RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Thinking about upgrading or switching out your PC for your enterprise – or own use? Then you might want to consider a Mac rather thana Windows-based PC, the dominate choice in global sales.

In a new study, IBM concludes that Macs are a better choice for a variety of reasons, including:

  • Lower support costs
  • Fewer support staff needed for deployed computers
  • Happier employees
  • Bigger sales

The study is a slap in the face to the legacy of IBM’s own PC business, which it sold to Lenovo back in 2005. And the findings reflect a relationship between Apple and Big Blue dating back t0 2015 when the tech giant began integrating Macs into its operations. There are some 200,000 now.

IBM’s Chief Information Officer Fletcher Previn talked up Macs in a presentation at a tech conference on Tuesday.

“The state of IT is a daily reflection of what IBM thinks and feels about its employees,” Previn declared. “I’ve said it before – when did it become OK to live like the Jetsons at home, but the Flintstones at work? We aim to create a productive environment for IBM’ers and continuously improve their work experience, and that’s why we introduced our employee-choice program to IBM employees in 2015.”

Here are specific findings by IBM as reported by ComputerWorld:

  • “There are 22% more macOS users who exceeded expectations in performance reviews, compared to Windows users.
  • “High-value sales deals tend to be 16% larger for MacOS users, compared to Windows users.
  • “MacOS users are 17% less likely to leave IBM, compared to those who use Windows.
  • “MacOS users are happier with the third-party software availability within IBM — just 5% of MacOS users ask for additional software, compared to 11% of Windows users.”

IBM runs a large campus in RTP, now owns Red Hat in Raleigh, and employees thousands of people across the state.

Lenovo operates one of its two global headquarters in Morrisville (the other is in Beijing) and its North Carolina operations include the Data Center Group. Both the DCG and the PC business are built on a foundation of acquired IBM technology.