How to lock down the ipad for employee use

You can prevent people from downloading unauthorized applications easily by following the instructions in the apple enterprise deployment guide. Do you have a business sales rep? They can help you. Linking on the ipad is hard in safari rather than terra but I'll throw a link in the thread later.

Hi Matt or Sam,

I have a few questions:

1. Just to clarify, the only Apple utility I see is for the iPhone. That will also work for the iPad?

2. Do you know if the utility allows us to stop users from customizing the iPad? For example, we would like to place the apps in a certain order on the screen and not have anyone be able to change them. We would like to use iPads in an application where the person using the iPad will change on a constant basis and as such need the layout to remain consistent for the next user.

Thank You,

David

Also one more question. Can a small business use this app? I took a very quick look at it, and am wondering if it does not require some type of enterprise product to be used along with it. I intend to read all of the documentation, but thought I would ask in the mean time.

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

They exist.

http://www.macworld.com/article/156560/2011/05/touchscreen_stylus_roundup.html

google:

ipad stylus

1. Yes, any ios device can be controlled using the iphone configuration tool -- ipads, iphones, and ipod touches.

2. It is appropriate for a small business. Think of it like a version of itunes or policies for iOS devices. You connect via USB and configure the devices that way.

3. I have no idea as to this last question. I will point out that the device is searchable in terms of apps which may alleviate the need to lock down screen position. You can always reset screen position by rolling out the configuration profile again -- assuming that is one of the things the configuration assistant allows.

Just a suggestion: I highly recommend working with a business sales rep like the folks at Macmall, who can order many ipads for you, and help answer your configuration questions.

You also may want to do a pilot program and determine if this is right for you and your friend's business.

Looks like there's a new product coming out from RIM that will allow you to do what you want. Yes, it's for ipads and android devices, as well as iphones.

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/11/29/rims-mobile-fusion-to-offer-iphone-security/

So it might be a mute point now but for such a low amount of iPads (less than 5) why not just set all of them up using the same Apple iTunes account and limit who has access to the passwords. Users won't be able to install any applications without the password. If web browsing is a concern (which didn't sound like it was) using the parental controls in a basic linksys or netgear router can block the same access as they have at work. While on 3G you can't control what sites they visit.

Isnt it possible for the customer to remove the profile if they hook the device up to iTunes and do a normal restore? Im looking at doing this with some of my devices, but incorporating a logo as a background that cant be changed.

Is there anyway that the customer can remove this profile as i said above?

Cheers

Just wanted to stop back and say that in my own investigations since posting in this thread I've been unable to find any way to do what we need to do, which is ridiculously simple - lock the unit to an app ("kiosk mode"). There is no way to disable the home button and no way to lock a user to an app. It blows my mind that this simple functionality is not available. Frusatrating, as it's forcing us to use Android touchscreens when we'd like to have the option of using iPads.

I'm guessing that somehow large enterprises can accomplish this? But it's not available in the Apple entprise tools listed in this thread.