Apple introduces new professional training to support growing IT workforce

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/05/apple-introduces-new-professional-training-to-support-growing-it-workforce/

by todsacerdoti • 4 years ago

142 100 4 years ago

Spivak• 4 years ago

This makes total sense because I’ve seen first hand Apple lose whole office Mac contracts because the business has no one who can administer a fleet of Macs like they can Windows machines. Everyone always talks about Dell/Lenovo being cheaper but after doing the purchasing they’re really not — you can buy less for less sure, but the difference for comparable laptops is negligible when budgets start rounding to the nearest 5 zeros. Ecosystems matter at lot more and there is remarkably little information on Apple’s MDM solutions like Jamf where AD and InTune are turnkey by comparison.

mgkimsal• 4 years ago

I was surprised they didn't have this 10-15 years ago. I sort of wonder if Jobs had lived if he'd had pivoted towards this enterprise/support direction.

cestith• 4 years ago

I'd guess he would have. Jobs cared about professional users, and not just in film, graphic design, and music. Many decisions these past years feel like the company has not seen the need to invest in enterprise users and especially not enterprise fleet management.

giobox• 4 years ago

Theres a fair amount of quotes I'm too lazy to find now where Jobs expresses his absolute distain for the "enterprise" market.

With enterprise software, the end user is almost never the actual paying customer, which when you are trying to make really end-user focused products that delight in the way Apple do, can lead to incentives that prioritise enterprise needs over consumer - look at the huge number of enterprise specific features Microsoft historically have built, that have affected consumers too. Jobs loved making consumer products so much, I can't imagine he ever would have been able to really chase enterprise customers.

The move to targeting services and enterprise more at Apple happened under Cook, because, well, he has to continue growing the company and Services + more engagement with enterprise markets have been critical to growth post Jobs under Cook. Perhaps Steve ultimately would have done the same as Cook, given iPhone can't grow forever etc, but it would have been a major shift in his opinions/outlook for Apple.

I'm talking about "Enterprise" in the traditional software industry sense, which is not the same industry apple target for creative professionals, even if tools like MDM etc can overlap. Jobs loved "professional" users in creative industries, not enterprise volume sales and fleet management tools etc etc.

jshier• 4 years ago

They did! I'm an Apple Certified Support Professional and Server Administrator (10.5 and 10.6). They had a whole series of certifications you could get, just like Microsoft (though not as extensive). Those all went by the wayside when they started dropping their enterprise products (Mac OS X Server, Xserve) to the point I'm not even sure what existed before this announcement (haven't been an admin in 12 years at this point).

On a related note, once I took the tests for the SP and SA certifications (in 2009), my name was supposed to show up on Apple's site for certified professionals. This was important, as any employer would check that list to make sure your certifications were up to date. Apparently that process wasn't automatic, as I wasn't on the list after three months. One email to steve@apple.com later and I was on the site!

chrisseaton6• 4 years ago

Now that almost all non-tech-applications are web-based, is there any need for IT to admin your system like they used to?

Tsiklon• 4 years ago

Usually in many organisations it’s a case of enforcing compliance across the fleet as opposed to actively administering the machines; enforcing browser profiles, software deployments and configurations, OS patch revisions, directory services integrations, that sort of thing.

But yes many computer workers effectively use their systems like chromebooks. Hell I’m in an operations role and aside from my terminal and mail client, I use my system like a glorified chromebook hah

kriro• 4 years ago

Well basically in the Windows world you have user management, files and printing, security/patching and then taking care of programs on the user's computers and infrastructure (servers, setting up a VPN etc.).

Depending on the organization, there are many non web-based programs that are run. Think about an engineering company. They'll probably have some sort of CAD like SolidWorks and something like Matlab etc.

Even if everything would be web based you still have to handle licensing/logins somehow. But yeah in theory the users need less hand holding because less stuff is actually installed.

KaiserPro2• 4 years ago

Security.

Like VPNs, app store policies, user-creation, All of this needs a decent understanding of the OS and a config management system to implement it.

The problem with OSX is that most release change things, often in undocumented ways. Like breaking how AD integrates (thanks 10.6)

adolph3• 4 years ago

Probably need a lite version for families too. I was wasting time updating each kid's Screentime settings hands-on-device before realizing if I got them AppleIDs I change settings remotely.

chrisseaton6• 4 years ago

Isn't that the Genius Bar?

adolph3• 4 years ago

Does that still exist? I havn't been since before I had kids and still physically went past a store's curbside in the early 2Ks.

gnicholas• 4 years ago

Getting appts is a pain, and there's always an 'unexpected' wait because they're running behind schedule. Probably better to go to their tutorial classes for a particular topic and then ask the trainer how to do the thing you want to do.

gjsman-1000• 4 years ago

Screen Time on macOS is super broken it's insane. The "ask for permission" prompt when visiting a blocked website predates HTML5, and the web restrictions have a tendency to "fail open" after a few hours allowing everything to pass through. If you choose the approved-site-only option for a younger child, you'll get popups galore from the built-in apps phoning home and have to approve them all manually. I gave up fighting it and had to buy a 3rd-party solution because what's the point of a parental control that randomly stops working?

Fix it Apple, I beg you.

nojito2• 4 years ago

https://www.apple.com/feedback/

thekiptxt• 4 years ago

And on iOS, _every single time_ I share a link from HN, that website persists in screen time.

E.g. if I were to share the link to TFA in WhatsApp, my screen time tomorrow would say “21 hours on apple.com”

Only clearing browser data fixes this. It’s absurd.

corrral• 4 years ago

I miss when those settings were separate from "screen time". They were much simpler. Screen Time's more flexible but takes a lot more effort to set up, and I'm never sure I've gotten it all the way I want.

mewse-hn• 4 years ago

Training for IT professionals? Didn't they just kill mac server? What is there to learn, how to use a web browser?

ivan_gammel2• 4 years ago

A couple of examples:

1. How to roll out certain security policies integrated with your IM to the group of devices X?

2. How to test OS update on group of devices Y, before releasing it to all devices in your company?

If you are an ordinary iPad or Mac user, I doubt that you know the answers.

nemacol2• 4 years ago

Is this something you can do without 3rd party software?

Bud2• 4 years ago

There's actually a lot to learn. Which you'd know if you had ever done any IT work supporting Macs.

sleepdreamy• 4 years ago

My literal thought. If you know...you know. lol

kalleboo• 4 years ago

It's all cloud/subscription-based now https://www.apple.com/business/essentials/

Mo33• 4 years ago

If the knowledge and expertise of the Geniuses at the Genius Bar is any indication, it's going to be "how to buy more Apple products to solve any random issue" and "how to replace a perfectly functional device with a new device instead of doing basic maintenance work"

mirntyfirty2• 4 years ago

Along with hooking into as many subscriptions as possible.

tmp_anon_22• 4 years ago

Hey Tinder is only $40/mo now!

boplicity2• 4 years ago

My experience a few years ago was they did a repair, out of warranty. It didn't work, so they replaced the mainboard and two other components for no additional cost. That was an excellent experience.

Unfortunately, I can't use the new Macbooks. Looking at the screen for more than a few minutes gives me a headache. (Even with adjusting many different settings.)

CoastalCoder• 4 years ago

Any idea what the exact issue is with the screens?

sofixa2• 4 years ago

Is it the reflectiveness ? Reflective screens really strain my eyes, compared to matte screens and I haven't really found a "solution" besides just to use an external matte screen with my company-issued MBP. It sucks when I have to use it on itself when on the road ( due to the screen, the touchpad i dislike and which can't have a separate scroll direction, and the keyboard layout which is different than my regular keyboard just enough to be annoying).

Bud2• 4 years ago

I've had about 20 years of experience with getting service at Apple Stores, both for myself and for clients, and I think your criticism is unfounded, vague, and frankly sounds made-up rather than being a serious evaluation.

Apple consistently scores at or near the top of the industry for its support and service.

Anecdotally, they have gone above and beyond what was required or expected, for me, many times, including helping out when products were out of warranty.

Mo33• 4 years ago

they have gone above and beyond what was expected

100%

lostgame2• 4 years ago

> Anecdotally, they have gone above and beyond what was required or expected, for me, many times, including helping out when products were out of warranty.

Absolutely, from replacing an entire water-damaged MacBook (with a minor spec boost on the upgrade, even!) - to simply handing me a new identical iPhone when I went in for a screen repair - etc, etc...I can honestly say that Apple's incredible customer service is a huge part of the reason I still use their products nearly 20 years after I bought my first one.

rejectfinite2• 4 years ago

This is for enterprises and companies to run their mac fleet. Not end-user customer support.

Mo33• 4 years ago

That's what I was implying, yes.

ivan_gammel2• 4 years ago

That's a big thing. When your organization deploys hundreds of end user Apple devices, you definitely want to make it maintainable. Updating inventory system, rolling out centralized OS updates via canary group, pushing new versions of software, setting up security policies, tracking and blocking stolen devices - all this stuff requires some internal expertise in the IT team.

Kozmik1• 4 years ago

"Ok team, today we're going to learn how to close all those pop-up windows that appear when you turn your Mac on. Remember, just hit 'Remind me tomorrow'."

KaiserPro2• 4 years ago

Perhaps this means that apple might start documenting the really fun breaking changes they seem to put into every release.

if so, that would be grand.

tomcam• 4 years ago

Love your sense of humor

assttoasstmgr3• 4 years ago

How about they start by publishing official EOL/support dates for their operating system software? Which is a basic expectation of any bordering-on-competent IT department so they can perform advance planning. But I guess that would upturn the apple cart (no pun intended) of the culture of secrecy.

This is why Apple will continue to be a failure in any IT department larger than a startup. The only reason MacOS is supported in larger businesses is because the whiny graphics department would riot if they took their Macs away. And I don't want to hear "but I do all my software development on a Mac!!!1!" Yeah, in an unmanaged configuration on your rogue developer box, sure, whatever. No one is running thousands of Macs outside Apple and if they are they're not doing it without many third-party system management kludges and an army of people to support it. And the whole thing hangs on by a thread.

Apple's enterprise support is a joke and will continue to be unless there are major changes. Even Linux and FreeBSD (!) are better at this.

philistine• 4 years ago

Yeah, and then the users need far less support time. It’s a trade off that makes sense for some companies.

MichaelBurge• 4 years ago

Facebook has tens of thousands of employees and everyone there is issued a Mac and iPhone. The Amazon employees I know were issued Macs as well.

Looking back to see if you were ever right, I see a 2013 article[1] claiming

    Google explained that it’s managing a fleet of over 43,000 Macs its employees use

    as of now if you start at Google and want to use a platform other than Mac you have to make a business case

You're talking about "larger businesses" but the largest tech businesses(#1, 3, 4, 5, 7 in order of market cap on S&P500)[2] require everyone to use Macs.

[1] https://news.yahoo.com/google-wants-employees-using-macs-not...

[2] https://www.liberatedstocktrader.com/sp-500-companies/

jerlam• 4 years ago

IBM says they're managing around 100K Mac devices with Jamf, and it's even saving them money:

https://www.techradar.com/news/ibm-exec-says-macs-are-way-mo...

reactjavascript• 4 years ago

Or, make it so I can do my own "diff". In other words, teach me how to fish. Make the information discoverable.

slg4• 4 years ago

Strange that Apple introduces classes on MDM mere weeks after they retired their own MDM software. Maybe that software would have gotten more adoption and therefore they wouldn't have felt the need to retire it if they introduced these classes earlier. Now with the lack of any Apple provided solution, I wonder if they push users to a specific third-party to use as part of this training.

jjoonathan• 4 years ago

It looks like they retired the old solution to make way for the new one. Seems reasonable.

odkurzacz2• 4 years ago

There is https://www.apple.com/business/essentials/ and I'm sure it's not retired.

slg4• 4 years ago

From that page:

One complete subscription...

Oh, so Apple just discontinued the one that comes free with the purchase of the hardware[1] and wants people to move to a subscription. I guess my confusion should have rather been frustration.

[1] https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208312

zackmorris• 4 years ago

I feel like perhaps this is the wrong approach. Apple was once known for making ubiquitous hardware and software that didn't need a manual. So I view most IT topics as anti-patterns that Apple should be solving rather than coping with.

If I worked at Apple, I'd vote to invest more resources in fixing longstanding bugs. They make great stuff, but I've noticed a trend lately where nearly every Apple solution has a poison pill somewhere that makes it painful for a small minority of users and edge cases. For example:

* Apple Time Machine does a 2-phase backup where the first phase is a "preparing backup" step that has no progress indicator, making it impossible to predict how long a backup will take. I've seen it take anywhere from a few minutes to days, meaning that if I forget to back up at the end of my workday, I simply have to skip it and swallow the anxiety unless I want to hang around for half an hour to back up 300 MB of changes.

* iOS Safari added a search bar at the top for finding common tabs like "gmail". Which works great unless you have hundreds of tabs open, which requires scrolling pages and pages of tabs, and I've inadvertently thrown tabs away sideways as I was scrolling. A real solution here would be to make the search field available at any scroll height and/or provide a way to manage large numbers of tabs (which in fairness is an open problem, just like email).

* iOS has an issue where Wi-Fi degrades after a few minutes/hours of use with various wireless routers, requiring the user to acquire a new DHCP lease (basically turn Wi-Fi off and back on again). I notice this especially with browsing social apps like TikTok or if the router's networking stack has gotten fragmented with UDP packets with P2P software like BitTorrent or video streaming. Apple needs to detect this and acquire a new DHCP lease automatically, rather than pretending that they don't have a problem.

* External display support is hopelessly broken, especially with DisplayPort/HDMI dongles. I have a 50/50 chance of the left and right displays being swapped, regardless of which ports I plug the cables into. There's no debounce period between the time I connect a display and when Safari starts rearranging windows, so I literally have to remember to force-quit Safari before I pack up my work computer or it will lock up for many minutes when I connect it to displays again. I'd vote to scrap the code completely and start again from first principles, approaching it from a no-code perspective, and think about managing the display IDs as simple sets, falling back to heuristics in pathological cases like two or more displays having the same ID (which should never happen, but display protocols are hopelessly convoluted due to DRM and other concerns).

* The on-off switch on Apple's wireless keyboard is atrociously unergonomic because it can't be used one-handed without sliding the keyboard into something (like a cup of coffee that then spills onto the computer). Also the anodized edge of the keyboard is so sharp that I accidentally cut through my front door screen as I was leaving for work one day.

I could go on forever because like I said, so many of Apple's solutions have these poison pills. This is a tiny sampling of the things that cause me pain on a daily basis that I don't think will ever be addressed. I simply can't get into the myriad of issues with tons of other apps like Xcode, because that would fill volumes. Which is why I feel that Apple going the IT route will lead to further passing of the buck and stagnation, similarly to how Microsoft has struggled.

elpakal• 4 years ago

I like the idea of them making app development tutorials, their other SwiftUI one was well done IMHO and this one looks like they put the same amount of thought into it: https://training.apple.com/appdeveloper

youniverse2• 4 years ago

I just looked at both new courses. All the page reading time estimates are pretty fucking misleading. All the ones I saw said 5 min. but they just have a list of links that are an hour of reading material each. I'm bewildered.

happyopossum2• 4 years ago

The pages you’re talking about are listed as references - not required reading, so 5 minutes to review and familiarize yourself with what reference material is available is completely reasonable.

youniverse2• 4 years ago

I hope you're right but even clicking into random required reading I was still getting lists of links? Maybe I got an unlucky sampling but the few resources I glanced at really should be required reading.

diebeforei485• 4 years ago

A few years ago, one of the selling points from Apple was that you didn't need as big of an IT team to manage Apple products. Has something changed?

fetus8• 4 years ago

Properly maintaining and deploying hundreds of Apple products (Macs, iPads, whatever) still requires knowledge, planning, and organizing and the utilization of a well setup MDM system.

I worked a role like this within an IT department many years ago and while it's not super complicated, it still required knowledge and understanding that this new Professional training is set up to provide.

Beached• 4 years ago

in my experience, this has never been the case. it was sold that way, but lack of management capabilities and integration just meant you didn't manage them, and left it to your end users. in the few places I worked that actually administered osx devices to the same degree as their windows and Linux endpoints, it took 10x as much administration force. we had a team of 3 administering 400 osx devices, and a team of 5 administering over 20000.

apple is severely lacking in the enterprise world

faeriechangling2• 4 years ago

Omitting centralised device management features does not reduce the IT workforce needed to maintain your products. Quite the opposite.

Apple introduces new professional training to support growing IT workforce

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