Work Won’t ‘Go Back to the Way Things Were,’ Says Apple Reseller Jamf's CEO

Tech is no longer “part of the employee experience,” it’s the “entire employee experience,” said CEO Dean Hager on a Q2 call, Jamf's first as a public company. It manages Apple devices and services, and revenue grew 29% from the 2019 quarter. Connectivity tools are “now a necessity,” said Hager Tuesday. “Even after we work through this difficult period, we do not believe the world will go back to the way things were. These past several months have laid the groundwork for a future where people can work from anywhere, learn anywhere and receive care anywhere.” When COVID-19 hit, schools that were more “digitally advanced were able to continue classes” remotely, others weren't, said Hager. “But in Q2, all schools knew they needed to prepare learning strategies for the upcoming school year that would effectively support both educators and students whether school was remote, in person, hybrid or a combination over time.” The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (see 2003270058) is giving schools “an avenue to fund the digital initiatives required for distance learning,” he said. The total addressable market for Apple “enterprise management” is expected to rise at a 17.8% compound annual growth rate, reaching $23.4 billion globally by the end of 2024, said Hager. Credit the “consumerization” of information tech, he said. “Employees are less inclined to draw a line between work and personal technology and commonly prefer not to settle for enterprise solutions that are harder to use than what they have in their homes. This is a trend that is seeing even more traction due to the digital transformation happening in response to COVID-19.” Chief Financial Officer Jill Putman said there's “embedded uncertainty around the IT spending environment as renewals, capital spending and new IT projects are subject to more scrutiny across organizations.” The stock closed 6.5% lower Wednesday at $38.50.