Apple makes major gains in enterprise segment as corporate Mac sales rise

Mac sales in the enterprise during Apple's last fiscal quarter saw a whopping 66-per cent growth - significantly outpacing the rest of the PC market, which grew at just 4.5 per cent in the segment.

AppleInsider quoted analyst Charlie Wolf of Needham & Company as saying that Apple's March shipments in the business market grew at a torrid pace of 66 per cent, an order of magnitude that was higher than the 4.5 per cent shipment growth rate of the business market.

The report says the trend is especially significant as Mac's enterprise segment sales in 2007 and 2009, stagnated even as the platform was gaining popularity with consumers. It said that the the trend has only reversed over the past four quarters.

Mac sales now estimated to be 3 per cent of Apple's total PC business sales, are now the highest total Apple has seen since the second quarter of 1997.

Broken down by market segment, Mac shipments increased 94.7 per cent in the "very large business" category AppleInsider says. The report goes on to say sales grew 75.5 percent for "large businesses," 58.1 per cent for "medium businesses," and 90.4 percent for "small businesses." All the totals well exceeded growth in the overall PC market.

The company's new found success in the enterprise helped it overtake its already fabulous growth in the consumer market. Mac shipment in the last quarter worldwide were 21.6 per cent higher even as the overall PC market fell 4.4 per cent.