Management of the New iPad Has Everything to Do With iOS

Management of the new iPad has everything to do with iOS. I used Apple's newly enhanced Apple Configurator on a MacBook Pro to configure and control my test iPad. Using Configurator, I was able to control how my email accounts were enabled for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and IMAP/POP accounts. When I used Configurator to set up these accounts I was able to use the iPad as a "supervised" device (one that is easily reset to my standard settings, including installed apps) or as an "unsupervised" device. When I removed the device from Configurator management, I was able to remove my work email accounts without disturbing my personal email settings.

While Apple enables extensive control of the iPad, I was not able to create a policy that governed the use of the WiFi hotspot. In the future, I would like to see controls that provided more fine-grained policy around how other users can connect, for example, via both WiFi and Bluetooth, or only through one or the other. I would also like to be able to control whether or not the iPad can be tethered to a PC or Mac. I would also like to be able to extend passcode policy for the iPad to the hotspot credentials. As it stands, the hotspot has its own, separate password policy.

IT managers should also note that with the advent of the new iPad, a number of enterprise-class apps are likely to increase. For example, around the time of the iPad announcement, CloudOn made available its app for accessing Microsoft Word documents from the iPad, and Asavie Technologies prepared to launch the iSimplyConnect VPN service. These developments along with Apple's launch last July of the B2B App Store mean that iPad use is set to increase. While the new iPad has the fundamentals in place for managed use in the enterprise, IT managers should press for even more controls as both the device and iOS evolve.