Apple Combines Business Offerings on Single Platform

Apple has introduced a platform that brings together several of its business offerings.

Dubbed “Apple Business,” the platform will be launched April 14 in more than 200 countries and regions, the company said in a Tuesday (March 24) update.

Upon its launch, Apple Business will be available as a free service to new and existing users of Apple Business Connect, Apple Business Essentials and Apple Business Manager. Those three services will no longer be available once Apple Business launches, according to the update.

One component of the platform is mobile device management tool that enables businesses to set up devices with preconfigured settings and apps, purchase upgraded iCloud storage and support with AppleCare+ for Business, and allow employees to install apps, view colleagues’ contact information and request support.

The platform also introduces integrated email, calendar and directory services designed to help businesses build a professional identity, enhance communication and streamline collaboration, per the update.

A third part of Apple Business, which will be added this summer in the U.S. and Canada, will help businesses create ads on Apple Maps. Ads on Apple Maps will appear when users search in Maps, can appear at the top of a user’s search results based on relevance, and can be displayed at the top of a new Suggested Places experience in Maps.

The platform will also incorporate brand management tools previously available in Apple Business Connect. These tools help with brand profiles, rich place cards, showcases and custom actions, location insights, branded communications and Tap to Pay on iPhone, according to the update

“Apple Business is a significant leap forward in our decades-long commitment to helping companies of all sizes leverage the power of Apple products and services to run and grow,” Susan Prescott, vice president of enterprise and education marketing at Apple, said in the release.

During its latest earnings call, the company reported that its quarterly revenue was up 16% year over year, reaching $143.8 billion. The firm’s iPhone revenue rose 23% and hit $85.3 billion, Services rose 14% and hit an all-time high of about $30 billion, and greater China sales jumped 38% to $25.5 billion.