The VAR Guy

Apple posted record-breaking Q2 results, which really isn’t that surprising. What it actually sold — and how much — is cause for pause, however. If you’re interested in just how well Apple is doing, read on for some perspective that could shape the way you approach the channel and the entire consumerization-of-IT phenomena.

Even in this so-called “post-PC” world, Apple managed to sell 3.76 million Macs in Q2, a solid 28 percent increase over the last year. In addition, Apple sold 18.65 million iPhones in Q2 2011, a staggering 113 percent increase from last year. iPods declined a modest 17 percent, but 50 percent of all iPods sold were iPod Touches. In Q2 2011 alone, Apple sold 4.69 million iPads, and while it didn’t break out how many were original iPads and how many were iPad 2s, Apple did say it sold every iPad made in Q2. In total, Apple sold just under 189 million iOS devices by the end of Q2.

MacRumors.com, which sat in on the live stream of the earnings call, provided more highlights: Apple saw a huge rise in Mac sales due in part of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Also worth noting was Apple’s claim that half of all Macs sold in Q2 were to those who never owned a Mac before.

Plus, Apple sees continued strong growth of the iPhone in the enterprise market, which could very well mean that Apple is taking its place in the business world more seriously. I expect Apple to continue its nod to the enterprise just as it does each year by including business-focused updates and features in each iteration of iOS.

So how does this loop back to the channel? Once again, it’s all about consumerization of IT and the channel’s ability to wrap services around consumer devices that companies are being forced to integrate into their existing network system infrastructure. Don’t be surprised if by the end of 2011 VARs and MSPs are scrambling to support iOS devices and even Macs. Even Microsoft has started bending to the ongoing pressure of iOS.

Before then, however are some even bigger questions to ponder: Just how high is the demand for iOS devices or mobile tablets/phones in general? Has Apple’s product line impacted the industry in other ways we’re not seeing? Is the demand for consumer products in the workplace not just relegated to mobile devices? We’ll be tracking these things in as the year rolls on, but we’d love for you to chime in and let us know.

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