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How to lock down the ipad for employee use

I would like to know if they is any app or something that I can use to lock the ipad down for small business use.

The last thing I want is my employees checking their facebook on my ipads.

iPad 2

Posted on Jul 5, 2011 8:07 AM

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25 replies

Jul 6, 2011 7:31 PM in response to kyeboa

Well, if he's investing in them just to "jump on the bandwagon" then buyer beware... this is a very expensive investment to make if he doesn't have a business plan to use them and doesn't trust his employees to use them. If I was in his situation, based on your descriptions, I wouldn't try to deploy them - it makes no sense to do so without a specific reason and without trained employees who can be trusted with an expensive device.

Jul 5, 2011 8:23 AM in response to kyeboa

If you want to control your employee Internet use it might be easier to accomplish this via technology applied at the router and firewall network level rather than at the device or client level. Barracuda Networks, Mobicip, OpenDNS, Webroot, etc. are some vendors to look into for this. If you really just want an app check out Safe Eyes and Mobicip.

Jul 5, 2011 5:02 PM in response to Matt Clifton

Ok we seem to be getting closer. The only thing is that I don't see an explaination of how I can install these programs and use them? The apple page is very vague on how to actually get the products and use them.


Its it possible to set restrictions on Itunes? I not looking for an enterprise solution, just a small business one.

I don't want to have to setup an server just to manage 3 ipads.


Any more Ideas guys? Once again I looking for how to setup restrictions and maybe profiles like on windows or mac computer.

Jul 5, 2011 5:22 PM in response to kyeboa

It's a totally different system - there aren't any separate user/admin profiles with varying privileges like on the computers.


You can't stop the employees from checking their Facebook pages or any other websites once the device has left your network. If you also block Facebook at work, the same network blocking and restrictions will affect the iPad.


If the iPad is tied to your work iTunes account, you will have a record of any external apps downloaded and purchased. If they set it up with their own iTunes account, it will erase any business apps you've installed, but then you'll know because they can't do their work.


May I ask why you're supplying your workers with iPads? I don't mean to offend, but you don't seem to trust them to use them responsibly. You might want to check out the iPad educators Ning, as most of the restrictions you are looking for are similar to those schools are facing when providing iPads to their students.

Jul 5, 2011 6:12 PM in response to kyeboa

You only need a server if you mean to distribute the configurations over the web - you can distribute using a cable connection, or via email download, without a server.


Download and install the iPhone Configuration Utility from the link I gave you. There's a download link right there on the page. You can get a Mac or Windows version. On the Mac, it's installed in Applications/Utilities.


Launch the program, and create a new configuration profile. Using the "Restrictions" tab, set whatever restrictions are appropriate (eg, disallow iTunes Store, installing apps, etc). Then either email the profile, or assign it to a connected iPad.


Let us know if you have any problems getting it working...


Matt

Jul 6, 2011 5:17 PM in response to PogoPossum

I would say it's a more of jump on the band wagon type thing. Touchpads are starting to show up every where from restaurants to medical practice to the board room. To be honest we really don't need computers period. It's just makes you feel oh so good to have them.


I think the whole mobile thing really hit a zenth with the old palm treo. But ipads are so much prettier and they are so thin.


Besides, I have to admit. The way apps are programed are much easier to use and understand than computer programs. When you start meeting 72 years lugging a ipad, then you know the computer has finally reached the masses. I really don't understand why it took so long to make computing easy.


Though I still think a stylus would make more sense. Some people just have dirty hands.

Jul 6, 2011 8:00 PM in response to PogoPossum

What's the need for a business plan thousands of people buyt touch pads and computers every day and don't know how to use them. More or less they end up being paper weights. Beside the restrictions are instented to stop misuse. And who said he didn't have a business plan. the ipads replace pen and paper and so employee enter information directly into the server. This lets the employee be mobile and still do their work. It's being done in places all around the world. Ipad is an computer for the most part.


U going to tell me he should not use computers next? Maybe he should enter track important information at all?


it's funny how one question of how do I restrict access on an ipad turns into an inquisition.


Name any major corporation that let's their employee do whatever they want on their computers? Name a College?


That's why these companies build in this security stuff any way. You are protecting your investment by taking the proper steps to make sure that the equiptment is not misused. Where do you work where your Boss let's you do whatever you want on his or her computer. Play games? Get viruses?


You seem to making some kind of special assumptions because it's a ipad.

Same this goes for printers, copying machines, and coffee machines. You never give people unlimited access to any thing unless you wan to call the service man 20 times a week.

Jul 7, 2011 3:05 PM in response to kyeboa

You're the one who came here asking for help - and I offered advice on it, including a suggestion that he rethink how he's using iPads if he has no idea on how to use them. Hardly an inquisition.


Of course restrictions are placed on computers - and it's very hard to do so on the iPad. So if restrictions are a must, then in my opinion the iPad is not the ideal device.


I do work with computers - with children and adults. They do not have unlimited access - but we trust our elementary school students at a very different level than our teachers. We let our teachers visit websites, we let our students visit websites; sometimes we do get hit, but that pales to the use we get out of them. Sometimes our teachers do, I'm sure, play games and visit personal sites during work hours; sometimes (but less often) our students do, as we have tighter restrictions on them. I guess I'm fortunate enough to work in a place where all the employees are trusted to make decisions about how to use the technology provided for them - and sometimes that technology has been taken away when misused, but the overwhelming majority use them responsibly. You and your friend seems to have the opposite approach - bad things might happen, so nobody can use anything and everything must be blocked.

Jul 7, 2011 5:21 PM in response to PogoPossum

I just wanted to respond that the ipad does have "Restrictions" you can set, similar to the way Parental Controls are set. You can lock them out of the App store, and pornographic content. They can't view Flash anyway, so that will cut down on a number of things.


You can only allow them to view a page in the app store just for your organization. It will only contain the apps you want. You can do this following the instructions in the Apple Enterprise Deployment Guide.


If what he really wants to do is to monitor traffic, even a Netgear wireless router has the ability to log which websites are visited and the IP address, which can be static.


Baracuda is an excellent recommendation for filtering the Internet beyond that. Sonicwall may be another.

How to lock down the ipad for employee use

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