With the release of iOS 6, Apple will offer business users a range of new features. A few of which are VIP email filtering (already in Mountain Lion) with custom notifications, more options when declining a phone call on the iPhone, much-needed privacy options, and Apple’s new Do Not Disturb feature – which should help some mobile professionals to “switch off” after work and maybe even get a good night’s sleep.
iOS updates are generally designed to be user-friendly and easy enough that anyone can manage to install them. As with any major OS or business critical software upgrade, however, there may be unforeseen issues with iOS 6 – particularly when it comes to internal iOS apps and iOS access to enterprise systems.
An iOS 6 upgrade policy and strategy is something that every IT department should have in place before Apple releases iOS 6. For businesses that actively support user devices in the workplace through a BYOD (bring your own device) program, that upgrade strategy is even more critical.
The easiest way to prepare for iOS 6 is to use it. Check out its new features, see how well various apps run, and connect it to your corporate network. Joining Apple’s iOS developer program provides you with access to the iOS 6 preview builds. Enterprise organizations and business that are thinking about developing custom iOS apps for internal use will definitely want to join the $299 enterprise version of Apple’s developer program. Smaller organizations in which a single person handles all the mobile or iOS solutions and will be responsible for pre-release testing can probably manage with a $99 individual membership.
In addition access to iOS preview builds, the iOS developer program provides a wide range of resources for anyone that wants to get started with iOS development including hundreds of training videos and WWDC sessions. Apple also offers its Safari developer program, which is free and, among other advantages, provides a range of resources for creating HTML 5 web apps for the iPhone and iPad.
Testing with the various preview builds will give you a good sense of how iOS 6 will function and how it will interact with enterprise systems and various apps. If additional preview builds are released, however, you’ll likely see changes to features and compatibility issues. Keeping track of those changes will help you get a clearer idea of how iOS will impact you and your users. Ultimately, the most important build to test with the GM build since that’s the final build that Apple will release to the public.
As part of your testing process, you’ll obviously want to test all the apps frequently used by employees in your company. If you use mobile app management (MAM) tools, offer an enterprise app store, or make use of Apple’s Volume Purchase Program (VPP), you’ll probably have a list of commonly used apps and/or required apps already.
If you don’t use such a system, you can use your mobile management solution to query any or all managed iOS devices for a list of installed apps. Your mobile management system may even be able to generate a report of the most used apps. If not, you can put the individual lists of apps into spreadsheet or database tool and use that to determine the most frequently used apps. You may also want to consider investing in a MAM solution as part of your mobile management strategy going forward.
Keep in mind that many developers are already testing their apps and making updates in anticipation of iOS 6. Those updates may fix problems and improve how the apps run under iOS 6 and they will likely add support for new iOS 6 features. You generally won’t be able to test these apps until iOS 6 and the various updates go live. Many developers will have their apps ready to go the day iOS 6 launches. At that point, you should to do a final check with the updated apps.
You may want to consider MAM tools that can help you get those updates out to users more efficiently and ensure users get any critical updates. Alternatively, you could use a system like Apple Configurator to do mass deployment of iOS 6 and various apps.
In addition to public apps, you’ll need to vet any internal apps that in-house or contract developers have created for your company. If updates needs to be made, you’ll need to determine if can be finished before iOS 6 launches. If not, you may want to postpone your internal roll out of iOS 6 if the apps are mission-critical tools. Likewise, if your company uses business-to-business (B2B) apps created by one or more of your partners, you’ll want to test the version that you have in use and reach out to the companies that created the app so that you know their update and support plans.
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