Comment Articles

How Apple is worming its way into corporate IT

Stephan Somogyi CNet

Published: 06 Aug 2002 16:20 BST

I rarely hesitate to speak up when Apple does something I consider ill-advised. At the same time, I feel obliged to give the company credit for the smart stuff, too. I'd put Apple's decision not to gouge its trailblazing Xserve customers in the latter category.

During the Xserve announcement event back in May, I asked the assembled Apple execs whether the upgrade to Mac OS X Server version 10.2 (aka Jaguar Server) would be free for Xserve customers. No, came the unhesitating response: Since Jaguar Server is a major upgrade, the company is going to charge for it. But while Apple's other Jaguar-related pricing announcements might give consumers pause, Xserve customers have cause to be content.

It turns out that all Xserve customers will get Jaguar Server (when it's released in August) for a $20 upgrade fee as part of Apple's Mac OS X Up-To-Date programme. The programme goes into effect whenever Apple announces a major upgrade before releasing it (which is what happened with Jaguar at Jobs's Macworld Expo keynote on 17 July), but doesn't want to completely annihilate its sales in the meantime.

Apple decided -- wisely, I might add -- to make sure that all Xserve customers were covered. Apple needs all the help it can get overcoming the inherent prejudice against Macs in IT that has developed over the years. This is an inexpensive means to that end, especially since it's in Apple's best interest to have all its Xserve customers running Jaguar Server.

But, given the company's behaviour around Jaguar upgrades in general, I doubt the next major Mac OS X upgrade will be as inexpensive for Xserve owners. Most enterprise software companies provide automatic upgrades for a subscription fee -- one that's typically less than the outright purchase price of upgrades. Unfortunately, Apple doesn't.