Mapping Migration

Making a full-blown switch to the Mac could be a hard sell to users. Steve Whittekiend, IT director for Washington City, Utah, offers the following tips for easing the transition:

• Get executive support early on. Whittekiend gave his earliest Mac to the city manager and other leaders, a move that showcased the platform's value and productivity improvements and ensured top-down buy-in on his long-term strategy.
• Don't insist on a swift switch. Use Parallels 6 Desktop for Mac for a dual-boot arrangement or run a virtualization program such as those from Citrix to enable users to continue to run Windows applications. Organizations that work with a limited number of productivity tools can also invest in Mac-compatible programs such as Office for Mac. At the same time, though, encourage users to also explore Mac software programs such as iWorks. Eventually, says Whittekiend, they'll start realizing that their Mac has alternative -- and often better -- ways of performing the same functions.
• Train appropriately. Train users first on the differences between Macs and PCs, and then on the additional features that Macs offer.
• Appeal to users' penchant for cool. Buy the fanciest features your budget will allow or put the sleekly designed iMac on their desks. They can't help but be impressed, and any cost difference will be made up in power, speed and length of use.