Apple is getting serious about enterprise solutions for iOS

After years of meager services, iOS 7 marked Apple's return to providing serious mobile enterprise solutions for businesses. Utilizing a wide range of options and mobile device management (MDM) services, iOS 7 can help, whether your office provides company phones or employees use their own.

The MDM service allows IT departments to control settings, app installations and policies for a device remotely. Workers who bring their own devices can self-enroll in the MDM program by accepting the MDM installation profile already on their phone. Under MDM, IT can enroll devices in enterprise services (include Microsoft's), update settings, monitor compliance with corporate policies, and remotely wipe or lock lost devices.

One of the major issues that comes with employees utilizing their own iOS devices is the security and privacy of both parties. Businesses can protect communications via managed apps with specific VPNs. Confidential messages are sent utilizing these IT-approved apps and authenticated using a secured VPN client to securely connect to Cisco IPSec, L2TP, and PPTP VPN.

Employees worried about their personal security can rest easy. Personal and corporate data are stored separately from one another, with IT departments only gaining access to specifically managed apps. This lets you keep your personal privacy on Facebook even while working within an enterprise setting.

Apple is offering volume purchasing for businesses, allowing for the apps and books to be purchased and pushed to every device using the MDM service. IT departments can even develop their own custom apps specifically for their employee's needs.

The company created a special page highlighting how various organizations from PespiCo to the Mayo Clinic have implemented MDM and iOS' new enterprise options into their own day to day operations. You can view these video profiles directly at Apple's site.