Why Organizations Need Managed Apple IDs & How to Create Them
Today’s IT managers and admins have a lot of boxes to check if they want to help an organization grow and scale. Managing devices, employee credentials and identification, and security processes are top priorities for enterprise business.
With Apple ID management, different types of IDs can be used to personalize a device that runs on macOS. This is especially helpful for growing organizations or those that want to adopt flexible, “bring your own device” work policies.
In this post, we’ll explain what Managed Apple IDs are, why businesses use them, and how you can ensure that you are using industry best practices for user IDs.
What are Managed Apple IDs?
An Apple ID allows an individual to authenticate their identity, log into a device and personalize it. A Managed Apple ID, on the other hand, is created for use with corporate-owned devices and is associated with the organization’s Apple Business Manager account. Apple provides the following definition of what a managed ID is and is used for.
“A Managed Apple ID is owned and managed by your organization—including password resets and role-based administration. It also provides access to iCloud for collaboration with iWork and backup on iOS and iPadOS devices. Apple Business Manager makes it easy for organizations to create and manage these accounts at scale.”
A Managed Apple ID is different from a personal Apple ID. The personal ID is used by individual users to access things like photos, messages, and other personal data that’s backed up to iCloud. A Managed Apple ID allows IT a heightened level of device control and restricts several features that are available with a regular Apple ID.
Apple IDs for Business
Managed Apple IDs come in handy for enterprises that want or require access to specific tools through Apple Business Manager. Because the enterprise or business owns each ID, elements like passwords and role-based rules can be easily decided by the organization.
Corporate IT leaders are able to set up a unique Managed Apple ID for each individual employee. Corporate credentials can then be linked to those corresponding IDs through integrations like Microsoft Azure Active. Overall, the result is that IT admins have detailed oversight into employee credentials while protecting important business assets.
Benefits of Managed Apple IDs for Corporations & Enterprises
The process of creating and managing Apple IDs for business isn’t to create surveillance for employees. Rather, it’s a helpful way to ensure the level of support and security that’s needed when managing user credentials and app licensing at scale.
There are plenty of reasons why corporate IT teams enjoy using enterprise Apple ID management as the basis for everyday operations.
- Lower user error and responsibility – When personal Apple IDs are used in a business setting, users are responsible for setting up, maintaining, and remembering their login information. IT doesn’t have the ability to rescue users if they forget their IDs and are unable to access their devices. With Managed Apple IDs, IT retains a higher level of device control which creates a much smoother onboarding process.
- Efficient troubleshooting processes – With Managed Apple IDs, IT personnel can more quickly troubleshoot user concerns and respond accordingly. Being physically present isn’t necessary to resolve most ID issues, which is beneficial for dispersed teams.
- Security and administrative oversight – Corporate Apple ID management makes it easy to set password requirements, including how frequently passwords need to be changed or updated. Managed Apple IDs also allow IT to vet app security before pushing them out to users. In a world of increasing security risks, this is a useful way to shore up an organization’s security protocols.
Managed Apple ID Best Practices
Managed Apple ID practices will vary by organization, but there are a few ways that you can leverage them more fully. This includes:
- Using federated authentication to produce the same user credentials that are on the existing infrastructure and are owned by the organization
- Sync up with Google workspace for seamless access to shared drives, documents, folders, and more
- Employ user account lookup to help employees search for and find their unique IDs and to collaborate or communicate with other users within the organization
- Establish security and password policies according to corporate or industry standards
Experience the Latest in Apple Enterprise Management
Addigy’s enterprise Apple device management software makes it easier than ever to set up, onboard, and establish employees on the right track. This process should always include providing secure Apple credentials that make it easier to accomplish basic tasks, such as signing on, collaborating with other team members, using new apps or devices, and keeping all software up-to-date.
Using managed Apple IDs is simply another way to establish critical roles, accounts, and privileges that keep your business moving forward. In other words—you don’t have to get bogged down in onboarding, troubleshooting, or password resets.
Get an on-demand demo of Addigy today to see how mobile device management can change your team for good.
