Corporate iPad

[GP_Matt]

So, we are looking into getting tablets for some of our employees. The first iPad was shipped to me to play with/demo and determine if there is value in buying a bunch of them.

We have both field and office employees so I will demo it in the office and then send it out to the field with one of the field guys for them to demo.

What has me stumped is the iTunes account. Both for the demo and going forward. For the demo the theory is that I will sign up for an account to buy apps for the device so I figured I would create a generic account along the lines of Grand Prairie Demo and use my credit card to pay for the apps. When it comes time to hand the device over to a field guy I wouldn't want to wipe the device and have him repurchase any apps that he needs but I also wouldn't want him billing me for them. Can you change the name on the account when you change the credit card that defaults to it? Or am I better to just buy those gift cards and load apps on that way? Or some ideal third way?

As well, if we decide to use them full time we had considered buying a couple of office units that people can take when they travel but would otherwise sit unused in the office. The same issues will come up, but much more often as different people sign them out.

Apple products really seem to be designed to be used personally and not shared too much so I am a bit torn. Should we just go all or nothing and buy everyone their own if we decide to go ahead with them?

We will also be trying other devices, so maybe one of them are going to better fit our needs. I think I have an android tablet coming next.

Our uses for these will be email, remote access, pdf viewing and markup, viewing CAD files, access to CRM and I am sure we will find other uses.

Thanks for any advice, I apologize if I have rambled a bit.

[sclitheroe]

http://www.apple.com/business/vpp/

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

http://www.apple.com/business/vpp/

Thanks, but that only works in the US.

Once we commit though that looks like a great way to go if it comes to Canada. It would be great to push apps onto the devices.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

Thanks, but that only works in the US.

Once we commit though that looks like a great way to go if it comes to Canada. It would be great to push apps onto the devices.

Holy cr*p I didn't realize that..I'll ask our mobility team how companies in Canada are accomplishing this - I know a lot of our clients would use something like Airwatch to handle profile and app deployment, but I don't know how the purchasing and inventory side is done.

[Rathji]

We have a couple iPads and we just locked them so people can't install apps.

I realize it isn't a good solution, but thy are essentially used for Skype/FaceTime and other than updates, they don't need access to anything else.

[psicodude]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

Thanks, but that only works in the US.

Once we commit though that looks like a great way to go if it comes to Canada. It would be great to push apps onto the devices.

I have been told by an Apple rep directly that this program will never leave the US, and that they are going to move in a new direction next year. Unfortunately, they didn't have any more details.

Please let me know if you figure anything else out, because we have been struggling with the same questions for 3 months now. My conclusion is that these devices (not just iPad's, Android is the same) are truly designed to be a personal device and trying to force it to be anything else is a waste of time.

[psyang]

I was shocked when we got our tablet (Samsung Galaxy) that proper account management is pretty much nonexistent in Android (and iOS too, apparently). Very interested to see if the Surface can leverage this to make major inroads in the market (both consumer and business).

[Bill Bumface]

There is nothing better in a boring meeting than watching someone struggle with their ipad they brought from home to try jot down a few notes.