14 DAY TRIAL // In tandem with an array of updates for Mac OS X and Windows, Apple has issued what it calls the “iPhone Configuration Utility 2.2,” a tool that enables system administrators to create, maintain, encrypt, and install configuration profiles, track and install provisioning profiles and authorized applications, as well as capture device information in the Enterprise.
“Configuration profiles are XML files that contain device security policies, VPN configuration information, Wi-Fi settings, APN settings, Exchange account settings, mail settings, and certificates that permit iPhone and iPod touch to work with your enterprise systems,” Apple explains, describing the aim of its iPhone Configuration Utility for Mac OS X and Windows. The company behind the Mac OS provides full instructions on how to use the iPhone Configuration Utility within the iPhone and iPod touch Enterprise Deployment Guide, available for free download here (PDF).
The guide in question provides information about deploying and supporting the iPhone and iPod touch in enterprise environments. Starting with version 3.0, the iPhone OS includes enhancements and items of special interest to enterprise users. Some of those, including changes delivered in the 2.2 update, are (highlights):
- CalDAV calendar wireless syncing is now supported;
- LDAP server support for contact look-up in mail, address book, and SMS;
- Configuration profiles can be encrypted and locked to a device so that their removal requires an administrative password;
- iPhone Configuration Utility now allows you to add and remove encrypted configuration profiles directly onto devices that are connected to your computer by USB;
- Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) is now supported for certificate revocation;
- On-demand certificate-based VPN connections are now supported;
- VPN proxy configuration via a configuration profile and VPN servers is supported;
- Microsoft Exchange users can invite others to meetings. Microsoft Exchange 2007 users can also view reply status;
- Exchange ActiveSync client certificate-based authentication is now supported;
- Additional device restrictions are now available, including the ability to specify the length of time that a device can be left unlocked, disable the camera, and prevent users from taking a screenshot of the device’s display;
- Devices can now be authenticated and enrolled over-the-air using a Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP) server.
The iPhone and iPod touch units admins plan on using with their enterprise network must be updated with iPhone OS 3.0 or later, according to Apple. The newly updated iPhone Configuration Utility can be obtained via the download link available just below.