8 Macworld • January 2022NEWS
business with up to 500 employees,
and features a simplified set of
three price tiers:Single device: $2.99 (£tbc)/month
(per user), supports one device and
provides 50GB of iCloud storage.
Multi-device: $6.99 (£tbc)/month
(per user), supports up to three
devices and provides 200GB of
iCloud storage.
Multi-device, more storage:
$12.99 (£tbc)/month (per user),
supports up to three devices and
providesmonth2TB of iCloud storage.When the service exits beta in the
spring of 2022, businesses will be
able to add AppleCare+ to their plans
and get prioritized Apple Support,
training for IT and employees, and
up to two device repairs per plan
per year. Google and Microsoft offer
similar storage and support for small
business with Google Workspace
and Office 365, respectively.
The service lets IT departments
easily manage systems with new
managed Apple IDs that are separate
from their personal Apple IDs. When
users add those to devices, it can
push things like Wi-Fi and VPN
settings, enforce important security
settings like FileVault, and connectsto that user’s Business Essentials
iCloud storage space.
The service also installs a new
Business Essentials app where the
user can download business software
that is assigned to them and can
request support. If a user logs in to
their managed Apple ID on a personal
device, it uses different cryptographic
keys for work data, to keep it separate
from personal data.