Small Business News
Apple Opens Business Essentials to All U.S. Small Businesses
When it comes to managing a small business, the list of technologies and devices being employed has grown tremendously over the past several years. In addition to all-in-one business ecosystems such as Square, many operations also use their fair share of computers, tablets, and cell phones for a wide variety of uses. With that in mind, Apple has introduced a set of service and product solutions specifically for small businesses.
This week, Apple announced that its Business Essentials platform was expanding its rollout. While the Cupertino company debuted Business Essentials last year, it’s remained in beta. Now, the offering is open to all U.S. small businesses.
Business Essentials includes device management, iCloud storage, and more. Using the service, businesses can more easily configure their devices for all current employees as well as onboard new ones. Using the Collections feature, employers can select which set of apps will appear on employee devices and can push settings defaults for WiFi passwords, VPN configurations, etc. Plus, clients can add AppleCare+ for Business Essentials to any of the subscription plans.
Currently, Business Essentials plans start at $2.99 a month ($9.99 a month with AppleCare+) for a single device and go up to $12.99 per user per month ($24.99 a month with AppleCare+) for the top-tier with up to three devices and 2TB of storage. Additionally, new customers as well as those who had been beta users can start a two-month free trial of the service.
Announcing the official roll-out of Business Essentials, Apple’s VP of Enterprise and Education Marketing Susan Prescott said, “Apple has a deep and decades-long commitment to helping small businesses thrive. From dedicated business teams in our stores to the App Store Small Business Program, our goal is to help each company grow, compete, and succeed.”
Prescott continued, “We look forward to bringing Apple Business Essentials to even more small businesses to simplify device management, storage, support, and repairs. Using this new service leads to invaluable time savings for customers — including those without dedicated IT staff — that they can invest back into their business.”
With a large contingency of small businesses likely already using Apple devices in some capacity, Business Essentials could well prove to be a popular program. Of course, with the cost growing with the number of users and devices, the option may not be right for every business. Nevertheless, entrepreneurs who are curious about Business Essentials and want to get a closer look might consider the two-month trial to give it a shot.
