iPad Support for Business and Other Institutions
I've noticed a number of posts on these forums from IT professionals (and IT amateurs) inquiring about issues associated with supporting multiple iPads in their businesses and educational institutions. The questions include issues of bulk purchases, deployment of multiple iPads, security, networking, etc.
Fortunately, I (no longer) have to deal with those issues, but I have sympathy for those that do. I can't take any credit for the following information. They were posted on the "off-topic" forum by another user with far more expertise in the topic than I possess. But I thought it would be useful to re-post them here.
Thanks to Richsadams for the following...
FWIW Apple has ramped up enterprise sales and support to match any competitor IMHO. I won't go into personal stories, but I'd strongly suggest anyone considering new or upgraded equipment and support for their small or large business to take a look (or another look) at what Apple is offering today.
Apple - Business
Here's an interesting article on the subject with links to the various enterprise departments within Apple:
Apple Cares about Enterprise - The Appconomy
One of the challenges for some businesses is their own I.T. services/support department. They are often mired in the "that's how we've always done it" paradigm and reluctant to contemplate change. The ability to switch products and services as well as the learning curve has been streamlined and there are an enormous amount of resources and training options available now so the perceived roadblocks have been removed.
Also as mentioned one key consideration of course is support for products and applications; this is where Apple really excels. To that end I.T. also may have their own agenda...that of maintaining unreliable equipment and continually upgrading and patching applications as well as maintaining security. They also often pride themselves in being able to "fix" day-to-day problems users run into. The intuitive nature of Apple products and applications lends itself to users often being able to learn how to resolve issues on their own and the legendary high quality and security of Apple products and applications speak for themselves.
Buying or switching to Apple products reduces the need for a variety of support and may ultimately save business owners a great deal of money in the long run.
Everyone's best bet is to contact Apple directly. Every store has several employees dedicated to enterprise support and of course if a store isn't nearby, going straight to Apple is the next step...
Apple Business Experts: 1-800-854-3680
Hope that helps and let us know how it goes!
