Apple launches ‘Business Essentials’ service for small businesses

San Francisco: Flexible plans can be customised to support each user and device in an organisation with up to 2TB of secure storage in iCloud, starting at $2.99 per month after a two-month free trial.

Apple also unveiled new AppleCare+ for Business Essentials options that can be added to any plan. Plans that include AppleCare+ for Apple Business Essentials start at $9.99 per month.

"Apple has a deep and decades-long commitment to helping small businesses thrive. From dedicated business teams in our stores to the App Store Small Business Programme, our goal is to help each company grow, compete, and succeed," said Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of Enterprise and Education Marketing.

Once employees sign in to their work account on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac using a Managed Apple ID, they will have access to everything they need to be productive, including the new Apple Business Essentials app, where they can download work apps available to them.

"Managed Apple IDs can be created by federating with Microsoft Azure Active Directory and, coming later this spring, with Google Workspace identity services, allowing employees to log in to their device with a single business username and password," said the tech giant.

Apple Business Essentials works with company-provided and personally owned devices, and with Apple's User Enrollment feature, employees' personal information stays private and cryptographically separated from work data.

In addition to a streamlined setup, Apple Business Essentials provides a dedicated iCloud work account for simple and secure storage, backup, and collaboration on files and documents.

AppleCare+ for Business Essentials service includes 24/7 access to phone support, training for both IT administrators and employees, and up to two device repairs per plan -- by individual, group or device -- each year.