iPad/iPhone enterprise deployment

In my opinion a tablet is most useful if used as a consumer (read your mail, news, presentation, view documents etc) as oppose to a content creator. The limiting factor is how much content you might be able to create using an iPad, even one with Bluetooth keyboard. The enterprise standard integration of an iPad is probably derived from the idea of integrating laptop in a business environment. While we run a laptop program which is integrated to the business environment, we look into accessibility, data security, authentication, enterprise application integration and miscellaneous productivity software and tools. Ability to do seamless integration, providing backup and recovery services and technical support is the key to its success. In this blog I shall try to describe how to deploy tablet for enterprises/ educational institutes in a step by step

Step 1: Analyze your business mobile computing usage

Analyze requirement and identify a list of applications that can be deployed. This probably includes looking into integration and support for wifi enterprise, authentication, vpn, ssl, directory service, exchange, calendar, share point address book etc. At this stage we also need to study and ensure applications and OS feature we plan to use is compatible with our infrastructure; do demo run and ensure end uses can integrate it to their workflow. Find more resources on this from apple.

Step 2: Source your hardware and software

Source hardware. iPAD from apple store?

Buy software thought Apple Volume purchase program. So far all reference stays this Volume purchase program is available for US only. More on how App store Volume purchase program works.

This diagram illustrates how Apple Volume purchase program works

More on Aobe VPP http://www.apple.com/business/vpp/

Inventory your software and hardware something is probably already in your workflow J

Step 3: Configure for deployment

Deploy applications using iPhone and iPad Apple Configurator

Ref: http://images.apple.com/ipad/business/docs/iOS_Apple_Configurator_Mar12.pdf

Apple Configurator works with devices running iOS 4.3 or later, and can supervise devices running iOS 5.0 or later. This application allows you to

• Prepare a device: update iOS, install profile, free and volume purchased app
• Supervise: maintain control over group of devices that share common apps, settings and profiles
• Assign device: Create and manage users and groups. Assign supervised devices to individual users, backup and restore users’ contents and settings

Step 4: Distribute

Distribute configured devices to the end users. In this stage we also need to explain and train people how to use and integrate the configured device in their daily workflow, how to access support, what and what not to expect from the device.

Step 5: Monitor and Support

The final step is always to monitor the usage, provide technical support, update and upgrade as required. I pad being a new technology in a corporate world we would always need to take a fresh look of the scope of this device in the corporate world. Deploying and letting real people use it will give us the feedback on how much this can be used and how to improve the workflow.

Unfortunately the volume purchase program is also a limiting factor of how iPad for business is limiting the usage to the rest of the world. Apple promises to re-fresh their approach in integrating iPad for business and education environment

Reference: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/sybase/deep-dive-into-apples-new-volume-purchase-program-for-businesses/1376

http://www.apple.com/ipad/business/resources/

http://www.apple.com/business/vpp/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cblue98/7266080346/

tag: apple, ipad, enterprise, volume purchase, support, deployment, vpp, workflow