Mac Secures Campus Computing
Profiles in Success: Salem International University
Salem, West Virginia — James Mayfield has very definite ideas about what works in business, and what doesn t. Formerly chief financial officer and associate professor of business and accounting at Salem International University (SIU), Mayfield has had a long career in financial management. So when a member of SIU s IT staff suggested that switching from PCs to the Mac might lower their total cost of ownership (TCO), improve learning, and address the university s computer security problems, Mayfield s reply was unequivocal: I will be a very hard sell, Mayfield admits. A year later, SIU s faculty and staff are enjoying the power and security of the Mac. And Mayfield — seeing a $200,000 savings to SIU — says the door is wide open to more Apple purchases.
Mac Makes Converts
In 2005, SIU distributed a combination of Mac mini, PowerBook, and iBook computers to all faculty and staff members. While the Mac already had been in use in SIU s science and art departments, employees in other departments initially expressed reservations about the switch. Michael Gall, SIU s vice president of enrollment management, helped many make the transition to Mac OS X and the new computers.
“I kept hearing, ‘I have to have a PC,’” laughs Gall. “I’d say, ‘Fine. Sit down at my PowerBook and write a letter, create a spreadsheet, or do anything else.’ And the instant someone tried it, they’d say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know I could do everything I need to on the Mac!’ End of discussion. Everyone quickly finds out that the Mac is fast, it’s reliable, and it runs any application anyone needs for work.”
Gall adds that the compact size of the Mac mini prompted a few double takes in SIU’s admissions office. “People would tell me that the Mac mini couldn’t possibly hold all of their data. But the computers offer all the power and functionality that anyone needs. And with its small footprint, our employees have discovered that the Mac mini takes up much less room on their desks.”
Next Page: Switch to Apple Enables Dramatic Savings
