Apple pushes Maps ads in free business bundle

Apple has simplified its business services by combining and rebranding them, and is giving away the reformulated enterprise offering for free. When technology companies use the word "free," that often means advertising. And that's what Apple has in mind. On April 14, Apple Business will replace three currently distinct services – Apple Business Connect, Apple Business Essentials, and Apple Business Manager. Connect and Manager are free, but Essentials requires a subscription that starts at $2.99 per device/month. The newly combined service will be available at no charge. Apple will monetize it with a service called Ads on Maps , due to launch this northern summer. Cupertino will make Apple Business available in more than 200 countries and regions. But Mozillans appear to be unwelcome: Firefox is not presently supported for Apple Business Manager . The fruit company describes Apple Business as a platform for managing devices, reaching customers (through advertising), equipping employees with software and hardware, and seeking support. There's a device management component, a function available through Apple Business Manager since 2018. It provides managed Apple Accounts, employee management tools, app distribution, and an admin API. There's also now a configuration templating function called Blueprints, so companies can set up apps and devices. Apple isn't entirely forgoing revenue opportunities here: Apple Business comes with the option to purchase extra iCloud storage and support through AppleCare+ for Business. "Customers in the US can purchase additional iCloud storage up to 2TB per user, starting at $0.99 per user per month," according to the iBiz. "AppleCare+ for Business coverage is available per device or per user, starting at $6.99 per month, or $13.99 per month per user for up to three devices." EFF has a new boss to lead the fight against privacy-sucking forces of doom Telling an AI model that it's an expert programmer makes it a worse programmer LiteLLM loses game of Trivy pursuit, gets compromised AI isn't killing jobs, it's 'unbundling' them into lower-paid chunks Henry Patel, chief strategy officer at Jamf, a mobile device management business, told The Register in an email that Apple's continued investment in the business experience will encourage more organizations to adopt Apple products and services. "At the same time, Apple has been clear about the role its native tools play – particularly for smaller organizations just beginning their Apple journey," Patel said. "As companies scale, they require more advanced management, security, and compliance capabilities that extend beyond what foundational tools provide." Patel said that's where Jamf adds value, and he expects Apple's improved APIs, role-based access options, and broader global availability will help other vendors like Jamf. Apple Business works in conjunction with an Apple Business app that lets employees install admin-blessed apps for work, view colleague contact information, and plead for support. The service also comes with iCloud-based email, calendar, and directory features. Companies can use custom domains if they delegate control to Apple , a process one online commenter describes as "an absolute fiasco at our company." Apple Business Connect, Apple's brand management service for companies, has been folded into the mix. It helps companies manage their brand profiles across Apple Maps, Wallet, and the like. Organizations can use the service to design fancy place cards that display information in Apple Maps, Safari, Spotlight, and elsewhere. They can also create custom actions for Maps interactions like placing orders or opening a specific app. But the killer app for Apple Business is the ability to create ads on Apple Maps. "Ads on Maps will appear when users search in Maps, and can appear at the top of a user's search results based on relevance, as well as at the top of a new Suggested Places experience in Maps, which will display recommendations based on what's trending nearby, the user's recent searches, and more," Apple explains. The Cupertino-based kit co insists that Ads on Maps offers some measure of privacy protection . That includes a commitment not to associate location data and ad viewing data with any individual's Apple Account. To place Maps ads, businesses have to go through the process of claiming their location on Apple Maps. And since the tools for doing so will be made available at no cost, Maps users can expect to see the i-landscape littered with promotional icons. OpenStreetMap has never looked better. ® × Narrower topics AirTag Apple M1 App stores cookies Digital advertising displays iCloud iMac iOS iPad iPhone iPod iTunes Mac MacBook Personally Identifiable Information Privacy Sandbox Rimini Street Safari Siri Tim Cook