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Tag: ios 8

Amazing iOS Features that will Benefit your Business

Apple has announced several revolutionary measures stretching across enterprise IT, developer and consumer spheres.

Among the features is an interesting one known as continuity. This feature allows you to start a given activity on one device and complete it on another. This means you can start working on a document on your iPad and finish it on a Windows PC. Any changes made from one of your devices are replicated on all the others.

Other interesting features are he HomeKit and HealthKit platforms which depend on a range of technologies to incorporate personal data and functionality, that is, your health and your home. Although both do not have an instant enterprise impact, both make iOS devices, such as an iPhone, more personal than they have been in the past.

The incorporation of the HomeKit and the HealthKit, though largely accepted, have their own fair share of concerns. For instance, users are more concerned on what information IT professionals or employees can access or see on a managed device. In view of this concern, Apple has designed features that protect user privacy as they have done with iOS 7. In addition, with iOS 8, the policy has to change from full wiping to wiping only the corporate data. This will prevent wiping off of the user’s personal data.

The introduction of Mail Drop and iCloud Drive is big news to OS X, the iCloud interface, and iOS. The Mail Drop is a welcome addition to iCloud as it has the ability to load huge attachments automatically into your iCloud account.

Other features that you stand to enjoy with the new iOS 8 include AirDrop, Auto-Hotspot, iOS app extensions, and Markup, among others.

Apple currently dominated the enterprise mobility space and it seems it will remain so for a long time to come.

June 13, 2016
Apple and IBM partner to bring a ‘new class’ of business iPhone and iPad apps to enterprise
Apple and IBM announced yesterday an exclusive partnership to transform enterprise mobility through a ‘new class’ of business apps – MobileFirst for iOS that will bring IBM’s big data and analytics capabilities to iPhone and iPad.

The partnership aims to ‘address key industry mobility challenges’ by creating:
- a new class of more than 100 industry-specific enterprise solutions including native apps, developed exclusively from the ground up, for iPhone and iPad;
- unique IBM cloud services optimized for iOS, including device management, security, analytics and mobile integration;
- new AppleCare® service and support offering tailored to the needs of the enterprise; and
- new packaged offerings from IBM for device activation, supply and management.
As part of the agreement, IBM will also sell iPhones and iPads with the industry-specific solutions to business clients worldwide.

Specifically, the two companies are working together to deliver the following elements of enterprise mobile solutions:

– Mobile solutions that transform business: The companies will collaborate to build IBM MobileFirst for iOS Solutions—a new class of “made-for-business apps” targeting specific industry issues or opportunities in retail, healthcare, banking, travel and transportation, telecommunications and insurance, among others, that will become available starting this fall and into 2015.

– Mobile platform: The IBM MobileFirst Platform for iOS will deliver the services required for an end-to-end enterprise capability, from analytics, workflow and cloud storage, to fleet-scale device management, security and integration.

– Mobile service and support: AppleCare for Enterprise will provide IT departments and end users with 24/7 assistance from Apple’s customer support group, with on-site service delivered by IBM.

– Packaged service offerings: IBM is introducing IBM MobileFirst Supply and Management for device supply, activation and management services for iPhone and iPad, with leasing options.
July 16, 2014
New enterprise solutions in iOS 8

Not more than 48 hours ago, Apple announced the introduction of the much awaited iOS 8, which comes with a number of improvements. Interesting to note is the Enterprise that is build on the new IT model that has significantly improved the way users are informed on how their devices are managed, configured and restricted.

Stronger Security

Even more interesting to note is the fact that iOS 8 comes with an upgraded and even more powerful Enterprise-grade security. Apple has expanded data protection to more apps and upgraded their mail encryption technology, too.

In addition to third-party apps and mail protection, iOS 8 now also offers passcode protection to other apps like Contacts, Reminders, Notes, Calendar, and Messages.

Users can also opt to use the S/MIME feature to encrypt and sign individual messages. This in turn ensures greater mail messages security.

New Productivity and Time Saving Features

With iOS 8, users can create and save automatic email replies that help save time. They can also manage busy inboxes by flagging messages, marking them as unread or read for better organization. Users can also designate certain mails as VIP so that they are sent directly to the VIP box for priority purposes. It is also possible to set the mailbox to mark external addresses in red for security purposes.

Using the calendar, users can also view meeting availability of their colleagues and friends. The calendar is able to show our friends availability and when setting a meeting, we can therefore put it in a time that is most convenient to everyone.

iOS 8 also gives us the power to push PDF, iBooks, and ePub documents to user devices using MDM (mobile device management) tools. We can also remove the materials remotely when you no longer need them.

Finally, with iOS 8 we can wirelessly connect our iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch to Apple TV (peer-to-peer connection), without having to first connect to the organization’s network. This then means that we can share or present our work even when offline.

June 4, 2014
Apple introduces iCloud Drive

At the WWDC 2014 Apple has introduced iCloud Drive that will be available this fall with the newly announced iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 Yosemite.

What does iCloud Drive bring to the table?

There are a lot of features and benefits that comes with the drive, but one that is really dominant is the freedom. With iCloud Drive you can access, edit, and safely store your data across all your devices. You can also edit one of your documents and the changes reflect on all other devices, including iOS devices, Mac and Windows.

iCloud Drive brings with it a next generation level of cooperation and collaboration between apps, enhancing the ability to work, edit, and access the same file across multiple apps and devices.

How to Store

The storage process of any file/document is as easy as promised. To upload, you just have to drag your item/s to your drive on your Mac, PC or any iOS powered device. You can also start a new document on any of the iCloud-enabled apps and they will be stored on your drive.

With iCloud Drive, you can also open/start working on a document on one app and finish it on another. For instance, if you are creating a picture, you can start it on a sketching app and move it for painting on a paint app and so on.

June 4, 2014
Apple introduces Health app and HealthKit in iOS 8

Apple has finally released the much anticipated iOS 8. The new operating system is said to be the biggest release by Apple since the introduction of the App Store. The OS comes with tons of new features, apps, and tools that allow developers to “create more amazing apps.”

Among the new apps is Health app that comes with an easy-to-read dashboard and a HealthKit tool that allows all health apps to work together. The new app allows all your health information to be revealed by just a tap.

The app is able to gather information from various types of fitness devices and health apps. It then uses the gathered info to come up with a clear, current, and comprehensive overview – in one place.

With your consent, the app is able to get all your health information from other apps, providing you with a comprehensive report that goes a long way in the overall management of your health and fitness.

The Health app also allows individual apps to collect health info from other apps, of course with your permission. For instance, if you have Nike+ apps, using NikeFuel you will be able to collect other health data such as nutrition and sleep and this builds a custom user profile that can be used to improve performance in athletics.

With the app, users can also create an emergency card that shows all the important health information in case of an accident. Such info can include your allergies, blood type, special health conditions, and so on.

With all these functionalities, the new Health app might just mark the beginning of a health revolution.

June 3, 2014
Apple Announces iOS 8, “the Biggest Release Since the Launch of the App Store”

During today’s WWDC keynote Apple unveiled iOS 8, with tons of new features and developers tools. iOS 8 delivers a simpler and more intuitive user experience, including iCloud Photo Library, allowing users to enjoy their photos and videos more easily across their devices; new Messages features to easily share voice, video or photos; and an entirely new Health app that gives users an overview of their health and fitness data all in one place.

iOS 8 also includes predictive typing for Apple’s QuickType keyboard, Family Sharing to share purchases, photos and calendars within the same household, and iCloud Drive, so users can store files and access them from anywhere.

In iOS 8, the Photos app can automatically straighten horizons and with smart editing tools, users can quickly adjust light and color or access individual tools for deeper fine-tuning. With iCloud Photo Library, every adjustment and effect is automatically updated across user’s devices.

The new Health app gathers the information users choose from various health apps and fitness devices, and provides users with a clear and current overview in one place. iOS 8 offers developers the ability for health and fitness apps to communicate with each other. With user’s permission, each app can use specific information from other apps to provide a more comprehensive way to manage user’s health and fitness.

iOS 8 introduces Family Sharing, making it easier to communicate and share purchases, photos and calendars within the same household. Family members can browse and download each other’s iTunes, iBooks or App Store purchases. Up to six members can participate, each with their own Apple ID. Parents can create Apple IDs for children, which includes Ask to Buy, requiring parental permission for purchases.

With iCloud Drive, documents of any type can be stored, accessed and edited across your devices. When a user makes edits on one device, the most up-to-date version of the documents will be available across all devices, whether an iOS device, Mac, Windows PC or on www.icloud.com. iCloud Drive provides seamless access and the ability to work on the same file across multiple apps.

Additional iOS 8 features include:

• design enhancements that build off the stunning interface of iOS 7, bringing interactive notifications, quick access to key contacts, the ability to quickly switch back and forth between the inbox and drafts in Mail, as well as intelligent suggestions;
• extended Spotlight® capabilities that give you results beyond what’s on your device, including articles from Wikipedia, findings from the news and results from places nearby; and
• greater continuity between iPhone®, iPad® and Mac, including Handoff to start an activity on one device and finish on another, along with Instant Hotspot and the ability to make and receive calls and send SMS and MMS messages from your Mac or iPad.

The iOS 8 beta software and SDK are available immediately for iOS Developer Program members. iOS 8 will be available this fall as a free software update for iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPod touch 5th generation, iPad 2, iPad with Retina display, iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad mini with Retina display.

June 2, 2014