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Apple Launching New Platform for Businesses

Apple is introducing a free all-in-one platform later this month called Apple Business that includes key services companies need to manage their Apple devices, reach more customers, equip team members with essential apps and tools, and get support from experts to run and grow efficiently and securely.

Apple Business features built-in mobile device management, helping businesses easily configure employee groups, device settings, security, and apps with Blueprints to quickly get started. In addition, customers can now set up business email, calendar, and directory services with their own domain name for seamless and elevated communication and collaboration.

In addition, Apple Business can help millions of companies grow their reach and connect with local customers across Apple Maps, Mail, Wallet, Siri, and more, including a new option coming this summer that will enable businesses in the U.S. and Canada to place local ads in Maps during key search and discovery moments. Apple Business will be available starting Tuesday, April 14, in more than 200 countries and regions to new and existing users of Apple Business Connect, Apple Business Essentials, and Apple Business Manager. Those three services will no longer be available once Apple Business launches.

“Apple Business is a significant leap forward in our decades-long commitment to helping companies of all sizes leverage the power of Apple products and services to run and grow,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Enterprise and Education Marketing. “We’ve unified Apple’s strongest business offerings into one simple, secure platform, delivering key features for organizations in every stage and sector, including built-in device management, collaboration tools, and additional ways to reach new customers. We can’t wait to see how Apple Business helps companies spend more time focusing on what they love and connecting deeply with their communities.”<

Built-In Mobile Device Management

Apple Business offers built-in mobile device management (MDM), facilitating a comprehensive view of an organization’s Apple devices, settings, and more from a single interface. Previously available as a subscription within Apple Business Essentials in the U.S., Apple Business is designed to make IT easy — including for small businesses without dedicated IT resources. Apple Business includes new Blueprints to easily set up devices with preconfigured settings and apps, ensuring consistency and security and enabling zero-touch deployment for employees, so that new Apple products are ready to go out of the box.
Apple Business includes options to purchase upgraded iCloud storage and support with AppleCare+ for Business, and a companion Apple Business app will allow employees to install apps for work, view colleague contact information, and request support while on the go.3
Apple Business expands the availability of Apple Business Manager to more than 200 countries and regions, and supports additional device management features, including:
  • Managed Apple Accounts: Company data remains secure while employee data remains private, with cryptographic separation of work and personal data on devices. Apple Business enables automated Managed Apple Account creation for new employees through integration with an identity service provider, including Google Workspace, Microsoft Entra ID, and more.
  • Employee management: Create user groups by function or team to assign apps and roles. Organizations can also create custom roles to manage access exactly the way they want.
  • App distribution: Easily acquire and distribute apps to employees and teams through the App Store.
  • Admin API: Simplify large deployments with API access to device, user, audit, and MDM service data.

New Ways to Manage Productivity and Collaboration

Apple Business introduces fully integrated email, calendar, and directory services that are designed to make it seamless to start a new business with a professional identity. Businesses can bring their own custom domain name or purchase a new one through Apple Business, helping founders elevate communication and collaboration. These services streamline operations, with scheduling tools like calendar delegation and a built-in company directory to make it easy for employees to connect with user groups and personalized contact cards.

Enhanced Discoverability in Apple Maps

Every day, users choose Apple Maps to discover and explore places and businesses around them. Beginning this summer in the U.S. and Canada, businesses will have a new way to be discovered by using Apple Business to create ads on Maps. Ads on Maps will appear when users search in Maps, and can appear at the top of a user’s search results based on relevance, as well as at the top of a new Suggested Places experience in Maps, which will display recommendations based on what’s trending nearby, the user’s recent searches, and more. Ads will be clearly marked to ensure transparency for Maps users.
Ads on Maps builds on Apple’s broader privacy-first approach to advertising, and maintains the same privacy protections Maps users enjoy today. A user’s location and the ads they see and interact with in Maps are not associated with a user’s Apple Account. Personal data stays on a user’s device, is not collected or stored by Apple, and is not shared with third parties. When Apple Business is available in April, businesses will need to first claim their location on Maps. Once ads on Maps is available, businesses will be able to access a fully automated experience of creating ads through Apple Business in a few simple steps. Current Apple Ads advertisers and agencies will also have the option to book ads through their existing Apple Ads experience, which will offer additional customization options for their ad campaigns.

Brand and Location Features in One Convenient Place

Brand management tools previously available in Apple Business Connect will now be available through Apple Business, making it easier than ever for businesses to set up and manage how their brand and locations appear across Apple services and apps.
  • Brand profiles: Manage brand name, logo, and key details consistently across Apple Maps, Wallet, and other features and apps.
  • Rich place cards: Customize with photos, detailed location information, hours, and other useful details that display across Apple Maps, Safari, Spotlight, and more.
  • Showcases and custom actions: Highlight deals, special offers, new products, or seasonal items on place cards in Maps. Add custom actions like order or reserve to direct customers to a preferred website or app.
  • Location insights: Gain valuable insights into how customers discover and interact with businesses on Maps, including search, views, and taps on actions.
  • Branded communications: Display branding prominently in the Mail app and on iCloud Mail to increase awareness. Branding will display with tracked orders in Wallet for a more recognizable customer experience.
  • Tap to Pay on iPhone: Build trust by displaying a brand logo and name on the payment screen when accepting payments directly on iPhone.

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