Item: Apple Business Essentials
Rating: 9
Author: Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Apple Business Essentials

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We automatically import devices that we purchase from resellers (Verizon, CDW, etc.) into our Apple Business Essentials Manager account. Once they're imported, we assign them to the MDM of our choice, purchase application licenses, and import them into our MDM for incredibly easy management and configuration of our Apple devices. Apple Business Essentials facilitates easy device management with other MDM providers and allows us to control every aspect of corporate iPhones and iPads.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Asset management
Application license management
MDM enrollment
Ease of use

Cons

Admin management (limit of 5 admins/account)
Location configuration is not very intuitive
Lack of new features/feature development

Return on Investment

Better application spending metrics
Reduction in repurchasing application licenses due to applications being purchased on personal accounts
Better device retention due to built-in asset management

Usability

Apple Business Essentials Manager does take some learning to get it set up, but once configured, it is extremely intuitive and easy to navigate. Once you learn how to purchase applications or assign devices to an MDM, it is like riding a bike from there. Everything is pretty simple to use.

Alternatives Considered

Samsung Knox Suite

I include Samsung Knox as a competitor in this field because you can have a similar setup with any Samsung devices purchased through a reseller as well. We have gone down this route for a few devices that have needed to be Android and the difference between the two platforms is night-and-day. Apple Business Essentials Manager is much easier to use and manage.

Key Insights

Do you think Apple Business Essentials delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Apple Business Essentials's feature set?

Yes

Did Apple Business Essentials live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Apple Business Essentials go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Apple Business Essentials again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Cerner Millennium, NextGen Healthcare EHR

Likelihood to Recommend

I would recommend Apple Business Essentials manager to any organization that orders and uses iPads or iPhones on a large scale and wishes to manage them. Even if you do not intend on applying an MDM to your corporate Apple devices, it is nice for asset management and corporate application purchasing from a central location. If you do not care about any of those features, this functionality is not for you.

Comments

Please log in to join the conversation

Apple Business Essentials for Enterprise