While most of the talk from this week's Apple press event has surrounded the new hardware, iOS 7 also had a big day and some important information was learned. The operating system will launch on September 18 and Apple called it the biggest upgrade to the mobile operating system since it launched in 2007. CEO Tim Cook went as far as saying it feels like a brand new phone.
Where many businesses have already engaged in an iPhone or iPad deployment, this idea can cause some trepidation. After all, a "new phone" could mean a change to mobile device management strategies. However, the enterprise was a focus during the development of the operating system and companies should be ready to embrace what Venture Beat called "Apple's most important upgrade yet for enterprise developers."
Some companies, like business intelligence leader SAP, have already released statements to reassure customers that they are ready for the new operating system and have business suites in place for launch day.
"Apple has made it easier for the enterprise to adopt its devices with the release of iOS 7, which is considered by many as the biggest upgrade since its debut, and bodes especially well for enterprise developers and IT managers," said Anthony Reynolds, SAP senior vice president, Worldwide Mobile Sales and Solutions. "The changes Apple is implementing in iOS 7 directly align with our goal of enhancing, securing and simplifying the end-user experience."
Dealing with an upgrade like this does bring with it a number of challenges. Thankfully, there are IT consulting firms that specialize in Mac integration and can help any organization upgrade to new mobile operating systems.
