Jamf is the preferred choice of more than 57,000 organizations for meeting Apple Enterprise Management requirements.
Does your business or educational institution use Jamf for your Apple mobile device management (MDM) needs? You’ve probably discovered that this user-friendly solution offers numerous benefits to your organization. Jamf conveniently automates the entire Apple management life cycle. It also enables you to personalize your devices to each user’s specific needs and preserve the Apple device experience they demand.
As with any technology, Jamf requires time and effort to become familiar with the features. Orchard has assembled the following eight Jamf management tips to guide you through the process.
1. Update the Settings
All Jamf products come with a series of preconfigured settings that you may need to adapt to meet your organization’s needs. Examples include:
- Recurring check-in frequency: This feature enables IT professionals to choose how often the computers check with Jamf for available policies. Each computer within the network can check at a designated time interval.
- Inventory policy: Determine how often each network computer submits inventory to Jamf. You can increase control over the inventory collection process by creating additional policies when needed.
- Mobile device collection frequency: Establish the frequency you wish to collect inventory from all your Apple mobile devices.
2. Implement Mobile Device Management Practices
Apple device management when using Jamf encompasses several areas:
- Enrollment: Choose the enrollment method that is the best fit for your operating environment. Examples include automated device enrollment or zero-touch deployment, manual device enrollment and user enrollment, also known as bring your own device deployment (BYOD).
- Inventory: View and edit the detailed inventory information Jamf stores for each network device. This process encompasses basic information typically available with all devices, such as hardware, app, storage and the operating system version.
- Settings and security management: Create a configuration profile to enable you to define settings and restrictions for each device.
3. Prepare for Hybrid and Remote Work
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused businesses and education institutions to resort to remote or combination of on-site and off-site work for their employees. The Pew Research Center notes that 71% of Americans work from home partially or full-time, as opposed to 20% before the pandemic. As these organizations have had to rely more on mobile devices, they’ve had to adapt their Jamf management practices to maximize performance and prevent disruptions.
The Jamf tips for managing these challenging scenarios utilize the off-site cloud infrastructure where possible and transfer all communications to mobile and video conferencing applications. Updating to the latest Apple mobile device products and technologies can also make a meaningful difference.
4. Configure Email Server Settings
If you’re a Jamf Now user, you’ll have access to a blueprint feature that stores the configuration settings, including those for email. Users can enter a specific email address for their devices during the enrollment period. If email configuration occurs after enrollment, the IT professional will need to assign an address via the Devices tab.
In some cases, a user may have manually configured an email address before Jamf enrollment. The user should delete this account to prevent the issues from having duplicate mailboxes. Also, the IT team should configure any Google apps for business accounts using a server setting of m.google.com.
5. App Purchasing Tips
Your organization likely utilizes some available Apple applications that enhance user functionality. Apple offers a Volume Purchase Program (VPP) that can benefit Jamf users. VPP includes a Managed Distribution feature to retain app ownership, assign them to users and reassign them as users change.
To link a VPP account to Jamf, download the token file from the Account Summary page. Click on Apps and the VPP tab, then upload VPP Token to complete the linking process. The apps and licenses will then sync into the Apps section in Jamf.
6. Choose a Deployment Strategy
Jamf offers a choice of two levels of involvement — open enrollment and automated enrollment via the device enrollment program (DEP), allowing you to select the option that’s the better fit for your operating environment.
Unless yours is a smaller organization with a hands-on Jamf management approach, a DEP distribution will likely yield the best outcome. All devices will automatically enroll out of the box, saving time and preventing manual errors. DEP also keeps end users from unenrolling their devices. You can also bypass the iCloud Activation Lock, an iOS security feature designed to prevent users from resetting or activating a device without having iCloud account knowledge.
7. Implement Self Service for Mobile Devices
Jamf includes a self-service feature that can reduce the burden on busy IT directors. Users can install mobile device configuration profiles, apps and books by implementing a user-friendly interface. You can also manage all areas of the process, including item availability, installation and authentication.
Two self-service options are available for MDM purposes:
- iOS: Use this feature to group apps, books and profiles into categories, making them easier to organize and locate. You can also send notifications to users while implementing the multiple display options. The most up-to-date offering of the self-service app is available through the App Store and is compatible with iOS 11, iPadOS 13 and more recent versions.
- Web clip: You can also utilize the web clip to deliver the most recent profiles to mobile devices throughout your organization. Individual users can then install the updates at their convenience.
8. Focus on Content Distribution Management
Jamf provides two methods for distributing content to the device users in your organization:
- Self-service: Utilize the Jamf self-service feature to distribute content and enable users to install it themselves. With this method, you can decide which content you want the members of your organization to receive.
- Install automatically or prompt users: This option enables you to install content on mobile devices automatically or prompt users to complete the process. The outcome will depend on whether you download free apps or purchase them via Apple VPP.
Outsource Apple Device Management to Orchard
If you don’t have the time or resources to implement these Jamf tips internally, Orchard can help. Our customizable MDM solutions can save time for busy IT directors and enable you to focus on other areas. We know how to manage Apple devices better than anyone — it’s our specialty!
Our management services are available to organizations of any size, regardless of how many Apple devices and users you have. Our solutions are also scalable to meet your growth requirements. Learn more about the benefits of outsourcing Jamf management for your Apple devices.
Contact Orchard today to learn more about our services. We can also provide a no-obligation demo and quote.
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