News Round-Up 12/15/12: SMB's Apple Love, Apple's Enterprise Dreams Come True, and FileMaker Go for iPad

SMB Apple Love Is Fruitful Provider Pursuit
When it comes to choosing a mobile operating system, smaller businesses lean heavily toward Apple Inc.’s iOS, according to a new survey. The poll, conducted by hosted services specialist Intermedia.net Inc., found that iOS made up 68.2 percent of all mobile device activations in SMBs. 

Apple’s Enterprise Dreams Are Coming True
Apple is well on its way to making enterprise a viable success area for itself and it may be receiving between 5 million to 10 million annual iPad sales from the sector, according to Raymond James analyst Tavis McCourt.

FileMaker Go For iPad And iPhone Tops 500K Downloads             
Apple subsidiary FileMaker is an unusual, often overlooked part of the Mac maker’s empire, one that has been around almost as long as Apple Computer itself. The database management software hasn’t been cooling its heels, however; it has consistently been improving upon its mobile native iOS apps since the iPhone version’s introduction in 2010.

Microsoft no longer bothering to deny Office on iPad    
Microsoft officials have stopped bothering to deny that there will be some kind of Office support on the iPad. But the Softies still aren't sharing when this support will arrive or in what form.

Resistance is futile; IT must support Apple products       
IT departments have little choice but to support the Apple iPhones, iPads and Macs that employees bring to work. The question is -- how can IT best support these devices?

Also in the news:

• [VIDEO] Tim Cook: Macs will be made in the USA             
• Is SMB Security Over Hyped?                    
• Run your SMB's finances from your iPhone

News Round-Up 12/8/12: iPhone 5 Hits New Markets, Apple Hires a Hacker from Windows, and iPads in Schools Down Under

iPhone 5 To Reach 50 More Countries In December
Apple is preparing to double the number of markets in which it sells the iPhone 5. It announced today that December will see iPhone 5 availability expand to 50 new markets. The device is currently available in 47 markets.

Apple Hires Hacker Who Helped Save Windows From Security Hell
Apple has hired a noted computer security researcher who helped Microsoft lock down its Windows operating system. Kristin Paget — formerly known as Chris Paget — now works on Apple’s security team. Just over five years ago, she was part of a small team of elite hackers brought in by Microsoft to lock down Windows Vista.

Western Australia Education readies BYOD for state's schools    
Western Australia's Department of Education will deploy BYO device management capabilities in the next release of its standard operating environment (SOE) for schools, another key milestone in its long-term vision for ICT use by teachers and students.

How Apple can extend its reach in the enterprise
Mary Shacklett looks at the ways that Apple can continue to expand its influence in the enterprise, but it would require some changes in focus for the company.

iPad Brings Efficiency and Productivity to University
In spring of 2012, the University of East Anglia, a top-ranked university in Norwich, U.K., purchased a number of iPads for members of some of its senior management teams, in an effort to provide a more efficient workflow and significantly reduce the amount of paper generated by department meetings and other communications.

Also in the news:
 Could Tim Cook’s New Made-In-USA Mac Actually Be An Apple TV?            
 Why Apple Needs an Enterprise Strategy
 Eight Reasons Why the iPad Will Dominate the Tablet Category   

News Round-Up 12/1/12: Barclays Orders 8,500 iPads, iPhone 5 Gets Approval in China, and the Impact of the Holidays on BYOD

Barclays buys 8,500 iPads; sends 'enterprise ready' Bat-Signal

One of the world's largest banks is rolling out 8,500 iPads to its front-end bank branch staff. But what lies underneath is a signal to other corporate and enterprise clients that Apple's shiny rectangles are far from consumer-only devices.

iPhone 5 gets final approval for China release

Apple Inc’s latest iPhone has received final clearance from Chinese regulators, paving the way for a December debut in a highly competitive market where the lack of a new model had severely eroded its share of product sales.

Holiday Tablet Sales Could Spur BYOD Adoption

Tablets have gotten all of the press in the past few years, with the iPad flying off of shelves and proving that there is a market for these types of computers. This year there is even more proof of the tablet's dominance, as the new device type looks to overtake laptops for the first time.

Tablets 2012: As competition abounds, the iPad hangs onto its crown

Non-iPads from Amazon, Google, Microsoft and others are flooding the market, bringing more diverse experiences, often at better prices than the iPad and its little sibling, the iPad Mini. Doesn’t matter. Odds are, you’ll still ask Santa for an Apple tablet.

Bye Bye BlackBerry, Hello iPhone

All good things must come to an end. For many enterprises that means switching from the BlackBerry (BB) to the smartphone as their go-to form of communication for employees.

Also in the news:

           Enterprises buying iPhones 'in droves,' IDC says

           Mobility, BYOD Altering Healthcare IT Landscape [Video]

           iPad Tablets Drive iOS Growth in Businesses

News Round-Up 11/24/12: Mobility Trends for 2013, Growing Mac Sales to Businesses, and a Guide to iPad Security in the Enterprise

Make Way for Mobility: What 2012’s Trends Mean for 2013
Mobility has been one of the fastest growing areas we have ever seen in the enterprise technology space. And believe it or not, it’s still in the very early days. But this accelerated growth moves way beyond simply the number of devices being sold.
 

Mac sales to US businesses grow nearly 50%
Charlie Wolf of Needham & Company highlighted Apple's success in the enterprise as the "big story" regarding Mac sales in the September quarter. With PC sales to U.S. businesses declining 13.3 percent year over year, Apple had a 62.7 percentage point difference.
 

Guide to iPad Security in the Enterprise
While iPads and other tablets provide big productivity benefits in the enterprise, they also create some pretty big security challenges.
 

How could Apple be a better partner for publishers? 'Share more data'
A panel of publishers from various media and entertainment sectors at today's Guardian Mobile Business Summit chewed on issues including apps versus mobile websites, freemium business models and the desire for more transparency from Apple and Google.
 

Mobile workers prefer iPhone
The BYOD, or bring-your-own-device, trend has grown: A new report from iPass shows that more employees are using their own smartphones for work, and they rank connectivity cost as the least important factor when choosing a mobile network.

 Also in the news:

 iPad Mini Sales Begin at Mobile Carriers

 iPhone 5S Wish List: What Should Be The Next iPhone’s Features?

  Apple Eyes First Overseas Data Center in Hong Kong

News Round-Up 11/17/12: iPad Printing, More Schools Embracing Devices, and an iPad Heist at JFK

Print Manager aims to make iPad printing in enterprise part of everyday life 

California-based company Print Manager has launched a new app so that iPad users in enterprise can upload and print their documents all while on the corporate network.

BYOD: Embracing technology in K-12 schools

Schools should embrace technology and encourage students to bring their own computing devices, whether it's a smartphone, tablet or a laptop, according to one Indiana State University professional.

iPad Heist At JFK Highlights Mobile Tech Risks    

Two thieves made off with 3,600 iPad Minis in a brazen robbery at New York's JFK Airport, demonstrating that crooks can strike in unexpected ways. Here are tips to protect your smartphones and tablets.

Enterprise developer says 2013 will be the year mobile apps for business really take off 

Move over Angry Birds and Words with Friends; business and productivity apps are ready to share, if not take center stage, says one app developer who reckons that 2013 could be the year when business apps become all the rage.

iPads in the Office: The Business Case for the iPad

Apple just released the 4th generation iPad. With each generation, the case against integrating iPads into a corporate network gets weaker (and BYOD–Bring Your Own Device–urges get stronger), although challenges remain in specific business scenarios.

Also in the news:

  iPad Drives iOS Growth in the Enterprise, According to Zenprise Mobile Cloud Report

  Survey: 53% of SMBs Issue Tablets, 59% Support BYOD

  Small-Business IT Budgets Rising, Hiring Stalls

  BYOD devices to double by 2014