Introduction

We have moved past the times when Windows OS dominated corporate environments. Apple is witnessing ever-increasing popularity, not only in the business world but also in the educational sector. iPads, iPhones and Macbooks are finding a place in corporate enterprises, schools and universities. This is also a major reason why company IT admins are increasingly turning towards Apple MDM solutions to help them manage their diverse Apple endpoints effortlessly. Though Apple products are known for their high build quality and robust security, managing hundreds of devices is not an easy task. Given the ever-evolving security threat landscape and the dynamically changing corporate trends, efficient Apple device management is a must.

Why Is Apple Device Management Important?

iOS devices have a built-in framework to support mobile device management which simplifies the process of provisioning and managing a large number of devices. Apple MDM solutions allow IT admins to push corporate policies, business apps and resources and monitor their devices remotely. 

Apple device management is not an option, but a necessity because:

• The growing number of external and internal security threats may result in corporate data breaches.
• Provisioning a large number of Apple devices manually with the company policies and resources takes time.
• Apple device management allows IT admins to manage both, company-owned as well as BYO apple devices without hampering the users’ privacy.

5 Things About Apple Device Management You Should Know

Let’s understand how to set up apple mdm

1. Out of the Box Enrollment & Provisioning

Apple offers a web-based platform called the Apple Business Manager (ABM) which works with your enterprise’s MDM solution. It combines the capabilities of the Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP) and the Apple Device Enrollment Program (DEP) to empower IT admins with a single unified platform. 

The ABM portal helps you enroll devices in bulk with your MDM, purchase and distribute apps and books over the air and assign roles and permissions for your iPads, iPhones, Macbooks and Apple TVs. You can purchase a line of business-friendly apps and take full charge of them, as well as assign or reassign them to your employees over the air. It allows you to deliver an out-of-the-box experience to your end-users. Apple School Manager (ASM) is analogous to the ABM and is meant to perform and simplify the same functions for school administrators.

2. Apple Push Notification Service (APNS)

Apple Push Notification Service is an Apple cloud service that allows third-party apps to communicate with Apple devices. It allows third-party app developers to push notifications on their apps installed on Apple devices. Mobile device management solutions used by organizations to manage their iPads, Macs and iPhones use the APNS to deliver diverse device profiles over the air. IT admins can leverage this service to form a secure connection with Apple devices to push commands and policies related to software installations, updates, etc. APNS also enables you to remotely lock your Apple devices and wipe the data on them if they are ever lost or stolen.

3. Built-in Security

One of the prime reasons why businesses these days prefer Apple devices for their employees is because of their powerful security features. iPads, Macs and iPhones offer an extensive set of built-in features that are oriented toward data and device security. Hardware security features such as the lost mode, face and touch ID, secure enclave, as well as data and network protection features such as data encryption tool, built-in anti-virus, password manager and much more. You can configure additional security features for your iOS devices with your Apple MDM to further reinforce your corporate data, devices and networks.

4. BYOD Management

Allowing employees to use their personal devices for work has benefits for both businesses and the employees. But BYOD management for devices can certainly be a nightmare for IT admins. Apple helps IT admins find the perfect balance between ensuring that the corporate data on the devices remains isolated and safe, without hampering the user’s privacy or device functionality. Apple MDM solutions allow IT admins to create business containers and apply stringent security policies exclusively to that container. With this, IT admins can ensure maximum security of their corporate data and users can continue using the devices they are familiar with.

5. Apple MDM solution

Apple does not offer a built-in MDM tool, but pairing your Apple devices with a powerful Apple MDM solution like Scalefusion can unlock new levels of device management and data security for IT admins. You can leverage the Apple Business Manager to quickly enroll and deploy your iPads, Macs, iPhones and Apple TVs and furnish them with the right apps and tools over the air. You can also leverage powerful security features such as locking down your Apple devices in Kiosk Mode, allowing or blocking access to selective websites, distributing public or enterprise apps, creating app configs and ensuring timely OS and app updates and much more.

Closing Lines

In the ever-evolving threat landscape, is it best not to leave your corporate security to chance.  Apple adds new features and patches to their OS frequently to ensure a secure user experience. Your Apple device management can be a breeze simply by investing in powerful and scalable MDM software that can keep up with the latest updates.