Apple Configurator provides free iOS device management for IT

James Furbush, News Writer

While the hundreds were fawning over Apple's new iPad last week, IT pros had something much more significant to celebrate.

Apple released a free app called Configurator that makes it much easier to deploy, manage and configure multiple iOS device. It's available for download throughout the Mac App Store.

The evolution of iOS device management

Apple Configurator is an evolution of the prevailing iPhone Configuration Utility (iCU) that Apple introduced nearly four years ago. Unfortunately, the brand new app isn't an entire-fledged mobile device management (MDM) tool, nevertheless it does bridge MDM and the iCU.

“Configurator is the place to begin of Apple finally catering to IT managers,” said Michael Oh, founding father of Tech Superpowers, a Boston-based Apple solutions provider.

It appears that Apple Configurator can be useful for streamlining the big-scale preparation and deployment of iOS devices within the enterprise. It'll allow departments to chop costs, since Configurator removes the will for similar third-party software.

The utility doesn't require an OS X Server or MDM add-on software. Apple bills this as a quick and straightforward technique to get an iOS device ready-to-go.

Apple Configurator features

One of Configurator's most promising features is that it may prevent users from syncing their iOS device with multiple computer, Oh said. IT admins can lock a tool to the system on which it was prepared, preventing users from turning a business device right into a personal one.

“No matter what tools you employ, there has been always a mechanism to wipe [an iOS device], re-sync it with another computer's iTunes and switch it right into a personal [device],” Oh said. “Configurator gives some control to confine users from doing that and in effect turns iOS devices into more business-oriented devices.”

Here's a small sampling of alternative Apple Configurator features for IT:

• Create configuration profiles directly, or import previously created profiles from iCU;
• Set specific policies regarding passcodes, Wi-Fi, VPN, pre-installed apps and other features;
• Set restrictions on device hardware (disable the camera or location settings, arrange profanity filters for Siri);
• Wipe and restore devices;
• Install a particular iOS version in bulk;
• Create device backups for data, profiles and settings and reinstall them on devices;
• Pre-set the AppleID used to buy installed apps;
• License paid apps using Apple's Volume Purchase Program;
• Create a tool check-in/check-out setup corresponding to a Windows enterprise roaming profile;
• Organize devices into groups for less complicated management;
• Restrict devices from syncing to other computers.

Apple Configurator limitations

Configurator requires that the iOS device be tethered to a Mac. A single Mac computer can manage a vast variety of iOS devices, but because those devices need to be connected via USB, only 30 devices may be connected and managed at any given time. That's problematic for big enterprises that must manage thousands of devices.

Some say Apple Configurator will not be of much use in companies supporting BYOD for mobile devices where IT does little to establish and configure personal devices.

Julian Harper, IT manager for the Jeroboams Group, a UK-based wine distribution company, recently switched to a BYOD policy and doesn't plan to establish anyone's personal phone as though it were a company device. Instead, he'll rely upon third-party MDM for iOS device management and security.

“It's much better to inform people to update their phone attributable to ‘X' new feature than to need to installed and manage [it for them],” Harper said. “You can conveniently be overwhelmed by the quantity of labor and prices [device management] can generate.”

Apple Configurator only is smart for businesses employing a controlled, mobile strategy, Harper said. Other IT pros said they welcome the flexibility to establish, configure and manage a couple of iOS device at a time, though a whole MDM solution would has been better.

“When they're all in favour of implementing IT support, they'll release some core IT packages for the iPad,” Oh said.

According to Oh, the perfect thing about Configurator is that Apple is finally moving in that direction.

Let us know what you consider the tale; email James Furbush or follow @slyoyster on Twitter

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