Use standards-based services for Apple devices

Apple devices can integrate with most standards-based environments, given their support for the IMAP mail protocol, LDAP directory services, CalDAV calendaring, and CardDAV contacts protocols. If your network environment is configured to require user authentication and SSL, your Apple devices support X.509 root certificates that are issued by the major certificate authorities.

In a typical deployment, Apple devices establish direct access to IMAP and SMTP mail servers to do the following:

• Send and receive mail wirelessly (for Mac computers, wirelessly or using Ethernet)

• Set VIP status in message threads

• Wirelessly update notes with IMAP-based servers

Apple devices can connect to your organization’s LDAPv3 corporate directories, giving users access to corporate contacts in the Contacts, Calendar, and Mail apps. CardDAV support lets your users maintain a set of contacts synced with your CardDAV server using the vCard format. CalDAV synchronization lets users do the following:

• Create and accept calendar invitations

• View an invitee’s calendar free/busy information

• Create private calendar events

• Configure custom repeating events

• In Calendar, view the week numbers (which week out of 52 weeks in a year)

• Receive calendar updates

• Update tasks with the Reminders app

All network services and servers can be within a DMZ subnetwork, behind a corporate firewall, or both.