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Get your enterprise ready for Apple's iOS 9

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Matthew David Digital Leader, Accenture
 

September is almost here, and that means you can expect a new release of Apple's iOS to hit your enterprise. While IT organizations have complete control over deploying Microsoft's Windows operating system, Apple doesn't allow companies to deploy iOS. Apple simply allows every iOS device owner to upgrade to the latest release. What's stunning is how many people actually do the upgrade.

Apple released iOS 8 on September 16, 2014, and by the end of November, 60 percent of all active iOS devices had completed the upgrade from iOS 7. As a frame of reference, Apple is now selling more iOS devices than all new Windows computers combined.

This article describes what steps you can take before the release becomes available, as well as what specific improvements the release will offer iOS customers.

What you can do before Apple releases iOS 9

Microsoft goes to great pains to let companies know when a new version of Windows is being released. For example, many companies knew weeks in advance that Windows 10 was going to ship on July 29, 2015. Apple, on the other hand, doesn't share any such information. However, you can look at past releases of iOS get an idea of when a new version is coming. The new iOS beta cycle starts with each WWDC (Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference) and ends with the launch of the new iPhone in September.

With this date range in mind, there's work you can do between June and September to ensure that all iOS devices in your enterprise work correctly. Some features coming to iOS are worth reviewing in greater detail to ensure you have compatibility in your organization. They include the following:

  • Smart OS updates

  • Stabilization

  • Improved security

  • ActiveSync 16

  • Better battery life

  • Productivity—Split View

  • Multitasking—Slide Over

  • Rich Format Notes

  • Wi-Fi calls

Apple is notorious for pushing users forward by dropping support for technologies, such as the new MacBook only supporting USB 3.1 connectors and dropping all other physical connectors. The new iOS 9 does drop support for Address Book API and Address Book UI frameworks. You can swap in support through the use of the Contacts API and Contacts UI framework. You will want to make sure you have updated all apps that use the deprecated Address Book API before iOS 9 is released.

Updating to iOS 9

Typically, previous versions of iOS have run up to 5 GB in size. The challenge to your network is that on day one a significant number of people in your organization will be downloading and installing iOS 9. Apple is excellent at encouraging iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users to update to the latest OS. With iOS 9, Apple has increased the number of supported devices to include:

  • iPhone 4S and newer

  • iPad 2 and newer

  • iPad Air 1 and 2

  • iPad Mini 1 and newer

  • iPod fifth generation and newer

In other words, almost all active iOS-powered devices will be able to run iOS 9. For many companies, this list will cover the vast majority of iOS devices either managed with mobile device management software or through a BYOD program. Apple has modified the core iOS 9 file that you download to make it easier for company networks. The new OS is just over 1.3 GB, about one quarter the size of iOS 8, which came in at just under 5 GB for a single file download. For older devices running 8 GB of space or less, there's a new feature that will temporarily remove apps so that the newer OS can be installed. The removed apps will reinstall after a successful installation.

Each user will see some changes to the security of their iDevice after the upgrade. The most notable is the support of a minimum six-digit passcode, an increase from four digits. Also, Apple is including two-factor authentication. A verification code will be sent to your phone when you access your iCloud data on other devices or the web using your Apple account.

Finally, the issue of calendars and contacts not synchronizing correctly with the exchange server should be gone with iOS 9. Apple has updated their ActiveSync client, the Microsoft-licensed software that links iOS email, calendar, and contacts to Exchange, to ActiveSync 16. If you're running O365, then you'll also see support for attachments and rich text formatting in calendar invites.

Productivity improvements

There are fewer visible changes with iOS 9 compared to previous OS releases. A lot of the work has been done under the hood to stabilize the core OS.

One of the features you'll notice is more efficient battery life. When your battery drops to 10 percent, you'll be asked if you want to activate Low Power Mode. This will give you an extra hour of battery life by turning off background services and non-essential features such as animation effects. Your iDevice might work a little more slowly, but the benefit will be an extra hour of use.

A second productivity improvement is with the Notes app. The updated app now supports rich formatting, image copying, and setup checklists to keep track of tasks. In many ways, the new Notes app competes directly with Evernote and Microsoft's OneNote. It's important to note that you must update your iCloud account to support the new Notes app's rich formatting features. This process is not reversible.

The most visible productivity improvements you'll see in iOS 9 are for the iPad Air 2: Slide Over, Split View, and Picture in Picture.

Slide Over is the option to open a second app a third of the way onto the screen. When you're done, you tap the previous app, and the second app slides away.

Split View is the option to have two apps open at the same time, such as Pages and Email. For Slide Over and Split View to work, the original app must be designed with a responsive layout. In the current beta, only Apple apps support these two features.

Picture in Picture will shrink a playing video on the screen when you press the Home button. You'll be able to open up a second app and still have the video playing on the screen.

Wi-Fi calling: Another potential drain on your network

One feature released with iOS 8 is Wi-Fi calling. Unlike VoIP services such as Facetime and Skype that use data networks, a Wi-Fi call can start on a cellular phone connection and then switch to Wi-Fi if the cell signal drops too low. Currently, only T-Mobile and Sprint support Wi-Fi calling, but this will change with iOS 9. AT&T, the largest phone company in the US, recently released Wi-Fi calling to some iOS 9 beta users, with the full release expected later this year. This will be a drain on Wi-Fi networks in areas where regular cell reception is poor, such as large warehouses, factories, or remote locations.

Should you support iOS 9?

You have no choice. Apple's iOS 9 is coming and it's coming soon. On the whole, this is a good release. Apple has chosen to focus on stabilizing the code instead of adding buggy new features. This is a good choice because the number of iOS-powered devices continues to increase in the enterprise. Maybe with iOS 10 we'll get profile management and the ability for iOS devices to be shared among working teams. I can only hope!

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