Mac adoption was growing even before the pandemic, and software providers are making sure those users aren't left behind
MacOS is the red-headed stepchild of enterprise IT. Sure, your designers might use them, but you need a PC for real work - right?
Even before the pandemic, the answer was a resounding "No." Mac product use has been steadily increasing in the workplace - dominating sectors like design, but with growing adoption elsewhere - for years. With people moving out of the office on a massive scale this year and able to freely use their own devices, uptake has climbed even further.
While many enterprise software providers focus on Windows to the exclusion of all else, there are others who specialise in making sure that Mac users can enjoy all the benefits that they would on a PC. Enter MacPaw, creator of Setapp for Teams - a software hub that reached the finalist stage of this year's Digital Technology Leaders Awards.
"Setapp for Teams was created as a single software hub for any group of people working together. These groups today need effective toolsets for different tasks, which allows them to focus on creating value," says Alexander Tatarchuk, Product Manager, Setapp for Teams.
"Setapp alleviates the frustrations and complications of software budgeting and value assessment, providing tested tools at a flat rate, available via simple search."
MacPaw is one of the largest software developers on the Mac market, with 250 employees, 12 products for various platforms, and more than 30 million users worldwide. Tatarchuk proudly says, "Every fifth Mac on Earth has at least one app by MacPaw." With such wide reach, it's easy to see why the firm reached the shortlist for Digital Company of the Year.
Setapp for Teams is a new version of the Setapp subscription service for Mac apps, specifically aimed at organisations. Customers can access more than 200 apps for a variety of business needs, such as maintenance, task management and developer tools.
Improving the customer experience has been a key focus for Setapp this year, as the service prepares to leave beta. Tatarchuk says the team is "adding the features that today's small and large businesses expect in enterprise software," such as allowing admins to block certain apps for compliance reasons.
That improvement comes at the right time. While nobody has been unaffected by Covid-19, the software industry has felt less of an impact than others. On the contrary, after a slight decline in sales at the start of lockdown, "as people are spending more and more time online and relying more and more on computers and phones, the need for such solutions has only increased."
Setapp may not have won this year, but is proud to have made it so far in the process. "[Our team] put in so much work behind the scenes to continually develop and improve the product, and that effort surely deserves the recognition," said Tatarchuk. "We're thankful for the finalist nod from the Digital Technology Leaders Awards this year and view it as both validation that we're on the right track, and inspiration to live up to the bar set by the other outstanding companies that were recognised."
