Wednesday, April 16,2008 @ 1:00pm
IBM offers Mac switch program
In an apparent attempt to lessen its reliance on Microsoft Windows, IBM has launched an internal pilot program designed to support employees who decide to switch to the Mac platform, according to Roughly Drafted. The pilot program ran from October 2007 through January 2008 and distributed 24 MacBook Pros to researchers at different sites within IBM Research. Of the sample group, 18 users said that the Mac offered a "better or best experience" compared to their existing Windows computer. 19 of the 22 users asked to keep their Macs after the pilot program had expired.
IBM apparently plans to expand the pilot to 50 users in the first half of 2008 and is planning to improve its Mac software offerings and make various infrastructure changes to ensure that Macs are properly supported in the organization. The company has also established a "Mac@IBM" Web site and a group for Mac users within IBM, which currently has over 930 members in 26 countries.