Cisco's IT department has expanded its employee choice program, offering Cisco employees the flexibility to select their preferred devices, including PC and Mac, with Linux support in the pipeline. Following a year of implementing this revamped program, Cisco's IT team conducted an in-depth analysis to assess its impact across the organization. The study drew insights from a vast workforce of over 130,000 employees across 99 countries.
During a recent presentation at JNUC, Cisco's SVP and CIO, Fletcher Previn, a seasoned leader in Mac-in-the-enterprise initiatives, shared enlightening statistics regarding the program's effects on both employees and the company. At the core of employee choice lies the concept that personal device preference significantly influences daily interactions and productivity.
The data underscores a clear trend, with a growing number of Cisco employees favoring Mac over PC. Approximately 60% of employees now opt for Mac, with 24% making the transition from PC to Mac during device upgrades. This shift aligns with a recent IDC study forecasting a similar industry-wide movement.
Cisco's internal analysis reveals that supporting Mac users requires approximately 33% fewer IT administrators compared to PC users. Furthermore, employees using Macs outperform their PC-using counterparts. Sales teams, in particular, experienced notable benefits, with a 9.8% increase in deal creation, a 10.9% surge in bookings, and a 9.9% acceleration in deal closure. Software engineers also demonstrated a substantial increase in productivity, producing nearly 11.5% more code when using Mac.
Employee satisfaction is a critical factor in this context, with users who leverage the Apple ecosystem (combining Mac and iPhone) reporting an impressive 83% satisfaction rate with IT support.
Beyond the advantages for employees, there are substantial benefits for the business. Mac users face significantly fewer cyber threats and virus issues, experiencing nearly five times fewer threats compared to PC users. Moreover, 89% of Mac users utilize biometrics, enhancing security measures. The efficient upgrade process for macOS Ventura, completed in just one month compared to the six-month timeline for Windows 11, highlights Mac's adaptability to new technology.
Interestingly, despite the higher initial cost of Mac devices, Cisco's analysis suggests that Macs can be $148-$395 less expensive over a three-year period, depending on the specific model, underscoring the cost-effectiveness of the employee choice program. ###