Businesses that use both Apple and Google can now seamlessly move between the two without hitting a password wall, thanks to new integrations designed to simplify cloud management for small and mid-sized companies.
The two tech giants teamed up for an update to Apple Business Manager that allows users to sign into their Google Workspace with their Managed Apple ID credentials and vice versa.
It’s a natural next step for Apple. Last November, it launched its Apple Business Essentials platform, allowing employees to access and download their work applications from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
How to sync Google Workspace with Apple Business Manager
Integration with Google won’t work on every Apple device. To sync the two, you must be using:
- iOS 15.5 or later
- iPadOS 15.5 or later
- macOS 12.4 or later
Once you’ve met the system requirements, you must ensure your Apple Admin or People Manager also has Google Workspace Admin privileges and use the federated authentication tool to join the two platforms. This is a two-step process, configuring federated authentication, then putting it into action to link up with your Google Workspace.
Configuration:
- Sign into Apple Business Manager as the Admin or People Manager
- Click your name, then Preferences, then Accounts
- Navigate to Federated Authentication, click Edit, select Google Workspace, then click Connect
- Sign in with your Google Admin credentials, review the verified domains, and hit Done to finish
Turning on federated authentication:
- Sign into Apple Business Manager as the Admin or People Manager
- Click your name, then Preferences, then Accounts
- Click Edit in the Domains section, turn on federated authentication for each domain
Benefits to business
The new Apple-Google integration was designed with small businesses in mind, offering more streamlined services to companies that don’t necessarily have their own IT department but want to ramp up activity in the cloud.
With remote working on the rise, employees now expect to be able to log into the office from anywhere. Companies have had to grapple with the resulting security and organizational challenges. By partnering with Google Workspace, Apple is giving these businesses the tools to create a flexible workspace that won’t hinder productivity.
The other significant benefit of integration is the ease of use. Employees only have to log in once to access the full suite of Google and Apple services, saving them time and frustration. And the single access point will help businesses tighten their cyber security defenses. While an individual owns a personal Apple ID, Managed Apple IDs are owned and managed by businesses, ensuring that there’s no crossover between personal and business accounts.
Marrying Managed Apple IDs with Google Workspace won’t compromise a company’s security, as admins will still retain control of how their employees log in and what they can access when they do.
Apple has warned consumers that it may take a while for their accounts to update, but once they do, businesses can quickly get up and running with this time-saving, productivity-boosting integration.
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