How Interac Built a Seamless Employee Device Experience with CDW and Mac
As Interac expanded its Apple employee device ecosystem, CDW helped deliver the right technology and support to meet evolving needs.
Chris Wise, Leader, End User Services, Interac
Millions of Canadians rely on Interac products every day for secure digital payments. The payment network plays a central role in Canada’s financial ecosystem, offering secure Interac® Debit, Interac e-Transfer ® and Interac Verified TM solutions. In 2024, Interac Corp. (“Interac”) recorded over 7 billion total transactions.
To keep these critical payment systems running, its employees need workspace technology that’s dependable and aligned with how they work. As the organization shifted to a hybrid work model, meeting changing employee needs became a key priority.
“Now that we’re back in the office three days a week, the workplace is noticeably more active. From an employee experience standpoint, our top priority is ensuring our employees have the right technology tools that help them stay productive, engaged and empowered,” said Chris Wise, Leader, End User Services, Interac.
Interac saw an opportunity to provide an enhanced employee device experience with Mac, in addition to its Windows platform. The company's existing Apple ecosystem, coupled with a simpler device management program, made the Mac a favourable endpoint choice.
CDW Canada, with its strong ties to Apple and proven track record with Interac, was selected to fulfill Interac’s enterprise MacBook requirements. CDW’s guidance, technology support and competitive pricing helped Interac elevate the employee experience while simplifying MacBook procurement.
“CDW always goes above and beyond to ensure we have what we need. If we have any questions, they’re always willing to help and offer solutions tailored for our needs,” said Wise.
The vision for elevating employee experience
Interac’s End User Services team is focused on delivering a superior employee device experience that’s accessible, productive and consistent across roles and work environments. Whether supporting software developers with high-performance laptop needs or their hybrid workers who split time between home and office, the goal is the same: enable employees to do their best work.
“Subtle aspects of the employee experience – like how a device moves through the environment or the commute to the office – can have a big impact. We’re continually refining our mobile device management (MDM) solutions to better support these moments and deliver smarter, more seamless experiences,” Wise said.
The Mac aligned well with this vision. Employees familiar with macOS could work more intuitively, while Wise’s team saw fewer services issues with Mac devices – resulting in smoother operations and less downtime.
Crucially, Interac wanted to empower employees with choice – offering both macOS and Windows options during onboarding or hardware refresh cycles.
“We wanted to be a company that gives employees the freedom to choose the operating system that best supports their role and work style. Our experience is that that flexibility can lead to better performance and a more personalized experience,” Wise said.
How CDW enabled Interac to procure Mac devices at scale
To expand Mac adoption, Interac needed a partner who could streamline procurement and reduce costs. CDW delivered on both fronts.
CDW Canada stepped in as a partner that could help Interac resolve these challenges with its highly efficient sourcing and strong Apple ecosystem knowledge.
Competitive Mac pricing
Working with CDW, Interac was able to procure Mac devices for nearly the same price as its Windows machines, which boosted adoption.
“The price points were evenly matched and we were able to offer our standard machines on Windows and macOS at a similar price,” Wise noted.
CDW’s strong partnership with Apple allows CDW to offer enterprise-ready devices with bundled solutions that reduce overall costs.
This price point made it possible for Interac to offer both Windows and macOS as options to newly onboarded employees or those requiring a hardware refresh, supporting its vision of employee choice.
Integration with Apple Care for Enterprise
CDW helped Interac integrate Apple Care for Enterprise, upgrading from Apple Care Plus. This provided Interac with three-year coverage instead of the two-year plans.
The plan also became cost-efficient, requiring lower expenditure than Apple Care coverage. As an added benefit, Interac employees could use this plan for their home devices as well as for basic troubleshooting.
Canada-based Mac availability
CDW’s Canada-based fulfilment offered shorter lead times for Interac. As Wise explained, “The fact that CDW Canada has a large trial base here is a huge help. Previously, our MacBooks were coming from California. Shipments took a long time for procurement.”
With CDW managing the procurement, it became faster and simpler to get Mac devices in the hands of employees. “If we ever needed to send a Mac directly to an employee, I have the comfort of ordering it from CDW and having it delivered directly to that person's house,” Wise added.
Personalized business support
CDW’s personalized approach helped Interac navigate purchase hurdles quickly and tailor the procurement to their unique needs. Their sales teams continued to closely work with Wise’s team throughout the engagement.
“It's not just about the physical purchasing of devices,” Wise said. “If I ask CDW account managers a question about an end goal or idea, they'll connect me with the right experts. They're always willing to point us in the right direction.”
Out of box deployment
By integrating with Apple Business Manager, CDW was able to deliver an out-of-box deployment experience for Interac. All new MacBooks procured through CDW directly were pre-configured to work with Interac’s device management solution, which reduced complexity and setup time.
Overall, the right pricing, tailored support and simplified deployment ultimately helped Interac deliver a more seamless, empowered employee experience when it came to their device offering.
CDW is committed to fine-tuning Mac deployments and ensuring that Interac receives consistent experience, even when their needs change.
Concluding, Wise spoke about his experience, “We rarely had to follow up – CDW was always ahead of us, checking in and making sure our needs are met. It's a genuine and great partnership between two businesses."
Interac, Interac e-Transfer and Interac Verified are trademarks of Interac Corp. Used under licence.