Apple is introducing a new business offering called Apple Business Essentials that combines device management, 24/7 phone support for IT and end-users, business iCloud storage, and an option for onsite repairs for businesses of up to 500 employees. The free beta period launches today with the full service coming in the spring of 2022.
“Small businesses are at the core of our economy, and we’re proud that Apple products play a role in helping these companies grow,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Enterprise and Education Marketing. “Apple Business Essentials is designed to help streamline every step of employee device management within a small business — from setup, onboarding, and upgrading, to accessing fast service and prioritized support, all while keeping data backed up and secure, so companies can focus on running their business.”
Apple Business Essentials enable IT departments to configure settings and apps for individual users, groups, or stand-alone devices. When employees sign in to their business or personal device with their work credentials, the Collections feature automatically pushes key settings such as VPN configurations and Wi-Fi information. The new Apple Business Essentials app will be installed on each employee’s device, where they can download corporate App Store apps assigned to them. Apple Business Essentials allows access to a dedicated iCloud account for work, providing simple and secure storage, backup, and collaboration on files and documents.
IT managers can also enforce vital security settings such as FileVault for full-disk encryption on Mac, and Activation Lock to protect company data if the devices are lost or stolen. If employees use a personal device at work, Apple’s User Enrollment creates cryptographic separation for their work data to keep personal data private while company data remains secure.
AppleCare+ for Business Essentials
A new AppleCare+ for Business Essentials option adds on 24/7 access to phone support for both IT teams and end users, and up to two device repairs per plan each year. End users can initiate repairs directly from the new Apple Business Essentials app, and an Apple-trained technician will come onsite in as little as four hours to repair devices. AppleCare+ for Business Essentials is not available during the free beta period.
Pricing
Apple Business Essentials plans enable businesses to cover every employee and device in their organization. Plans can be customized to support each user with up to three devices and up to 2TB of secure storage in iCloud, starting at $2.99 per month, with optional AppleCare+ for Apple Business Essentials. Pricing for AppleCare+ for Business essentials will be announced later.
Apple Business Essentials is available as a free beta starting today in the US. The service will be fully launched in the spring of 2022.
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