A key component of any modern computing environment, directory services allow organizations to centralize information about users, groups, and computing resources. As a network-based repository, directory services consolidate resources, simplify system management, and reduce support and administration costs. At the same time, directory services benefit users by enabling them to access enterprise resources from anywhere on the network. A directory services infrastructure therefore offers advantages for both administrators and end users.

The full benefits of directory services can only be realized when all desktop, notebook, and server systems are integrated into the same infrastructure. Due to the proliferation of proprietary directory services solutions, this can be a daunting task for any enterprise, especially if running computers with various operating systems.

Adopting the Mac® as a corporate IT standard can be valuable for your organization­. With renowned ease of use, rock-solid security, and built-in tools to centralize client management, it’s easier than you may think. The Mac can fit in easily in a managed corporate environment. It can authenticate to Active Directory servers, and with Mac OS® X Snow Leopard®, the Mac even has out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.

With the introduction of the Active Directory (AD) plug-in in Mac OSX v10.3, Apple® made a concerted effort to enable IT administrators to integrate Mac OS X clients and servers easily into existing Active Directory infrastructures. Users can move effortlessly between different computers while still adhering to enterprise policies for strong authentication and password-protected access to network resources.

Read this white paper, Best Practices for Integrating Mac OS X with Active Directory and learn how Mac computers work with Active Directory in much the same way that Windows clients do, and how the built-in capabilities of Mac OS X can enable you to integrate Macs with Active Directory in a way that is customized to your unique environment.

Apple,  the Apple Logo, Mac, Mac OS, Snow Leopard are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.