iPad as a business tool with Apple Configurator

iPad Apple Configurator app

Smart phones have grown to be critical business tools over the past decade. The popularity of these devices combined with the demand for larger and faster solutions have put great focus on tablets for business use. Without question, the most desired tablet has been the Apple iPad. These devices have had great consumer success but businesses have a hard time implementing them into their organizations because they lack easy to set up administrative controls.

With the announcement of the new iPad last week, Apple also released a new tool to help solve the problem that was preventing more iPad’s from being used in organizations. In the Mac App Store you can now find a utility called Apple Configurator, a tool that simplifies the set up and distribution process of iOS products. The application can be used to configure iPads, iPods, and iPhones with the ability to handle thirty at a time. Now schools, businesses, and institutions will be able to take advantage of these powerful devices with more ease and control.

Apple Configurator has three simple workflows that will help with: preparing devices, supervising settings, and assigning devices to employees or students. One of the clearest benefits is the ability to outfit your workforce with devices that are optimized for your business and have all the right tools. Before issuing a device, an administrator could set up an iPad with a sales CRM solution, presentation apps and documents, and meeting software like Webex. On the education side, a device could always be kept current with the newest class resources and reading material.

Apple gives a breakdown of each workflows features:

Prepare devices

• Configure up to 30 devices at a time
• Update devices to the latest version of iOS
• Create and restore a backup of settings and app data from one device to other devices
• Import apps into Apple Configurator and sync them to new devices*
• Use the built-in editor to create and install iOS configuration profiles
• Enroll devices with your Mobile Device Management solution for remote management

Supervise devices

• Organize supervised devices into custom groups
• Automatically apply common configurations to supervised devices
• Quickly reapply a configuration to a supervised device and remove the previous user’s data
• Import apps into Apple Configurator and sync them to supervised devices*
• Define and apply common or sequential names to all devices
• Restrict supervised devices from syncing with other computers

Assign devices

• Add users and groups manually or autopopulate via Open Directory or Active Directory
• Check out a device to a user and restore the user’s settings and data on that device
• Apply custom text, wallpaper, or the user’s picture to a device’s Lock screen
• Import and export documents between your Mac and Apple Configurator
• Sync documents between assigned devices and Apple Configurator