Apple Macs are a popular choice in the creative industries like film, television and media. Macs are not only stylish and intuitive, but also offer access to great features and capabilities for creatives like a range of creative tools, and a deeply integrated ecosystem of hardware and apps that are supported by Apple. These can better power data-intensive applications.
If your creative business is considering making a switch to macOS from a Windows PC setup, you’re in the right place! We’ll discuss the pitfalls and key steps to consider for your migration to a macOS environment so that you can get the best possible outcomes from the change.
Why the Move to macOS?
It’s not just the slick design or user-friendly interface that’s enticing media professionals; it’s also macOS’s performance quality that’s hard to overlook. Whether you’re a budding interior design studio using editing CAD software, or a media agency that handles vast amounts of data, macOS can offer considerable stability and performance for these kinds of work.
Making the move from Windows to macOS is not as simple as it may seem, it requires ensuring that you can fully migrate your data, that your macOS environment offers the same (if not better!) capabilities than your prior Windows setup and ensuring that it aligns harmoniously with your workflows and staff.
Let’s start with some potential pitfalls in the migration process, and how to identify them.
Potential Pitfalls of Migrating from Windows to macOS
Loss of data, incompatibilities, and cyber security threats and compliance risks are among the greatest risk factors in the migration process to look out for:
Data Vulnerability
During the migration process your data can become temporarily vulnerable. Ahead of the migration, back up your data, and create secure transfer mechanisms to avoid it being lost or susceptible to cyber threats.
Software Compatibility
Not all software used on other platforms will work seamlessly on macOS. This can be particularly concerning for specialised media software. It’s worth doing your homework to check that your software is available via macOS or that there is a better or equally good alternative, and that there are no macOS specific issues associated with these solutions.
Consider the hardware requirements of these software to ensure that any new Mac devices that are procured, meet them and can run them smoothly.
Training Challenges
While macOS is lauded for its user-friendliness, for those accustomed to other operating systems, there can be a learning curve. Take the time to get your users used to navigating the macOS interface, the specific tools you will be using often, and how they relate to your workflows and processes.
Infrastructure Overhaul
Migrating isn’t just about individual devices. Often, the entire IT infrastructure, from servers to workstations, needs an overhaul. For example, a film production company may rely on Windows-specific network protocols to enable their devices to talk with their servers, so it’s worth consulting with a managed service provider (MSP) to capture any required realignments at the level of your infrastructure.
Ensuring a Secure Transition to MacOS from Windows: Key Things to Consider
The transition for each business will naturally be different in terms of the specific details, but we can generalise a smooth and secure process into these key aspects:
- Partner with a trusted MSP: A Managed Service Provider (MSP) can be an invaluable source of support for all steps of the transition, and partnering with one may be the first step that you take. They can create a secure and smooth transition for you that doesn’t miss a beat.
- Conduct a Thorough IT Audit: Get clear on the software, hardware and network components that will be relevant to undertaking a smooth and empowering migration that delivers on your goals. Without the expertise of an MSP, this can be a difficult task to complete fully by a non-technical team, but it is an essential step for undertaking a smooth and seamless migration that avoids issues like missing data, misalignments, and unexpected bottlenecks in performance after the migration.
- Prioritise cyber security: Document the risks of the transition and mitigations for them. Ensure that your data is backed up before transitioning it and ensure the latest security patches are in place before the migration. Then, use an encrypted means of transmission to move the data across. It’s important to remember that while Macs do have decent in-built security features, they will not be enough on their own for a creative business and the likely expectations that its clients will have of it.
- Offer training sessions: Prepare your users for the change by familiarising them with macOS. Training sessions can empower your team to hit the ground running with their new system, which will reduce unnecessary time losses and boost productivity.
- Test the waters: Instead of a full-blown transition, consider starting with a pilot group. This will reduce risk and offer a valuable source of lessons and best practices before making the full migration.
- Ensure compliance: Alongside security, consider industry standards and compliance regulations for the process. Ensure that the migration is undertaken in alignment with them to avoid inadvertently violating cyber security best practices.
Take Care to Balance the Unlocking of New Benefits with IT Best Practices
For businesses in the creative sectors, the advantages of macOS can be manifold. The platform’s capabilities can enhance the quality of your content production, streamline workflows, and foster better, smoother collaboration in your team. However, without due diligence, the migration process can expose businesses to risks.
There is a careful balance to strike in ensuring that the transition to macOS, while advantageous for operations, doesn’t compromise on security. And this is where combining IT best practices, collaboration with expert MSPs, and a focus on training and compliance comes into the picture for your business.
Conclusion
We hope that this guide has been useful for giving your business material to consider for undertaking its migration to macOS. By undertaking it in an aligned, considered and well-planned way, you can avoid unnecessary pitfalls, hit the ground running with your new macOS setup, and avoid cyber security and compliance risks that can hurt your reputation and finances.
If you’d like a helping hand with undertaking a migration to macOS from a team of friendly and seasoned experts, consider partnering with Rubicon IT! We can help you through all of the steps outlined in this blog and help you to get the best from your migration. You can book a free meeting with us; we’d be glad to get to know you and offer personalised guidance and insights for your migration process.
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