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Study finds Macs account for 11% of corporate computers, Windows XP dominates

After 27 years of existence, the Mac may finally be getting some respect in corporations. According to a study by research firm Forrester, Macs have jumped from 9.1% of all computers in enterprises in April, 2010 to 11% in March of 2011. The study looked at 400,000 computers from 2,500 companies that accessed the Forrester.com website.

Why the big leap in acceptance? Forrester's Ben Gray noted that some companies are yielding to pressure from employees who want to use their own machines at work. This trend is referred to as the "consumerization" of the enterprise, and Gray mentioned that "Empowered workers attracted to BYO [bring your own] device programs are quickly coming to expect Mac and iOS support."

There was no mention of the so-called Apple "Halo Effect" being at work, although anecdotal evidence points toward many iPod, iPhone, and iPad users later embracing Macs for work and home. This could be a factor in why workers are beginning to take their Macs into the workplace.

While Mac OS X use in the enterprise is climbing, Windows XP -- which Microsoft will officially drop support for in April, 2014 -- is still the primary OS in use in big business with close to a 60% share of the installed base. Windows 7 powers about 21% of corporate computers, with the remaining share being divided between Linux and Windows Vista.

[via MacWorld UK]