrations.
- The level of ongoing Mac support provided to end users and dedication towards relationship management.
- Whether or not the organization engages professional services to assist in implementation.
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this cost upward by 15%, yielding a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $1.1 million.
For , these costs may have a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Implementation And Management Labor Costs
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Initial | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Internal implementation FTEs | CompositeComposite | 44 | ||||||||||
| F2 | Fully burdened hourly compensation for an implementation resource | TEI standard TEI standard | $51 $51 | $51 $51 | $51 $51 | $51 $51 | $51 $51 | $51 $51 | |||||
| F3 | Implementation time (weeks) | CompositeComposite | 2626 | ||||||||||
| F4 | FTEs who provide ongoing platform support | CompositeComposite | 0 | 1.51.5 | 2.02.0 | 2.02.0 | 2.02.0 | 2.02.0 | |||||
| Ft | Implementation and management labor costs | (F1*F2*F3*40) + (F4*F2*2080) | $212,160 $212,160 | $159,120 $159,120 | $212,160 $212,160 | $212,160 $212,160 | $212,160 $212,160 | $212,160 $212,160 | |||||
| Risk adjustment | ↑15% | ||||||||||||
| Ftr | Implementation and management labor costs (risk-adjusted) | $243,984 $243,984 | $182,988 $182,988 | $243,984 $243,984 | $243,984 $243,984 | $243,984 $243,984 | $243,984 $243,984 | ||||||
| Five-year total: $1,402,908 $1,402,908 | Five-year present value: $1,113,424 $1,113,424 | ||||||||||||
Hardware And Software Deployment Costs
Evidence and data. With investment in a Mac choice program, the interviewees’ organizations incurred hardware and software costs for Mac devices consisting of the devices themselves, AppleCare, a MDM solution, and the security software installed on the devices.
- Some of the interviewees’ organizations purchased the devices outright, while others leased them. Most purchased AppleCare, and all used third-party MDM services to deploy and update devices and applications for employees in conjunction with Apple Business Manager. MDM costs ranged widely depending on the provider, the number of devices enrolled, and the level of service desired by the organization.
- Interviewees felt that the built-in security features and the underlying Mac and macOS architectures eliminated the need for some additional endpoint security licenses their organizations applied to comparable PC deployments. The organizations were able to forego some additional security licenses for each Mac they deployed to PC devices.
- Interviewees reported that their organizations utilized the same peripherals (e.g., keyboards, mice) with Mac and PC devices.
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following for the composite organization:
- The organization purchases and deploys 3,750 new Mac devices in Year 1, 4,375 in Year 2, and 5,000 in Year 3.
- The organization pays $1,299 for each Mac and $105 for AppleCare up front at the time of device deployment.
- The organization pays an average of $10 per month per user for a third-party MDM solution and $8 per month per user for a security application installed on all devices.
- Pricing may vary. Contact Apple or an Apple distribution partner for additional details.
Risks . The expected investment is subject to risks and variation based on several factors that may increase costs, including:
- The number and type of Mac devices deployed.
- Annual costs of a third-party MDM, which may vary depending on the size of the deployment, hosting requirements, and required implementation or integration costs.
- The incremental costs of AppleCare support and any third-party security software administered to the devices.
- Whether or not the organization uses Apple Financial Services or a competing provider to optimize financial terms.
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this cost upward by 10%, yielding a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $25.5 million.
For , these costs may have a five-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Hardware And Software Deployment Costs
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Initial | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | New MacBook Air devices deployed | XX4 | 0 | 3,7503,750 | 4,3754,375 | 5,0005,000 | ||||||
| G2 | Average cost of a MacBook Air device | E1 | 0 | $1,299 $1,299 | $1,299 $1,299 | $1,299 $1,299 | ||||||
| G3 | Subtotal: Cost of new Mac devices | G1*G2 | 0 | $4,871,250 $4,871,250 | $5,683,125 $5,683,125 | $6,495,000 $6,495,000 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | ||||
| G4 | Cumulative MacBook Air devices used by employees | XXt | 0 | 3,7503,750 | 8,1258,125 | 13,12513,125 | 13,12513,125 | 13,12513,125 | ||||
| G5 | Average cost of AppleCare per Mac | CompositeComposite | 0 | $105 $105 | $105 $105 | $105 $105 | ||||||
| G6 | Third-party MDM cost per Mac | CompositeComposite | 0 | $120 $120 | $120 $120 | $120 $120 | $120 $120 | $120 $120 | ||||
| G7 | Security software licensing | CompositeComposite | 0 | $96 $96 | $96 $96 | $96 $96 | $96 $96 | $96 $96 | ||||
| G8 | Subtotal: AppleCare, MDM, and software costs | G1*G5+G4* (G6+G7 ) | 0 | $1,203,750 $1,203,750 | $2,214,375 $2,214,375 | $3,360,000 $3,360,000 | $2,835,000 $2,835,000 | $2,835,000 $2,835,000 | ||||
| Gt | Hardware and software deployment costs | G3+G8 | $0 $0 | $6,075,000 $6,075,000 | $7,897,500 $7,897,500 | $9,855,000 $9,855,000 | $2,835,000 $2,835,000 | $2,835,000 $2,835,000 | ||||
| Risk adjustment | ↑10% | |||||||||||
| Gtr | Hardware and software deployment costs (risk-adjusted) | $0 $0 | $6,682,500 $6,682,500 | $8,687,250 $8,687,250 | $10,840,500 $10,840,500 | $3,118,500 $3,118,500 | $3,118,500 $3,118,500 | |||||
| Five-year total: $32,447,250 $32,447,250 | Five-year present value: $25,465,494 $25,465,494 | |||||||||||
Based on the interviewees and Forrester research, the following table compares the five-year costs of a MacBook Air versus the five-year costs of a PC for the composite organization. The cost of a MacBook Air is $3,273, while the cost of a PC is $3,820, which is a difference of $547. These costs do not include the costs of infrastructure updates, implementation, or provisioning.
For the cost of a MacBook Air is estimated to $0 , while the cost of a PC is estimated to $0 , which is a difference of $0 . These costs do not include the costs of infrastructure updates, implementation, or provisioning.
The following table shows custom results for .
Five-Year Device Costs
| METRIC | MacBook Air | PC |
|---|---|---|
| Device cost | $1,299$1,299 | $1,100$1,100 |
| Support contract | $105$105 | $85$85 |
| Incremental security software | $400$400 | $801$801 |
| Incremental MDM/OS license | $500$500 | $550$550 |
| Service ticket resolution | $158$158 | $500$500 |
| Additional IT management | $713$713 | $1,422$1,422 |
| Energy costs | $29$29 | $63$63 |
| (Device residual value) | ($266)($266) | ($113)($113) |
| Risk adjustment | $355$355 | ($588)($588) |
| Total 5-year cost: | $3,273$3,273 | $3,820$3,820 |
Consolidated Five-Year Risk-Adjusted Metrics
Cash Flow Chart (Risk-Adjusted)
Total costs Total benefits Cumulative net benefits-
The financial results calculated in the Benefits and Costs sections can be used to determine the ROI, NPV, and payback period for the composite organization’s investment. Forrester assumes a yearly discount rate of 10% for this analysis.
These risk-adjusted ROI, NPV, and payback period values are determined by applying risk-adjustment factors to the unadjusted results in each Benefit and Cost section.
The following table shows custom results for .
Cash Flow Analysis (Risk-Adjusted Estimates)
| Initial | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Total | Present Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total costs | ($243,984)($243,984) | ($6,865,488)($6,865,488) | ($8,931,234)($8,931,234) | ($11,084,484)($11,084,484) | ($3,362,484)($3,362,484) | ($3,362,484)($3,362,484) | ($33,850,158)($33,850,158) | ($26,578,918)($26,578,918) |
| Total benefits | $0 $0 | $10,315,698 $10,315,698 | $18,563,934 $18,563,934 | $27,906,699 $27,906,699 | $22,870,449 $22,870,449 | $23,672,012 $23,672,012 | $103,328,792 $103,328,792 | $76,005,999 $76,005,999 |
| Net benefits | ($243,984)($243,984) | $3,450,210 $3,450,210 | $9,632,700 $9,632,700 | $16,822,215 $16,822,215 | $19,507,965 $19,507,965 | $20,309,528 $20,309,528 | $69,478,634 $69,478,634 | $49,427,081 $49,427,081 |
| ROI | 186%186% | |||||||
Appendix A: Total Economic Impact
Total Economic Impact is a methodology developed by Forrester Research that enhances a company’s technology decision-making processes and assists vendors in communicating the value proposition of their products and services to clients. The TEI methodology helps companies demonstrate, justify, and realize the tangible value of IT initiatives to both senior management and other key business stakeholders.
Total Economic Impact Approach
-
Benefits represent the value delivered to the business by the product. The TEI methodology places equal weight on the measure of benefits and the measure of costs, allowing for a full examination of the effect of the technology on the entire organization.
-
Costs consider all expenses necessary to deliver the proposed value, or benefits, of the product. The cost category within TEI captures incremental costs over the existing environment for ongoing costs associated with the solution.
-
Flexibility represents the strategic value that can be obtained for some future additional investment building on top of the initial investment already made. Having the ability to capture that benefit has a PV that can be estimated.
-
Risks measure the uncertainty of benefit and cost estimates given: 1) the likelihood that estimates will meet original projections and 2) the likelihood that estimates will be tracked over time. TEI risk factors are based on “triangular distribution.”
The initial investment column contains costs incurred at “time 0” or at the beginning of Year 1 that are not discounted. All other cash flows are discounted using the discount rate at the end of the year. PV calculations are calculated for each total cost and benefit estimate. NPV calculations in the summary tables are the sum of the initial investment and the discounted cash flows in each year. Sums and present value calculations of the Total Benefits, Total Costs, and Cash Flow tables may not exactly add up, as some rounding may occur.
Appendix B: Interview And Survey Demographics
Interviews
| Role | Industry | Number of employees | Mac usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| VP of clinical systems | Healthcare | 19,000 | Mixed, role-dependent |
| CTO | Financial services | 3,500 | All Mac devices |
| IT superintendent | Financial services | 3,500 | All Mac devices |
| Architect | Retail | 34,000 | Device choice program |
| Senior MacOS engineer | Healthcare | 12,000 | Device choice program |
| Director of IT infrastructure | Foods manufacturing and distribution | 50,000 | Mixed, role-dependent |
| Global head of Apple partnership | Technology services | 250,000 | Mixed, role-dependent |
| CTO | Retail | 1,000 | All Mac devices |
| Principal product manager | Food and beverage | 250,000 | Device choice program |
| Lead systems analyst | Food and beverage | 250,000 | Device choice program |
| Director of mobile product and innovation | Financial services | 80,000 | Device choice program |
Survey Demographics
“How many employees work for your firm/organization worldwide?”
Base: 242 hardware decision-makers and 53 end
users with experience using Mac devices for business at their
organization
Source: A
commissioned TEI study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Apple,
March 2024
“In which country are you located?”
Base: 242 hardware decision-makers and 53 end
users with experience using Mac devices for business at their
organization
Source: A
commissioned TEI study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Apple,
March 2024
“Using your best estimate, how many total MacBook Air devices are deployed at your organization?”
Base: 242 hardware decision-makers and 53 end
users with experience using Mac devices for business at their
organization
Source: A
commissioned TEI study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Apple,
March 2024
“How long have you been using a MacBook Air?”
Base: 53 end users with experience using
MacBook Air at their organization
Source: A
commissioned TEI study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Apple,
March 2024
Appendix C: Supplemental Material
Related Forrester Research
The State Of End-User Experience Management, 2024 , Forrester Research, Inc., February 28, 2024.
The Forrester Wave™: Unified Endpoint Management, Q4 2023 , Forrester Research, Inc., November 20, 2023.
Assess Your End-User Experience Management Maturity , Forrester Research, Inc., April 10, 2023.
Appendix d: Endnotes
1 Source: The End-User Experience Management Solutions Landscape, Q1 2024 , Forrester Research, Inc., March 1, 2024.
2 Source: Save IT Operating Costs With End-User Experience Management , Forrester Research, Inc., May 2, 2023.
3 Total Economic Impact is a methodology developed by Forrester Research that enhances a company’s technology decision-making processes and assists vendors in communicating the value proposition of their products and services to clients. The TEI methodology helps companies demonstrate, justify, and realize the tangible value of IT initiatives to both senior management and other key business stakeholders.
4 Source: Forrester Analytics Business Technographics Security Survey, 2023
5 Ibid.
PDF
