Apple Business to take on Google Workspace and Microsoft 365

For the longest time, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 have been the go-to platforms for businesses of varying sizes. Providing collaborative tools, cloud storage, and branded emails, these platforms are ubiquitous in most workplaces. With Apple Business, the iPhone company hopes to keep more people within its ecosystem.

Announced overnight in the US and confirmed to launch in Australia on 14 April, Apple Business is billed as a one-stop shop for all things work-related for Apple devices. It doubles as a central hub for managing Apple devices within a workplace and controlling how a company’s brand appears online.

Many of the included features already exist in some form, like branded emails and Tap to Pay on iPhone, but now they have a more central home. Not all the features are coming to Australia, at least to start with. At launch, only the US can access the business-centric version of the device repair service AppleCare+ or buy iCloud storage for the company.

Similarly, only US and Canada-based businesses will be able to place ads on Apple’s Maps app. Starting in a few months, ads will start appearing on searches within Maps for users in those two countries.

But most of the Apple Business tools and features are free, which is what Australians will have access to when it launches. One of the major benefits touted by Apple is “zero-touch deployment”, meaning that a company’s IT department won’t need to manually set up devices for each employee. Instead, the device, whether it be an iPhone or a Mac, will be ready to use, replete with company apps and settings, out of the box.

Apple’s business hub will also allow for brand control, letting companies quickly adjust logos and imagery across platforms. For instance, a business can make its branding appear when its emails arrive in a customer’s inbox, or when processing a payment, adding a sense of legitimacy.

Google and Microsoft might have a strong presence in workplaces currently, but it’s clear that Apple wants to get more involved starting from next month.

The post Apple Business to take on Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 appeared first on GadgetGuy.