Enterprise iOS Recent Activity

Mobile Content Management - MCM (Forum topic added)

admin@enterpriseios.com (bdogd) — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:29:58 GMT

So, after the wave of MDM secures the device, and MAM wrangles how to deal with Apps, what are people using for MCM (Content Management)?

I ask, partly as I (full disclosure) work for AsdeqLabs and we have a great MCM tool for securely getting content to iPads http://bit.ly/17RgHmO but also because there seems to be a lot of confusion about how to handle this aspect of The Mobile Story™

Is anyone using a pure content management system in BYOD, or without MDM? What are you connecting to on the back end?

Do we really need to care about device management in BYOD?
I personally spent a lot of time loving MobileIron, but in a BYOD or other model where the DATA matters more than the DEVICE, I've changed my opinion away from command and control to user enablement.

Is IT truly embracing moving all their intellectual property up into the cloud (Drop/Box?) or do they want to keep their IP within some sort of security perimeter.

Help a guy out, let me know what you think.

iOS and centralised iPad backups : Centralised backup solution for iPad iOS (Forum topic comment)

admin@enterpriseios.com (fredster) — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:25:31 GMT

Hi Eight_Quarter_Bit,

Thank you for your time, patience and very detail response. From your comment, I can see that your team has spent considerable amount of time working with the (available) options to best meet your customers needs and your responsibilities. Well done.

We, too, has developed a similar workflow and for 90% of the time, our customers are happy with the arrangements. But the topic of 'backups' is a big issue with AD-centric organisations. For many AD based organisations, they have implemented centralised back up and every large AD organisation (I know) has a back up and DR policy in place. When iOS devices enter the organisation, things get icky. (There's a whole topic on this subject but lets not go there...)

With regard to backups, I want to back up just end user data. And specifically, photos. I would settle for just core data that is typically backed up in an iTunes data (photos, music, ebooks, etc) and am not concerned about App specific (sandbox) data. In our scenario, our customers are using a custom App for field inspections. As part of the field inspections, they take photos and can submit the photos into the inspection app. The fact that iPad photos have embedded EXIF data, make the photos ideal as a recording tool to illustrate what the inspectors saw at location, on the hour, minute, day, etc. This also makes the photos much more important as they tie into the business responsibilities. To date, the inspectors have been responsible for looking after their photos (a la Apple approach) however, yesterday, I was assisting an inspector who has undertaken a firmware upgrade on his iPad and during the process, managed to loose 4 months worth of photos. When I looked at his computers iTunes back ups, there were a few back ups but the photos required were not present in any of the backups. I have no idea what he has done (but I'm fairly sure he has intervened in the update process) but there is no point looking for fault... what's done is done and the photos (used in business) are gone. Hence the point to my Question.

For our situation, iCloud is not an option as policy dictates that we can not use a public cloud service. Hence data back ups using iCloud is not a service we can use. This also means that we can not use Photostream... and indeed the functionality (as you remarked) of Photostream would not meet our needs anyway.

So, in my perfect world, I would like a hardware box or VM image that can be put racked into the corporate infrastructure and would automatically add an iTune backup functionality over the Wifi network.This solution would only do mobile device/iOS backups I don't think it needs to be sync'ed as such; just discrete unique backups; time and date stamped. And it HAS to remove the end user out of the equation; it has to be automatic. I know that there are a myriad of online solutions, everything from syncipity to dropbox to box.net to owncloud, etc but each of them requires end users to initiate the process. The general argument for advocating end-users manage their devices is that 'it's end user choice' but I don't complete agree; after all if you chose to use your iPad for business, then you choose to allow the business to back up your business related data?

iOS and centralised iPad backups : Centralised backup solution for iPad iOS (Forum topic comment)

admin@enterpriseios.com (Eight_Quarter_Bit) — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:37:05 GMT

If you are after an "official" solution, sold as a product, I am not currently aware of one. As you have said, there are convoluted workarounds, but they carry a myriad of complications.

In addition, it's important to make the distinction between backup and sync, as they have some interesting differences in the world of iOS. One would assume that performing a "backup" from iTunes would create an exact duplicate of the devices' contents, but, sadly, it does not.

A "backup", as defined by clicking the "backup" button in iTunes, only backs up the settings of the device. The content on the device (things like apps, music, videos, pictures, etc.) is not included in a backup. Those things are transfered only in a sync, which can only be performed with the single computer the device was synced to for the first time (what I will refer to as a "sync relationship" from now on.). Backups can be performed between any combination of host computer and iOS device, syncing is a 1-to-1 bound relationship.

iTunes can be configured to handle wireless sync and backup, but as you have noted this does not integrate with existing solutions particularly seamlessly.

Restoration of the backup and syncing back content also becomes an issue, because while settings preserved with a backup is device-specific, content preserved with a sync is device agnostic. Allow me to illustrait.

If you are syncing non-homogenous devices to a single location, and you are using iTune's default mode of syncing all applications, you can start to encounter content "bleed." An app purchased on one device gets synced back to the central iTunes library, and then any other devices that sync after that will receive that that application. This is obviously not ideal for our usage scenario.

Even if you disable iTune's "Automatically install new apps" option (which has to be done on a per-device basis, I might add) you still have to face the complications of restoring that device, because that has to happen over USB. If you have a single iTunes library on a machine dedicated to backup you can only get the synced content back from that machine, and that machine alone. This makes for ugly logistical situations, and high tech department overhead, as you are well aware.

This is a "round peg meets square hole" situation. Usually in these sorts of scenarios the best way to fix the problem ISN'T to start cutting the pegs square, or make the holes round, but rather to stop using pegs and holes all together.

In other words, the solution we decided to go with was to stop trying to force the very individual-owner-designed iPad into the very centrally-managed framework of the traditional IT setup.

Because we rolled out per-user Apple IDs, we gain all the perks that come with it. This includes iCloud backup. As a matter of fact, iCloud backup was one of the big arguments for maintaining a 1-to-1 relationship between Apple IDs and users, rather than using the "hack" of having multiple devices/users share a single Apple ID.

Once iCloud backup is on (which is part of our end-user training when they receive their Apple IDs,) all user-specific setting are preserved and backups happen automatically, from anywhere in the world a user has an internet connection. Restoration is super easy, and can even be handled directly from the iPad, fresh out of the box, during initial setup. No tech machine required. Heck, with a minimal amount of user training it doesn't even require tech department interaction whatsoever. All of our users perform self-enrollment with our MDM, and they configure their iPad fresh out of the box for themselves, following a nifty little guide created for them. Our users handle everything related to iPad setup and/or restoration for themselves, aside from creating accounts.

"But wait!" I hear you say. "What about content? The stuff you have to sync, rather than back up?" That's an excellent question.

Maintaining individual IDs also means that any user-selected and installed applications are tied to their account. Restoring those items is as simple as going to the app store and browsing previously purchased content. For any business-critical applications, that's what your MDM is there for. We have all of our app pushes tied to user groups, pulled into the MDM from Active Directory. As soon as a user enrolls (or re-enrolls) all the apps they are supposed to have are pushed to the device. Rainbows and unicorns abound.

What about videos? Music? Books? Pictures?

Those are trickier. Our MDM (JSS: part of the Casper Suite from JAMF) can handle pushing eBooks/iBooks, so that's taken care of. We don't currently have any music or videos that are necessary for our usage scenario (at least that can't be better distributed via streaming anyway.) If a user wants to have music or videos on their device then they can sync their iOS device to their personal machine. That's probably going to be the method they will want to use to get music /onto/ the device anyway, and since we aren't trying to hack together an oddball solution of creating sync relationships with a centrally owned company machine, the precious single-machine relationship between the iOS device and a computer is left open for the user to create on their own, if they so desire.

Pictures become the only item that is a little tricky. Photo Stream keeps the last month's worth of items, but anything older than that is only resident on the devices that are set to connect to Photo Stream. Photo Stream is a cable to connect two devices via the cloud (with a generous timeout,) not a permanent storage location.

Thankfully there are are about a billion and a half solutions for uploading your important pictures to the internet. As an entity we use Google Apps anyway, so it's as simple as instructing users that if they want to keep pictures older than a month, pop open Google Drive, select your pictures, and upload them.

I know this probably isn't the reply you were hoping for, but perhaps it will give you a previously unconsidered angle to look at things from. We have generally found that when you encounter a workflow related problem with an iOS device, the solution isn't found in implementing a new technical solution, but rather fundamentally altering the workflow itself. It has worked out for us so far.

Multiple platform Management/MDM (Forum topic comment)

admin@enterpriseios.com (Karl Rivers) — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:33:15 GMT

We're trialling Meraki at the moment. It supports iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac to varying degrees and best of all it's free. I don't know your specific requirements, so it might not be the solution you want, but it's worth a look.

iOS and centralised iPad backups : Centralised backup solution for iPad iOS (Forum topic added)

admin@enterpriseios.com (fredster) — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:49:33 GMT

Hello,

I've got an impossible request, but I'm interested if anybody has come across any information that may be helpful; trying the power of crowd sourcing.

iOS and iPad backups: has anybody come across there ANYTHING that provides an automatic backups of iOS/iPads to enterprise backup solutions ? And the it is very important that it is automatic; I can not rely on our customer's iPad users to be involved in the back up procedure.

- I know that there are back up solutions that have an iOS client on the iPad, but typically it requires a manual process for the end user to initate the back up procedure.
- I know that a mac can be set up to act as a back up option (over Wifi) but (typically) this does not 'connect' directly to most enterprise back up solutions (EMC, etc).
- I can think of ways to hook 'this-into-that' and 'bolt-that-on-to-this' but most of these options require ongoing support.

In a perfect world, (working with the options that Apple allow us) I would like a hardware (or VM appliance) that runs an iTunes service continuously for backup services ALONE. This device would connect to the Wifi environment and provide a continuous service to all iPads that connect on to the Wifi network. Each iPad back up would be unique by date/timestamp. And this solution would allow me to restore any back up to the source iPad.

Anybody ?
(chirp chirp <- the sound of crickets over the deathly silence)

Thank you,
Fred

Multiple platform Management/MDM (Forum topic comment)

admin@enterpriseios.com (fredster) — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:20:23 GMT

Have a look at Absolute Management:

http://www.absolute.com/en/products/absolute-manage

About 6 months ago, we were investigating the solution and it seems very capable and cost effective. Personally, if we could start from scratch again, I would have gone with Absolute from the start. However, like all MDM/management tools, once a solution is settled on, you are almost restricted to remain on the selected path adinfinitum. Absolute is a very capable MDM/management solution but like all IT solutions, it depends on what you want to do and what services that you want it to have; so you will need to undertake some investigate to ensure that it meets your requirements.

I have no associate with Absolute other then being impressed with the offerings of their solution.

Apple Supported ID Creator (Forum topic comment)

admin@enterpriseios.com (Eight_Quarter_Bit) — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:32:29 GMT

I haven't, but I would be very interested in finding out! I have said it before, and I'll say it again: nothing would make me happier than to see my work outmoded in favor of real user creation system/process from Apple. I've talked with my Apple rep and engineer in the past and neither of them knew of any method for mass user creation. I'd be tickled pink to find out they were simply unaware of an official process.

Introductions (Forum topic comment)

admin@enterpriseios.com (sivart6) — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:58:13 GMT

Hi, I'm Phil and I work in the middle east for an airline.

We're working on deployments of iOS devices, so a I've found a lot of the information here very useful.

Hoping to learn more about the best practices around mass deployment and management of iOS, and to offer my advice from the experience I've gained over the past 3 years with iOS and MDM.

Phil

Apple Supported ID Creator (Forum topic added)

admin@enterpriseios.com (sivart6) — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:52:51 GMT

Hi,

Firstly, thanks so much to eight_quarter_bit for writing and supporting this script. It has been very useful.

I've been speaking with my Apple rep and he has stated that there is an Apple supported way of multiple creating IDs which includes agreement of the Terms and Conditions.

Have any of you come across this?

Parsing error loading CSV file (Forum topic comment)

admin@enterpriseios.com (Eight_Quarter_Bit) — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:24:27 GMT

Hm. If you open the CSV in a plain text editor, (the default TextEdit included with OS X will do, but I personally like Text Wrangler) is there a trailing carriage return (a blank line) at the end of the file? What program did you use to create this CSV? Numbers? Open Office? Excel?

Notify Technology - NotifyMDM (Mobile Management Provider changed)

admin@enterpriseios.com (twalker) — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:53:22 GMT

NotifyMDM On-Demand and On-Premise will provide organizations and enterprises of any size with unprecedented simplicity in centralized management and control of their iPhone and iPad devices, to help address their needs for security, visibility, and device management.

Notify is committed to addressing today’s mobile device management issues and one key issue is the proliferation of individuals purchasing wireless devices for personal as well as business use. Notify has recognized the dilemma that exists within organizations and enterprises trying to manage their ever increasing number and type of mobile devices being used in their environments. These same organizations and enterprises are now concerned that they are in need of more security, visibility, and control of these wireless devices. Since many of these devices are personally owned the issue of control over business information versus personal information stored on the wireless device has become one of the top concerns to address. NotifyMDM provides IT administrators with the tools to manage and differentiate personally owned devices as well as corporate owned devices within the same enterprise or organization.

Find out more
Notify Technology

Parsing error loading CSV file (Forum topic comment)

admin@enterpriseios.com (mfennelly) — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:14:30 GMT

It is happening when I first load the CSV file. Everything looks correct to me. And I tried a security question without a special character and still has issues.

Renting enterprise apps... Whose certificate? (Forum topic comment)

admin@enterpriseios.com (MaciekSA) — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:12:30 GMT

The B2B store sounds perfect except that VPP is not available in South Africa

So the client needs to purchase a separate certificate and manage it, even though he is only renting the app from me.

Thanks
Maciek

Renting enterprise apps... Whose certificate? (Forum topic comment)

admin@enterpriseios.com (Aaron Freimark) — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:04:21 GMT

Maciek,

The Enterprise Developer FAQ says this:

I am a contractor who wants to create an in-house app for my client. Can I join the iOS Developer Enterprise Program to do that?

No. The iOS Developer Enterprise Program is for companies/organizations to develop and distribute proprietary in-house apps to their employees.

Your client should enroll in the iOS Developer Enterprise Program and add the appropriate developers from your company to their iOS Development Team.

Your best bet is probably the little-known B2B Store that Apple runs. Your apps will be vetted by Apple, but will not be available to the public.

Renting enterprise apps... Whose certificate? (Forum topic added)

admin@enterpriseios.com (MaciekSA) — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:59:42 GMT

We are working on an enterprise app which will be distributed using an MDM. The customer however will not own the app but rent it from us for a period.

Is it legal for the enterprise apple certificate to be owned by us or does the customer need to purchase their own?

Thanks
Maciek

PUSHMANAGER (Mobile Management Provider changed)

admin@enterpriseios.com (PUSHMANAGER) — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:16:04 GMT

PushManager offers a free 15-day trial.

PushManager is a mobility software editor dedicated to Smartphones and Tablets. PushManager brings visibility, security and facility in mobile fleet management since 2001. PushManager, on-premise or SaaS version, remotely supervise your users, devices, applications and mobile infrastructure.

PushManager is a Multi Device and Multi-OS Platform : Apple iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, Web OS, Symbian, BlackBerry.

PUSHMANAGER ADDRESSES THE THREE MAJOR ISSUES FACING IT DIVISIONS:
• Securing company data
• Managing access rights to messaging and applications,
• Reducing support costs and managing assets (Smartphones & Tablets).

PUSHMANAGER MAIN FEATURES:
• Configuration: security policy, messaging, access, certificates
• Mass and remote deployment of devices
• Remote intervention
• Inventory of the fleet updated in real time and reporting
• Application management

CUSTOMER BENEFITS

1. SECURING COMPANY DATA
• Definition of the security policy and practical application on all Smartphones and Tablets,
• No sensitive information goes through the platform,
• Hosting in a secured environment,
• Precise management of administrators' rights.

2. COST SAVINGS FOR MANAGEMENT AND ASSET MANAGEMENT
• Automation of all tasks that were previously handled manually,
• MASS, REMOTE deployment of devices,
• Reduction of helpdesk staff workload,
• Access to a comprehensive inventory of the entire fleet, which is updated in real time, and data exporting for reporting purposes.

3. THE SOLUTION IS EASY TO USE AND IS AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY
• The platform is provided in SaaS* mode (no installation at your site, no interference with your infrastructure),
• The platform is accessed via an internet connection,
• No special technical skills are required to use PushManager.

: the platform can also be installed at your site (in "dedicated" mode).

4. 10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN MANAGING MOBILITY-RELATED PROJECTS
• Major projects undertaken with large international companies,
• Support for getting started with the software, etc.

5. CLEAR, COMPETITIVE RATES
• Our rates make the solution accessible to everyone: SMEs, SMIs, Major Accounts, Public Sector, Local Authorities, etc.

For more information:
www.pushmanager.com - info@pushmanager.com - +33 (0)1 55 17 45 75.

Parsing error loading CSV file (Forum topic comment)

admin@enterpriseios.com (Eight_Quarter_Bit) — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:18:09 GMT

Hmm... Possibly. Normally with AppleScript you can place single quotes (apostrophes) within a quoted string without it breaking the escaping. Haha, however, there is a lot of code there and stranger things have happened.

Does this happen immediately when the script tries to load the CSV, when it tries to set the popup button, on the last account, or when exactly?

Parsing error loading CSV file (Forum topic added)

admin@enterpriseios.com (mfennelly) — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:26:43 GMT

I'm trying to use the AppleID Automator to create about 450 accounts. My CSV file looks correct, but it won;'t load. I'm wondering if there might be an issue with one of the security questions I picked - What is your favorite children's book? Is it possible that the apostrophe in the string isn't being escaped properly?

Multiple platform Management/MDM (Forum topic comment)

admin@enterpriseios.com (Raul) — Mon, 13 May 2013 07:38:46 GMT

Hi az,

As a suggestion, you might want to take a look at Endpoint Protector http://www.endpointprotector.com/
Full disclosure: I work for them.
If you detail your requirements I can advise if it can be a solution for your organization or it's limitations (it meats the ones you listed above).

Raul

Comparison of MDM Providers (Wiki Page comment)

admin@enterpriseios.com (jkuriakose@amtelnet.com) — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:50:05 GMT

Amtel MDM now runs on Apple Mac OS X. Now you can manage all of your Apple assets with our MDM service -- iOS devices iPads and iPhone as well as Mac OS X devices MacBook, iMac, Mac mini