With iOS 5 Apple has added a number of new management features. All features are soon to be available from both Sybase Afaria and MobileIron .
Cloud Control
Along with iOS 5, Apple is introducing the iCloud allowing you to share data across any iOS device. Any document or photo created on a device can instantly be accessed from any of your devices. The iCloud can also hold a backup of your device configuration and data, allowing you to easily restore data anywhere. As enterprises likes to stay in control of enterprise data, storing data in personal clouds has been a concern for a while. Luckily Apple allows you to control the use of iCloud by:
- Completely disabling iCloud backup
- Disabling synchronization of documents to iCloud
- Disabling the Photo Stream
While iCloud management works well for corporate devices, users with privately owned devices may be more reluctant to accept a lockdown of the iCloud features in iOS 5.
Wireless management
You may have noticed that iOS devices loves wireless network. While running on a 3G connection, you are asked if you would like to join any wireless networks within reach. Unless you have disabled this feature yourself. With iOS 5, the auto-join feature can be disabled through your MDM solution or iPhone Configuration Utility.
With iOS 5 you can also define proxy settings and encryption type settings for wireless networks. Combined with a proxy server this adds a whole new level of control to data communication.
iTunes no longer needed
iPhones can now be activated, updated and backed up over the air. As soon as you have upgraded existing devices to iOS 5 you have no longer use of iTunes. Unless you disabled the iCloud backup features.
Application deployment
As also discussed in a previous blog you may now deploy and revoke enterprise applications and the enterprise data stored with it. This feature highly increased management control of the iOS devices
MDM configuration using https
While previous versions of iOS were using a non-secure http connection to perform the MDM configuration, iOS 5 is requiring https. You should ensure that a valid certificate has been installed and activated on your MDM server.