The release of Apple’s iOS 7 left many companies unprepared. A sudden spike in downloads within many organisations caused bandwidth capacity issues, preventing employees from completing work on time.
At the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), on June 2nd Apple announced the impending release of iOS 8.
Apple’s iOS 8, expected to be released in September of this year, contains over 4,000 new API’s, and was designed to improve integration between mobile and desktop. Visually iOS 8 will look similar to iOS 7. There is a new programming language for developers, in addition to the long awaited Apple’s Health App.
Strategies to reduce the risk of problems caused by iOS 8 include:
1. Set up policies to restrict software upgrades: If the release of iOS 7 placed a large strain on your network last year, it may be necessary to block iOS 8 downloads. Prior to release week, set the Apple Software Updates application signature to discard iOS 8 traffic.
2. Prioritise network traffic: Set a minimum and maximum bandwidth allowable for iOS 8 network traffic, and ensure important tasks have a high level of priority.
3. Cache iOS 8 downloads at the network edge: After the software has been downloaded by one user, each additional download will be accessed locally, reducing bandwidth requirements.
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