Tag: Business

Today Apple announced availability of Apple Business Connect.

With Business Connect, businesses around the world can now directly manage their information in the interactive Apple Maps place card, including adding and updating photos and logos; inviting customers to take actions like ordering food or making a reservation directly from Maps; and presenting customers with special promotions.

Apple Newsroom

New feature will allow also to provide more info and relevant actions which could be performed at specific place, allowing better mobile app or website promotions.

Showcases, a new feature in the place card, helps businesses present customers with offers and incentives, like seasonal menu items, product discounts, and more. Businesses can easily update the Showcase section of their place card through Business Connect. Showcases are available to businesses in the US beginning today, and will be available to businesses globally in coming months. 

Businesses can also provide customers with useful information by highlighting actions for them to take directly from the Maps place card, like ordering groceries via Instacart, making a hotel reservation through Booking.com, or reserving a spot for dinner with OpenTable, and more, with just a tap.

Apple Newsroom

Apple Business Connect

Apple Newsroom: Introducing Apple Business Connect

References:

• Apple Business Connect launches as free tool to help organize key information across services
• Apple Launches a New Program Allowing Business Owners to Manage Their Place Cards in Maps and Other Apps

Apple adds new option to distribute iOS apps. Previously, developers were able to use public App Store, use Custom App distribution (to Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager connected organizations) or use Enterprise Developer Program and handle distribution internally.

All of these methods had their pros and cons, and limitations.

Now Apple introduces new option – Unlisted app distribution. This option provides a way of distribution via App Store without limiting your app availability to specific organizations, but app also is not presented in search results, charts, recommendations and could be discovered only by direct link.

These apps could be used by Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager deployments.

Apps for specific organizations, special events, or research studies, or apps used as employee resources or sales tools are good candidates for unlisted distribution.

Apple Developer

In order to distribute apps via this option, Account Holder should request the link via special form.

Apps distributed via this approach will follow App Store review according to App Store Review Guidelines. However, it is expected, that some sections will not be applicable – such as account registration or "guest" access in the same way as in Custom App distribution.

Please note that unlisted apps must be ready for final distribution. Requests for apps in a beta or pre-release state will be declined.

Apple Developer

Unlisted apps could be accessed by anyone with the link, so app should have proper authorization mechanisms in place.

Apple Developer: Unlisted app distribution

Unlisted app distribution request form: Unlisted App Request

Apple introduced new program for small businesses – Business Essentials. This program provides iCloud storage, device management and device support to organizations with up to 500 employees.

A set of three simple Apple Business Essentials plans enable businesses to cover every employee and device in their organization. Plans can be customized to support each user with up to three devices and up to 2TB of secure storage in iCloud, starting at $2.99 per month, with optional AppleCare+ for Apple Business Essentials.

Apple Press Release

Service is currently available in beta (and, therefore, lacks AppleCare+ support).

Study from Forrester shows than Macs are cheaper than PCs in long run. Using Macs saves up to $800 over three years per device.

Study provides more details on estimated savings and the reasoning.