Apple launches new ‘free’ features to help businesses grow and combat scammers

Apple is launching features to combat scams as the federal government ‘wastes’ $150,000 by hiring a big four consultant to guide its decision on a SMS sender ID register.

Apple has expanded its Business Connect offering, allowing companies to access a range of customised services for free.

Apple is launching a suite of features to combat scams as the federal government is accused of “wasting taxpayer dollars” by spending $150,000 on a big four consultant to guide its decision on an SMS sender ID register.

The US tech titan is expanding its Business Connect service – a free offering that allows companies to display verified logos on emails, phone calls and Tap to Pay on iPhone.

These features are designed to help consumers tell whether a business is legitimate and not a scammer, effectively working in the same way as the government’s proposed SMS sender ID register.

Apple Business Connect allow companies to display verified logos on emails to help customers tell whether it is legitimate or a scam.

“We designed Business Connect to empower businesses to present the best, most accurate information to Apple users,” Apple senior director of internet software and services product, David Dorn, said.

“With today’s updates, we’re helping even more businesses reach customers, build trust and grow.

“We’re excited to offer all businesses – including those without a physical location – the ability to create a brand that appears across the Apple apps that over a billion people use every day.”

Apple’s move comes as the ­Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts is paying Deloitte $150,000 to complete a cost-benefit analysis to help assess whether the SMS sender ID register should be mandatory or voluntary.

This is despite Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones telling the National Press Club the initiative, introduced to parliament earlier this year, would be compulsory, sparking accusations that the government was wasting money.

“So to send out mass SMSs using a brand name, you will have to have your number on the register and the number and (if) the number doesn’t match the name, your call will be blocked. It’s a process operating in Singapore. In the UK it’s a voluntary system. Ours will be mandatory,” Mr Jones told the National Press Club in July.

Mr Jones said the government had spent more than $67m so far this year in “the war on scams”. He said this was against 601,000 Australians who reported losing $2.74bn to scams last year.

Apple Business Connect allows companies to customise their location place cards for free.

Apple Business Connect’s main aim is to help businesses provide a consistent brand and ­location presence across popular apps, including Apple Maps, Wallet and Mail.

Apple launched the product last year, allowing businesses to initially “claim and manage their location card”, including updating photos and logos and inviting customers to take actions such as ­ordering food and making a reservation – as well as offering promotions – directly from the place card.

Apple has now expanded the offering to businesses that do not have a physical location, such as those operating fully online, as it seeks to make it more relevant to smaller businesses.

With the branded mail feature, businesses can display their brand name and logo in emails to customers, so their emails stand out in the iOS Mail app and are more easily recognisable.

Businesses can also choose to display their logo, rather than a category icon, when accepting payments through Tap to Pay on iPhone, so customers know they’re making a payment to a trusted and verified business.

The business caller ID feature will be available next year and allow businesses to display their name, logo and department on the inbound call screen on an iPhone when they contact customers, which Apple says will help distinguish verified businesses from spam callers and “other unwanted outreach”.

Businesses can register via an Apple account. Once signed up, they can begin to customise their brand for free, Apple says.

Originally published as Apple launches new ‘free’ features to help businesses grow and combat scammers