What does iOS 13 and the latest Apple launches mean for your enterprise?

Heralded as Apple’s most important developer conference in years, the annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in California revealed groundbreaking new developments in everything from new hardware to a new iPad operating system and a revamped iOS 13. So what does this mean for enterprises using managed mobile devices, and in particular their IT staff, the end-users, and the organisation as a whole?

iOS 13

Data Separation for BYOD

A new form of management called User Enrolment, built specifically for Bring Your Own Device, maintains user privacy while keeping corporate data protected. This is the biggest feature if you ask me. Google nailed it with Android Enterprise and Apple had some catching up to do. We wonder if this will also be available in a COPE type deployment?

Modern authentication for device enrolment

Deliver custom content during Automated Device Enrolment to enhance security and show users tailored information.

Single sign-on extension

APIs for identity providers and app developers enable users to seamlessly log in to apps and websites using the security of Face ID and Touch ID.

Managed Apple IDs for business

Create and manage Apple IDs used by employees, giving them access to services like iCloud Drive and iCloud Notes. This is a logical move as they did the groundwork with Apple Business/Schools Manager last year. This brings a new co-existence of personal and business Apple IDs which is huge. In Apple Schools the “education “ iTunes accounts are managed in Apple Schools Manager - passwords, expiry, etc. If allowed, personal iTunes accounts go on as well. On supervised devices, VPP is tied to the education account. Users register into device with their Education iTunes account then can add ther personal one, if allowed once logged in,

For more details on the profiles, commands and queries included in each type of MDM, and including the new User Enrolment mode for iOS see here: developer.apple.com/documentation/devicemanagement.

Other additional features in the new iOS 13 are:

• Add attachments to calendar events
• Block sender and mute threads in Mail
• More text formatting options in Mail
• Silence unknown calls
• Wi-Fi selection in Control Center
• iMessage and simultaneous calls on dual SIM
• Weak password warnings
• Optimised battery charging (especially important for iPad-based kiosks)
• Download large apps over cellular
  
  

From the iOS and iPadOS 13 beta release notes, it is clear that enterprise iCloud Drive and enterprise Notes are coming.

There’s new language around “MDM apps” in the updated App Store Review Guidelines. Apple mentions that “MDM apps must request the mobile device management capability.”

Bye bye iPhone 5s and 6

iOS 13 will no longer provide support for iPhone 5S and 6. While not so surprising for the 5S, we thought the iPhone 6 may have still had a year left.

Voice Control
Come this autumn, voice control will roll out across Macs, iOS and iPadOS. A great tool for accessibility, the control even extends to gestures like tapping, swiping and scrolling.

iPadOS 13

iOS for the iPad now has its own name — iPadOS.

It comes with a plethora of multitasking and productivity features that will no doubt convert more users from laptops to iPads.

• iPadOS will support external storage devices via USB and on SD cards, plus the Files app will support access to SMB file servers. Hooray!
• A much-improved iteration of Split View, the capacity to switch apps in Slide Over while continuing to use your main app.
• iPadOS 13 will support iPad Air 2 and later, iPad Pros, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 4 and later.
• You can run Mac apps on iPad. Use your iPad as a second screen wirelessly (as long as the devices are within 30 feet of each other.) This feature will be helpful to users with multiple devices.
• There is mouse support via Assistive Touch.

You can discover more in the iPadOS Preview.

tvOS 13

tvOS will support multiple users.

watchOS 6

watchOS 6 will support freestanding apps (i.e. without a companion iPhone app) and direct access to the App Store.

Apple Watch will gain the ability to run and install new apps without an iPhone via its own App Store.

macOS 10.15 Catalina

Here are some highlights from the big list:

• macOS will sync iOS devices from Finder, instead of from iTunes. iTunes itself has been broken up into Music, Podcast, and TV apps. (No word about what Windows users will do, yet.)
• The new “Find My” app can locate offline Macs, which will report their location to nearby Apple devices via Bluetooth beacons.
• Macs with the T2 chip will support Activation Lock.
• Third-party developers can bring iPad apps to the Mac with Project Catalyst.
• With Sidecar, an iPad can act as an external display for macOS. (I’m going to love this for working from home and on the road.)
• There’s a new “endpoint security” framework and API.
• macOS apps must be notarised to run on Catalina. This is one we’ve known about for a while, but now’s the time for it to go into place.

Apple’s Mac Pro is more powerful than ever. It will now be able to create music with more than 1,000 tracks in Logic, run three 4K video streams concurrently in real time, and purchase Mac Pro configurations for rack space. However the entry-level Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR will cost around £9,400.

Swift UI

Swift UI is a new user interface framework designed to make it easier to build apps. It makes user interface development much faster with reduced code, meaning you can more swiftly (sic) build apps for deployment across all Apple platforms.

iOS 13 will bring powerful new features to advance enterprise security within your organisation, whilst bringing efficiency gains across the enterprise. What’s not to like?