Ever since Mac OS X Server shipped in 1999 and the desktop version in early 2001, many Apple and enterprise I.T. watchers have pontificated about Apple possibly moving into enterprise sales in a big way and making it a focus of effort.

On a scale of 1-10 (with “10″ being hyperfocused on a strategic market), I believe Apple’s interest in the enterprise is a “2″.

My friend, Graeme Thickins (blog; business), sent a few of us an eWeek article today entitled, “Apple Goes Enterprise.” The authors premise? That enterprise I.T. is clueless unless they seriously consider Mac OS X Server and Apple’s Xserve or Xsan hardware for their server room due to the world-class aspects of these products and his argument was on the merits of what Apple offers.

I’d agree they’re worth a serious look, but I see one huge caveat to this article from the point of view of someone who was a manufacturer’s rep for Apple in the early 1980′s, worked again for the company after Jobs came back in 1996 for three years, was in leadership positions in the enteprise software space (e.g., Vignette; Lawson Software) and have thought long and hard about what Apple is up to while simultaneously knowing what it takes to kowtow to and please enterprise I.T. folks.

The enterprise wants every conceivable feature and typically places their bets on technology momentum, a new class of product or a vendor if they deliver a corresponding support infrastructure (i.e., a vendor that invests in support for enterprises specifically) or demand is off-the-charts high. Currently Apple’s support for the enterprise is modest…at best…and many of Apple’s former resellers (who could support the enterprise) are gone due to the Apple Store juggernaut.

In a January 2000 Fortune magazine interview, Jobs said this about Apple’s new directions — including any sort of focus on enterprise sales — in response to a line of questioning about why they wouldn’t pursue the enterprise after Apple’s reenergized and growing sales as well as the then well accepted “jelly bean shaped” iMac:

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