Apple @ Work: Google Workspace integration gives more businesses a reason to consider using Managed Apple IDs
Apple @ Work is brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that fully integrates 5 different applications on a single Apple-only platform, allowing Businesses and Schools to easily and automatically deploy, manage & protect all their Apple devices . Over 32,000 organizations leverage Mosyle solutions to automate the deployment, management and security of millions of Apple devices daily. Request a free account to learn how your Apple fleet can be put on autopilot for a low price.
Apple has announced that Apple Business Essentials will be available in production. In Apple’s Newsroom post, there was a small mention of something fairly earth-shattering in the enterprise world. It suggests that Apple is able to understand what it takes for enterprises to succeed with Apple’s work.
Employees sign in using an Apple ID Managed to access their work account. Once they sign in, they will have access to everything they need to be productive, including the new Apple Business Essentials app, where they can download work apps available to them. Managed Apple IDs can be created by federating with Microsoft Azure Active Directory and, coming later this spring, with Google Workspace identity services, allowing employees to log in to their device with a single business username and password. Apple Business Essentials can be used with both company-provided devices and personal computers. Employees’ private information is encrypted and kept separate from their work data with Apple’s User enrollment feature.
I nearly missed the mention in the initial release when I was going through it. I’ve become so accustomed to reading about Google Workspace, so it didn’t register in my brain. Apple has publicly committed to integrate Google Workspace in Managed Apple IDs as part of this new release. This functionality has been requested by me since the launch of Apple Business Manager, Managed Apple IDs. Google Workspace has been compared to Microsoft’s cloud services by industry peers. Organizations fall into one of two camps: Google or Microsoft. If you’re using Microsoft 365, Azure AD, etc – you’ve enjoyed the easy creation and management of Managed Apple IDs for a few years now.
What does this mean for Apple in the workplace?
Managed Apple IDs are a slow process for organizations that have used Google Workspace to manage their cloud identities. This has been frustrating for many companies using Managed Apple IDs. With this announcement, Apple will make it easy for organizations with Google to use Managed Apple IDs. Google and Apple have had their fair share of problems over the years, but I think Apple has made this decision for a single reason: it makes an Apple Business Essentials subscription more attractive to all businesses.
It doesn’t appear that Apple has plans to roll out a competitor to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 anytime soon, so it makes sense to enable IT departments to integrate their chosen identity system into Apple Business Manager easily. What I believe this signifies is that Apple is taking a “and Apple approach” to enterprise identity management. Apple is recognizing that Google and Microsoft are deeply integrated in every company around the globe. Apple wants to be a secondary subscription. Managed Apple IDs make using Apple devices at work even more streamlined.
I had long believed Apple would roll out a competitor to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, but I don’t believe that’s true now. Apple has an objective of driving service revenue. However, it is not just about enterprise email hosting. Apple has created a new type of service that is aimed at increasing services revenue. More organizations are likely to say yes to Apple Business Essentials with integration into Google Workspace. The iCloud Storage is excellent, but the most important reasons to subscribe are device repairs and 24/7 support. For hybrid work organizations, Apple Business Essentials can be that frontline IT support, handle device repairs, and make it easy to secure all their Apple devices.
Summary
With Apple Business Essentials, Apple is not trying to compete against folks like Jamf, Kandji, or Mosyle. Apple’s device management APIs are the same as those of these great MDM vendors. The enemy of Apple Business Essentials is unmanaged devices in the enterprise. With this new business offering, Apple says: We want to help all businesses secure and manage their Macs and iOS devices, so we’re going to make it easy to connect with whatever identity management system you have. Google Workspace integration makes it a possibility for thousands of businesses who wouldn’t have considered Apple Business Essentials before.
Apple @ Work is brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that fully integrates 5 different applications on a single Apple-only platform, allowing Businesses and Schools to easily and automatically deploy, manage & protect all their Apple devices . Over 32,000 organizations leverage Mosyle solutions to automate the deployment, management and security of millions of Apple devices daily.
Request a FREE account today and discover how you can put your Apple fleet on auto-pilot at a price point that is hard to believe.