Apple looking to deploy 1Password company-wide, company buy-out denied [u]

Posted:
in General Discussion edited July 2018
Apple is reportedly planning to deploy AgileBits' 1Password software across its entire workforce, claimed a report on Tuesday, but the same report alleging that the developer was going to be acquired by Apple was outright refuted.

Versions of 1Password are available for iOS and macOS.
Versions of 1Password are available for iOS and macOS.


The deployment, covering some 123,000 people, has involved "months of planning," BGR said citing an anonymous source. This includes not just corporate-level staff but retail workers, and even family members, since Apple is allegedly offering each worker a family plan with support for up to 5 other people.

Only 100 employees are expected to start using 1Password this week, but usage should reach full levels within the next month or two.

Apple is said to have made stringent demands in exchange for the contract, including a maximum four-hour response time for customer support, and translations of every support page into every major international language. To meet Apple's phone needs, AgileBits is claimed to have turned to a third-party call management service. The deal is also specifically for the standalone version of 1Password that syncs through iCloud, rather than one that uses other cloud providers like Amazon, which Apple is said to have rejected.

At AgileBits, every employee is said to have been paid a bonus, up to six figures in the case of top-level executives.

The BGR source indicated that AgileBits' annual revenue is normally around $5 million to $10 million, but that Apple would likely pay two to three times that amount if it goes forward with an acquisition. AgileBits CEO Jeff Shiner was supposedly overheard talking about an "Apple acquisition" at conference room in the company's Toronto offices.

At first glance, the acquisition makes very little sense. Apple's Keychain has much of the functionality of 1Password, minus the cross-platform nature of the latter.

Not clear is what would happen to the cross-plafform nature of the company after any acquisition. Additionally, how 1Password for Enterprise would be impacted is not at all clear at this time.

None of it may come to pass, however. A source inside Apple corporate not authorized to speak for the company was skeptical of the entire report.

"We haven't heard anything about this," the source told us. "Why? The Keychain does 95 percent of this already."

AppleInsider is continuing to pursue details surrounding the report.

Update: While neither confirming nor denying a contract to supply 1Password with Apple, AgileBits insists that no acquisition is in the cards.

Rumours of my acquisition are completely false. My humans and I are happily independent and plan to remain so.

-- 1Password (@1Password)
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 30
    boxcatcherboxcatcher Posts: 267member
    This story is bizarre.

    Why would Apple deploy a third-party password vault app? To support employees who want to use Chrome...? 

    Even acquiring the company would only serve to support use-cases outside the Apple ecosystem (e.g., enable an Apple user to pull down an iCloud Keychain password on their Windows machine at work), which is 180-degrees out of phase with Apple's historical practices.
    edited July 2018 bloggerblogdoozydozenksecrazorpitStrangeDays1983
  • Reply 2 of 30
    This story is bizarre.

    Why would Apple deploy a third-party password vault app? To support employees who want to use Chrome...? 

    Even acquiring the company would only serve to support use-cases outside the Apple ecosystem (e.g., enable an Apple user to pull down an iCloud Keychain password on their Windows machine at work), which is 180-degrees out of phase with Apple's historical practices.
    Take a look at 1Password for Business. It is much more than a simple password manager. It allows companies to create different vaults and manage password (and other data) and control what the users have access to. For example, an accounting department might need a set of passwords for various excel spreadsheets. If multiple people need access to these files, how do you control the password? Send an email to everyone? What happens when one person leaves the department and the passwords need to be changed? How do you notify all the current users of the new password? What about when a new person starts? Just email them the password. 

    With 1Password for Business, a company could create a new Vault called Accounting. You assign permissions to individual users (or even a user Group). Any one with access to that vault can access the passwords at any time. If someone new is added, just added them to the permitted list. Someone leaves, remove them from the access list (and, if needed, update the passwords on the files and in the vault.)

    I pay for and use 1Password for Families. My wife, dad, son, and I all have our own accounts. I have several vaults, each with their own permissions. I have a personal vault (for all my personal data), I have a "Financial" vault with passwords for our Financial websites, (only myself and wife have access to it), and I have a "Video" vault with has our Netflix, HBOGo, etc. accounts (everyone has access to it.) There is no way to do this in Keychain. 
    boxcatcherfotoformatdoozydozenMuntzksecmike1ronnliketheskynetmageanome
  • Reply 3 of 30
    boxcatcherboxcatcher Posts: 267member
    Tribruin said:
    This story is bizarre.

    Why would Apple deploy a third-party password vault app? To support employees who want to use Chrome...? 

    Even acquiring the company would only serve to support use-cases outside the Apple ecosystem (e.g., enable an Apple user to pull down an iCloud Keychain password on their Windows machine at work), which is 180-degrees out of phase with Apple's historical practices.
    Take a look at 1Password for Business. It is much more than a simple password manager.
    Got it, thank you -- poor assumption on my part that it was just the simple password manager component.
    Rayz2016doozydozenksecrazorpitlostkiwimuthuk_vanalingam1983
  • Reply 4 of 30
    looplessloopless Posts: 325member
    I agree that 1Password is much more than a simple password manager - I have been using it for a long time.
    However, the iOS keychain is now much more convenient than 1Password as a single user password manager.
    I have several apps/web sites that prompt me regularly for a password. With keychain, I can unlock the keychain quickly with touch id, then keychain enters them directly from the "keyboard" - the suggestions seem always correct and match up with the app/website.
    With 1Password I would be switching back and forth to the 1Password app to get the username and password.



    Muntzireland[Deleted User]watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 30
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    loopless said:
    I agree that 1Password is much more than a simple password manager - I have been using it for a long time.
    However, the iOS keychain is now much more convenient than 1Password as a single user password manager.
    I have several apps/web sites that prompt me regularly for a password. With keychain, I can unlock the keychain quickly with touch id, then keychain enters them directly from the "keyboard" - the suggestions seem always correct and match up with the app/website.
    With 1Password I would be switching back and forth to the 1Password app to get the username and password.



    Should become much easier when the next round of upgrades are ready. Apple is adding an API that third party password managers can hook into. 
    doozydozenboxcatcherjeffharrisnetmageirelandlostkiwiwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 6 of 30
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,462member
    Tribruin said:
    This story is bizarre.

    Why would Apple deploy a third-party password vault app? To support employees who want to use Chrome...? 

    Even acquiring the company would only serve to support use-cases outside the Apple ecosystem (e.g., enable an Apple user to pull down an iCloud Keychain password on their Windows machine at work), which is 180-degrees out of phase with Apple's historical practices.
    Take a look at 1Password for Business. It is much more than a simple password manager. It allows companies to create different vaults and manage password (and other data) and control what the users have access to.
    Users and Groups is not a new, Apple has the ability to custom build such a system and not be dependent on a third party, especially when it comes to managing sensitive information such as passwords. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 30
    loopless said:
    I agree that 1Password is much more than a simple password manager - I have been using it for a long time.
    However, the iOS keychain is now much more convenient than 1Password as a single user password manager.
    I have several apps/web sites that prompt me regularly for a password. With keychain, I can unlock the keychain quickly with touch id, then keychain enters them directly from the "keyboard" - the suggestions seem always correct and match up with the app/website.
    With 1Password I would be switching back and forth to the 1Password app to get the username and password.
    Your experience seems to be tied exclusively to iOS. 1Password is cross-platform, keeping your passwords for use on any device, whether Mac, PC, Android, etc. On Macs, 1Password would be more aggressive in filling in user names and passwords than either the browser autofill or the keychain. Some websites mask the fields so the latter options won't see them so they can't be stored or autofilled.

    I was a 1Password user a long time ago. Dropped it when they started storing the passwords in the cloud. It may not be as convenient as it's not shared among all devices, but I preferred having my passwords physically on my hard drive. Call me paranoid.
    edited July 2018 bonobobmuthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 8 of 30
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
     It may not be as convenient as it's not shared among all devices, but I preferred having my passwords physically on my hard drive. Call me paranoid.
    Or call you sensible. 
    razorpitirelandmuthuk_vanalingam[Deleted User]watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 30
    eugeeuge Posts: 19member
    loopless said:
    I agree that 1Password is much more than a simple password manager - I have been using it for a long time.
    However, the iOS keychain is now much more convenient than 1Password as a single user password manager.
    I have several apps/web sites that prompt me regularly for a password. With keychain, I can unlock the keychain quickly with touch id, then keychain enters them directly from the "keyboard" - the suggestions seem always correct and match up with the app/website.
    With 1Password I would be switching back and forth to the 1Password app to get the username and password.




    This is the reason I use both Keychain and 1Password. I consider 1Password as my system of record, though, and Keychain as a copy only for convenience. Though with the new password API coming in iOS 12, I'm hoping I can clear out my Keychain and just use 1Password.

    And if you're wondering why I don't just use Keychain only, it's because I use 1Password for more than just passwords, and like I said I consider 1Password as my system of record. Data management is leagues better in 1Password for me. When I create or change a password on my Mac, I let Keychain save the password when it asks. That's about the extent of the effort I put in for Keychain.

    ronnnetmage
  • Reply 10 of 30
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    If Apple is looking to buy something buy Bitmoji and integrate it with Animoji.
  • Reply 11 of 30
    euge said:

    This is the reason I use both Keychain and 1Password. I consider 1Password as my system of record, though, and Keychain as a copy only for convenience. Though with the new password API coming in iOS 12, I'm hoping I can clear out my Keychain and just use 1Password.

    And if you're wondering why I don't just use Keychain only, it's because I use 1Password for more than just passwords, and like I said I consider 1Password as my system of record. Data management is leagues better in 1Password for me. When I create or change a password on my Mac, I let Keychain save the password when it asks. That's about the extent of the effort I put in for Keychain.

    I used to use Keychain and 1Password the same way, but I have since turned Keychain off. On my Mac (which accounts for 90% of my password entries) it is so easy to type cmd-\ to autofill the password from 1P (If you have multiple entered for the same website, you can pick which one to use.) On my iPad, it is a little harder, but I have 1P docked and just drag it up to right and have it float over Safari as I drag the username and password to Safari. The hardest is my iPhone (since it doesn't support split windows). There I have to switch back and forth between the 1P app and Safari. The good thing is (a) 1P has a feature that will automatically fill the password as soon as you switch back to the App after copying the user name and (2) most of my iPhone use is App based anyway and I am typically able turn on FaceID and not need to worry about password. 
    edited July 2018 muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 12 of 30
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    loopless said:
    I agree that 1Password is much more than a simple password manager - I have been using it for a long time.
    However, the iOS keychain is now much more convenient than 1Password as a single user password manager.
    I have several apps/web sites that prompt me regularly for a password. With keychain, I can unlock the keychain quickly with touch id, then keychain enters them directly from the "keyboard" - the suggestions seem always correct and match up with the app/website.
    With 1Password I would be switching back and forth to the 1Password app to get the username and password.



    I started using 1Password years ago when Apple ditched Mobile me and keychain syncing. Now I have an uncomfortable mix of 1password and the Apple Keychain. The keychain is definitely more convenient in how well it integrates with iOS, MacOS, Safari, etc, but 1Password is a much better designed and more useful program. I would love for it to be able to access the keychain, or for Apple to incorporate it into MacOS
  • Reply 13 of 30
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    MplsP said:
    loopless said:
    I agree that 1Password is much more than a simple password manager - I have been using it for a long time.
    However, the iOS keychain is now much more convenient than 1Password as a single user password manager.
    I have several apps/web sites that prompt me regularly for a password. With keychain, I can unlock the keychain quickly with touch id, then keychain enters them directly from the "keyboard" - the suggestions seem always correct and match up with the app/website.
    With 1Password I would be switching back and forth to the 1Password app to get the username and password.



    I started using 1Password years ago when Apple ditched Mobile me and keychain syncing. Now I have an uncomfortable mix of 1password and the Apple Keychain. The keychain is definitely more convenient in how well it integrates with iOS, MacOS, Safari, etc, but 1Password is a much better designed and more useful program. I would love for it to be able to access the keychain, or for Apple to incorporate it into MacOS
    1P with Safari is seamless enough. On macOS they have extensions for you’re browser of choice, and for iOS you can easy set 1P to be the first item in the list when you tap the box with the up-arrow in it from the bottom-center of the mobile Safari app.
    netmagemuthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 14 of 30
    jcallowsjcallows Posts: 150member
    1Password needs to get rid of the money-grabbing subscription-based model.
    lostkiwiStrangeDaysdewme
  • Reply 15 of 30
    zimmiezimmie Posts: 651member
    loopless said:
    I agree that 1Password is much more than a simple password manager - I have been using it for a long time.
    However, the iOS keychain is now much more convenient than 1Password as a single user password manager.
    I have several apps/web sites that prompt me regularly for a password. With keychain, I can unlock the keychain quickly with touch id, then keychain enters them directly from the "keyboard" - the suggestions seem always correct and match up with the app/website.
    With 1Password I would be switching back and forth to the 1Password app to get the username and password.
    Your experience seems to be tied exclusively to iOS. 1Password is cross-platform, keeping your passwords for use on any device, whether Mac, PC, Android, etc. On Macs, 1Password would be more aggressive in filling in user names and passwords than either the browser autofill or the keychain. Some websites mask the fields so the latter options won't see them so they can't be stored or autofilled.

    I was a 1Password user a long time ago. Dropped it when they started storing the passwords in the cloud. It may not be as convenient as it's not shared among all devices, but I preferred having my passwords physically on my hard drive. Call me paranoid.
    Eh. Not like you're required to use their sync service (or any at all, for that matter). You can copy your 1Password database between devices by hand and it works just fine.

    That said, they are remarkably open about their security processes, and it is clear from their writing they understand what they are doing. I would be extremely surprised if they lied about how their sync service works, and if it works how they say, it's as secure as local storage (read: as secure as your master password).
    netmageanome
  • Reply 16 of 30
    focherfocher Posts: 687member
    I was a 1Password user a long time ago. Dropped it when they started storing the passwords in the cloud. It may not be as convenient as it's not shared among all devices, but I preferred having my passwords physically on my hard drive. Call me paranoid.

    Bad news for you. Pretty much ALL your passwords are stored in the cloud ... by the services themselves. Just saying.
    edited July 2018 netmageStrangeDays
  • Reply 17 of 30
    DangDaveDangDave Posts: 98member
    I wonder how many Apple employees already use 1Password?
  • Reply 18 of 30
    anomeanome Posts: 1,533member
    loopless said:
    I agree that 1Password is much more than a simple password manager - I have been using it for a long time.
    However, the iOS keychain is now much more convenient than 1Password as a single user password manager.
    I have several apps/web sites that prompt me regularly for a password. With keychain, I can unlock the keychain quickly with touch id, then keychain enters them directly from the "keyboard" - the suggestions seem always correct and match up with the app/website.
    With 1Password I would be switching back and forth to the 1Password app to get the username and password.
    Your experience seems to be tied exclusively to iOS. 1Password is cross-platform, keeping your passwords for use on any device, whether Mac, PC, Android, etc. On Macs, 1Password would be more aggressive in filling in user names and passwords than either the browser autofill or the keychain. Some websites mask the fields so the latter options won't see them so they can't be stored or autofilled.

    I was a 1Password user a long time ago. Dropped it when they started storing the passwords in the cloud. It may not be as convenient as it's not shared among all devices, but I preferred having my passwords physically on my hard drive. Call me paranoid.

    It's not even the best use of 1Password for iOS, since it can be added to the Share menus (that rectangle with the arrow) and will offer to fill in any relevant credentials. No switching out of Safari (or Chrome or whatever) or cutting and pasting needed.

    I still use 1Password, syncing with my Dropbox account, not through their cloud service, although I understand, as with their Dropbox sync-ing, they don't keep the encryption key for the vault, only you have that. Or you can sync it via your own local hard disk, the option is still there. They'll sell you a straight licence, no subscription, if you want to use it that way.

    From what I've seen online, the rumours of a buyout aren't founded on anything. Apple are just rolling it out, presumably for the Enterprise level management features. Of course, Apple could roll such features into the Keychain, but I don't know if they want to do that in the current climate. They don't need more grief from law enforcement over security.

  • Reply 19 of 30
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    Soli said:
    MplsP said:
    loopless said:
    I agree that 1Password is much more than a simple password manager - I have been using it for a long time.
    However, the iOS keychain is now much more convenient than 1Password as a single user password manager.
    I have several apps/web sites that prompt me regularly for a password. With keychain, I can unlock the keychain quickly with touch id, then keychain enters them directly from the "keyboard" - the suggestions seem always correct and match up with the app/website.
    With 1Password I would be switching back and forth to the 1Password app to get the username and password.



    I started using 1Password years ago when Apple ditched Mobile me and keychain syncing. Now I have an uncomfortable mix of 1password and the Apple Keychain. The keychain is definitely more convenient in how well it integrates with iOS, MacOS, Safari, etc, but 1Password is a much better designed and more useful program. I would love for it to be able to access the keychain, or for Apple to incorporate it into MacOS
    1P with Safari is seamless enough. On macOS they have extensions for you’re browser of choice, and for iOS you can easy set 1P to be the first item in the list when you tap the box with the up-arrow in it from the bottom-center of the mobile Safari app.
    I have the browser extension installed for MacOS, but that still requires me to enter a password for 1password whereas the keychain data is automatically there. Ditto with credit card info. 

    Thanks for the tip on iOS. You're right, it was not difficult to do once I figured it out, but it was not at all clear that it was even a possibility (honestly, I virtually never use that menu - I'm sure many people are in the same boat.)
    lostkiwi
  • Reply 20 of 30
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    If Apple is looking to buy something buy Bitmoji and integrate it with Animoji.
    Yes, because you’re at the top of Apple’s “go to” list for corporate strategy advice. 

    🙄


    fastasleep
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