To Apple ID or not to Apple ID: How to use Managed Apple IDs within your organization

In JNUC 2021 session, Porter discusses what an Apple ID is, how to use and apply it successfully in your organization, and what the future looks like for Apple IDs and Apple device management.

Personal, professional, or something else

Businesses using Apple devices face a choice: do employees use their personal Apple IDs for work-owned devices? Do you set up a new Apple ID with a business email? Do you use one Apple ID for everyone? Or none at all? Or is there another solution? Porter discusses the issues with using workarounds with personal Apple IDs for business, and the advantages of using the tools designed specifically for work or school instead.

Using personal Apple IDs for work-owned devices creates challenges because the device management processes were designed for personal use, not the business world, including how to handle updates and personal information. But using business emails as personal Apple IDs for work creates issues as well, including the too common problem of when an employee leaves the company, but the locked device remains.

A company may even decide to opt for using one Apple ID for all. Be forewarned – with syncing on apps, changes on one device affect all devices with the same ID, not to mention the potential for mistakenly sharing personal info company-wide.

Use the right tools for the job

Porter’s recommendation: Consider using Managed Apple IDs with Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager for your business or school devices.

Managed Apple IDs are accounts designed specifically for businesses and schools that enable access to key Apple services. These free services unlock the benefits of tools to help those who manage Apple devices, helping you automate and simplify the deployment, management and security of the devices. These tools can help you standardize employee onboarding and offboarding, and use Apple ID for business as designed.

Porter encourages taking advantage of the framework Apple provided you, without having to use personal processes and tools to solve business problems.

Real-world usage

Porter also discusses a sampling of business applications where it’s best to use personal Apple IDs, versus Managed IDs, or even no Apple IDs at all. Looking to the future, he says rethinking your Apple ID policy is an important step of your business device refresh policy. As Apple continues to innovate and grow, you’ll want to be able to take full advantage of new tools and functionality.