Apple announced that Apple Business Essentials is out of beta and is now available to all small businesses in the US. The service brings device management, support, and storage solution under a single package provided by Apple.
What You Need to Know About Apple Business Essentials
Apple introduced this enterprise solution on November 21. To put it simply, Apple bundled a number of its services into a single subscription-based package. Small businesses and enterprises that own Apple’s various products have the option to use the flexible package to efficiently manage them. According to Apple, it offers a complete solution for small businesses.
Apple Business Essentials supports small businesses throughout the entire device management life cycle — from device setup to device upgrades — while providing strong security, prioritized support, and data storage and backup.
The Apple solution helps employees with onboarding, configuring, deploying, and managing Apple products from anywhere. Additionally, the solution also lets businesses deliver groups of apps simultaneously to employees or teams. Companies can also automatically push various settings such as VPN configurations, Wi-Fi passwords, and more.
The service also includes a dedicated iCloud work account. This facilitates simple and secure storage, backup, and collaboration on enterprise files and documents. It also allows storage and backup of business data directly on an iPhone or iPad. This makes it easier for employees to upgrade to new devices.
AppleCare+ Options Also Available
Along with Apple Business Essentials, Apple also introduced an AppleCare+ option that can be included in the subscription. With this option, businesses will have access to 24/7 phone support, training for IT administrators and employees, and repair credits for Apple devices. AppleCare+ plans are available in three price options with various coverage.
Pricing, Availability, and Integration with Google Workspace
When a company signs up for Apple Business Essentials, employees can sign in to their work account using iOS or Mac devices. Once signed in, they can access a suite of work-related apps available for their organization.
Companies can create managed Apple IDs by federating with Microsoft Azure Active Directory. For companies using Google Workspaces, integration with Apple Business Essentials should come later on.
Apple Business Essentials is now available as a subscription for all small businesses in the US. Flexible plans can be customized to support each user and device in an organization with up to 2TB of secure storage in iCloud, starting at $2.99 (US) per month after a two-month free trial. Plans that include AppleCare+ for Apple Business Essentials start at $9.99 (US) per month.