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Apple’s Mac lineup has always been seen as the go to option for designers, developers and creative professionals. These are the devices that power film edits, photo studio and product design labs. While those use cases remain intact and continue to grow, the narrative is rapidly expanding. Across the world, and increasingly in India, Apple’s computers are quietly reshaping the enterprise landscape. They are being used by small and medium businesses (SMBs) to large global organisations. This growth is driven by Apple Silicon, on-device AI and a total cost of ownership story that’s hard to ignore. In a recent conversation with Times Now, Colleen Novielli, Apple’s Product Marketing lead for Mac, and Jeremy Butcher, Product Marketing lead for Enterprise, shed light on how Apple is positioning the Mac not just as a powerful personal computer, but as an enterprise-grade productivity platform. Apple believes that its Macs can deliver performance, security and efficiency, all built around the company’s signature blend of hardware and software integration. Novielli says the MacBook Air has quietly become one of the most popular enterprise choices across the world. “It starts at 16GB of unified memory, supports dual displays with the lid open, and delivers all-day battery life,” she says. “At its starting price, enterprises see tremendous value. They can deploy it widely, knowing employees will have the performance and efficiency to get their job done.” The Air’s balance of power, portability and affordability makes it an ideal choice for companies looking to equip their workforce at scale. “Within any enterprise, you’ll have different types of roles from creators and researchers who might use the MacBook Pro, to everyday productivity users who find the MacBook Air perfect,” Novielli explains. “The Air fits beautifully across this spectrum.” That’s a strategic point for Apple. The company has steadily evolved the MacBook Air from a consumer-focused laptop to a full-fledged business tool. Having its own Silicon, starting with the M1 and now the M5 chip, has also helped Apple deliver enterprise-class performance at a fraction of the total cost that many organisations were used to spending on traditional PCs. AI Workflows, Powered by Apple Silicon If there’s a single theme shaping the enterprise computing conversation today, it’s AI. While Apple is yet to take a major leap in that direction, Novielli points out that every Apple Silicon chip since the M1 has been optimised for AI, and with the latest M5 processors, that focus has only intensified. “Every aspect of the chip in Apple Silicon is optimised for AI. Now, with neural accelerators in the GPU, AI-intensive tasks are even faster,” she said, while citing the example of HaiDiLao, the global hotpot restaurant chain, which operates over 1,300 outlets worldwide serving 450 million customers a year. The company uses Mac mini and Mac Studio systems to power AI-driven guest services that range from table availability tracking to order accuracy and kitchen safety. The results? “They’ve reported 78% energy savings and a projected 52% cost savings over three years,” Novielli notes. “And with the new MacBook Pro and M5 chip, those AI capabilities extend to more mobile, on-device workflows.” This shift reflects Apple’s broader approach to AI which is grounded in on-device intelligence rather than cloud dependency. MacBook Pro: For the Creators and the Coders While the MacBook Air dominates the mainstream enterprise workforce, the MacBook Pro continues to be the go-to machine for more demanding use cases for developers, researchers and creative professionals. Butcher says the lines are blurring as more AI-driven workflows emerge across industries. “Historically, businesses might have chosen MacBook Pro for creators, researchers, or developers and that still holds true,” he explains. “But now, as AI becomes central to many professions, we’re seeing MacBook Pro being adopted more widely for its performance, connectivity, and AI capabilities.” That expansion is no coincidence. With M5 chips delivering faster neural processing and GPU-based AI acceleration, the Pro lineup is designed to handle intensive machine learning tasks locally. Apple’s unified memory architecture which combines CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine access into a single memory pool gives it a clear edge in handling large AI models and workflows efficiently. Lower Costs, Higher Satisfaction One of the strongest factors driving enterprise Mac adoption, according to Butcher, is lower total cost of ownership. “We hear from organisations that support costs go down significantly,” he says. “If you’re using the product you want to use, you’re more motivated to solve your own problems. So, giving people choice, letting them use a Mac, leads to more self-sufficient users.” Beyond user satisfaction, Apple’s built-in security architecture has also become a major draw. “We’ve heard from customers that Mac’s built-in security reduces the need for third-party security software,” Butcher explains. “That not only enhances security but also improves performance and battery life.” And when companies scale their deployments, Apple’s management tools including Apple Business Manager, MDM integrations, and zero-touch deployment make it easy to manage fleets of devices without adding operational overhead. “We’ve really tackled the core pieces of deployment and scalability,” Butcher adds. “Enterprises can grow without worrying that each additional Mac adds more support cost.” When asked about Apple’s enterprise strategy in India -- particularly around affordability and AI readiness -- Novielli points to two major pillars: the company’s foundational investment in Apple Silicon and its partner ecosystem in India. “Apple Silicon provides the foundation for AI capabilities in the Mac,” she says. “Our hardware -- CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine -- combined with macOS frameworks, enables both built-in intelligence features and powerful third-party AI tools. So whether you want to use AI or create AI, the Mac is the best platform for you.” Butcher adds that Apple is aware of India’s sensitivity around upfront pricing and is addressing it through enterprise partnerships and financing programs. “We communicate a lot about total cost of ownership,” he says. “The initial price is just one part of the equation -- organisations are saving over time because Macs are easier to maintain, last longer and hold value better. Plus, through our Apple Partner Network, including local resellers, enterprises in India can work with financing and deployment models that suit their needs.” For businesses that are embracing hybrid work, AI transformation and employee experience as core priorities, that’s a powerful proposition. As Novielli puts it, “Enterprises now have a range of Macs to choose from -- at different performance levels and price points -- and all of them deliver that same Apple experience employees love. That’s why we’re seeing MacBook Airs and Pros everywhere now in the enterprise.” From the creative studio to the corporate boardroom and even the kitchen of a global restaurant chain, Apple’s Macs are quietly powering the next generation of intelligent, efficient and secure workplaces.
