Blog Archive

Mac Admin Panel: Apple and the Future of Device Management

Iru Team

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5 min read

Mac Admin Panel: Apple and the Future of Device Management

Apple device management has changed dramatically over the past decade, and it’s poised to change even more dramatically in the not-too-distant future. Recently, Kandji hosted a panel discussion to discuss the ways device management can and should evolve—both where it’s been and where it’s heading.

What Apple Admins Need to Know About iCloud Private Relay

iCloud Private Relay is Apple's latest initiative to protect consumer privacy. The service—which debuts as a public beta in macOS Monterey and iOS and iPadOS 15 and will be included with iCloud+ subscriptions—is designed to make it harder for third-parties to track users on local and remote networks. When a user browses the internet—whether at home, in the office, or a coffee shop—specific details, such as their DNS records and IP address, are visible to network providers and the websites they visit. Those providers and websites can collect those details to determine the user’s location and browsing habits. That information can then be used to develop a personal profile of the user’s interests, which can, in turn, help target the user with ads and other marketing vehicles. In a worst-case scenario, if the user’s email is correlated with their device, that information can be used to initiate phishing attacks. These kinds of privacy invasions are what iCloud Private Relay is designed to prevent.

Getting Ready for Apple's OS Updates: How Mac Admins Are Testing

Back in June, Apple announced new versions of its operating systems: macOS Monterey and iOS/iPadOS 15. Sometime this fall, those new OSes will be officially released. In the meantime, Apple has made prerelease versions of the new operating systems available to you for testing. As we've said before, we think it’s a really good idea to test those OSes before they’re released, so you can (a) get an idea of how well they’ll work with your existing tech infrastructure and (b) give Apple and other vendors feedback on the new software and its compatibility with the apps and services your organization relies on. But that’s just our opinion. We were curious to find out what real-world Apple admins think about the whole testing question. So we asked a select group of our blog readers what their testing regimes were like. Their answers are anecdotal, of course. But we think they shine some light on what’s really happening out there as we all wait for macOS Monterey and iOS/iPadOS 15 to officially ship.

Getting Ready for Apple's Next OS Updates: How to Create a Test Plan

Last week, we talked about why it’s important to test prerelease operating systems. The reasoning is straightforward: You need to test new operating systems before deploying them widely—ideally before they’re officially released—to see how they get along with your existing technical infrastructure. We also talked recently about where and how to download beta OSes. But once you’ve downloaded the software, what’s next? What’s the best way to test a prerelease OS? Of course, the specific answers depend entirely on your particular circumstances—the kinds and quantity of Apple hardware you manage, the apps and services your organization uses, how much time you have, and so on. But here are some general guidelines for thinking about testing macOS Monterey and iOS/iPadOS 15 now.

Getting Ready for Apple's Next OS Updates: Why You Should Be Testing Now

Last week, we wrote about three ways to access Apple beta software (including one that’s designed specifically for Apple admins, AppleSeed for IT). But some might wonder: Why bother downloading beta software in the first place? Why not wait until the operating system is publicly released? Waiting certainly makes sense for your home Mac or iPhone. Apple makes it incredibly easy to upgrade, and the majority of Apple users are ready to pull the trigger on day one. You upgrade, and most of the time, everything works great — you are up and running within the hour. But in a business context, it’s vital to test operating systems before they’re released. Here’s why.

Getting Ready for Apple's Next OS Updates: AppleSeed for IT

Testing prerelease versions of upcoming operating systems to see how they get along with your existing technology infrastructure is a critical project for IT administrators. While there are several ways to get early access to new versions of macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, AppleSeed for IT is the only one specifically designed for Apple admins. In this guide, we’ll explore that program’s features; why it’s the best way for Apple admins to get access to prerelease versions of macOS Monterey, iOS 15, and iPadOS 15; how you can access it; and how you can use it to test those betas.

How Mac Admins Are Preparing for the Hybrid Workplace

Along with the rest of the world, corporate workplaces were turned upside down over the past year and a half. In a shockingly short period of time, enterprise employees switched from going to the office every day to working from home. Organizations large and small scrambled to figure out how to keep their businesses going with their newly remote workforces. Much of the burden of that transition fell on IT departments, which had to figure out how to keep their coworkers connected and productive. To a remarkable degree, they succeeded. But now, as many companies begin asking their employees to return to the office at least part of the time, admins face a new challenge: a hybrid workplace, in which some workers are on-site and others remote and they may switch from one to the other depending on the day. How will you manage IT needs in this new environment?

Why Apple's WWDC Announcements Are Good News for IT Admins

Every year, veteran tech journalist Jason Snell asks a panel of Apple experts to assess the company’s product performance over the preceding 12 months. He then publishes a “report card” based on those responses on his Six Colors blog. (Here’s the 2020 edition.) We’ve always been big fans of Jason’s work and thought it’d be interesting if he could do something similar that focused exclusively on Apple’s moves in the enterprise market. He was game, so Kandji commissioned the report and then stood back to let him do his work. He posted the results—“Apple in the Enterprise: A 2021 report card”—in early June. It was a great snapshot of the issues that matter most to Mac admins: Service and support for enterprise customers; hardware and software innovation and reliability; security and privacy; identity management; the MDM protocol; and more. image: sixcolors.com Jason’s report came out just before Apple convened its 2021 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Now that we’ve had a few weeks to digest the news that emerged from that conference, we wanted to take a look at Apple’s enterprise announcements from WWDC, to see how they align with the issues raised in the Six Colors survey.

Preview: Apple Admins to Get More Control of Software Updates

At this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2021), Apple announced a slew of exciting new tools for IT admins. Several of them are specifically aimed at giving those admins more control over software updates in the upcoming macOS Monterey and iOS and iPadOS 15. Here's what they are and how they'll help: Separating Updates for iOS, iPadOS Managing macOS Releases Deferring Software Updates Deploying Software Updates Enforcing Software Updates

Apple Bringing Erase All Content and Settings to Mac

Last week we told you about two of Apple’s most significant announcements for Mac admins at WWDC 2021: Declarative MDM and Apple Configurator on iPhone. But Apple made plenty of other news at its annual developers conference. One of the best bits: Erase All Content and Settings is coming to Mac.

Coming Soon: Add Mac to Apple Business Manager with Apple Configurator

Currently, the only way to assign Mac computers to your organization in Apple Business Manager is to buy them from Apple or an authorized reseller. If you bought one somewhere else, it can't be added to ABM and, so, can't take advantage of helpful features such as Automated Device Enrollment. But Apple says it will change that this fall, making it possible to add Mac computers to ABM no matter where you bought them. The key: a new Apple Configurator app for iPhone. Here’s how it will work.

Apple's New Declarative MDM: What It Is, How It Will Help Mac Admins

At its 2021 Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple announced a significant advance in the MDM protocol. Dubbed “declarative MDM,” the technology promises to make device management more powerful than ever before. But what is it, and how will it help Apple-focused IT admins in their day-to-day jobs? We’ll have to wait for Apple to release complete details about this protocol update in the months to come to completely answer those questions. But we can try to provide some preliminary answers based on what Apple announced at WWDC. We’ll look at: Why Declarative MDM? What Is Declarative MDM? How Does Declarative MDM Work? How Can I Take Advantage of Declarative MDM?

macOS Monterey and iOS 15: How to Manage Public Betas

It’s that’s time of year again: At its 2021 Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple announced the next version of macOS—named Monterey—as well as iOS and iPadOS 15. The final versions of these new operating systems won’t actually ship until sometime this fall. In the meantime, Apple will make prerelease (a.k.a. beta) versions of the new macOS, iOS, and iPadOS available for download—now for registered developers, in July for the general public. Those prerelease versions give you a chance to start testing so you can be sure that, when official releases come out, your upgrade will go as smoothly as possible. But how do you manage that testing program and the prerelease software? Here’s some advice on that. We’ll cover: Apple Programs for Prerelease Software How to Install Prerelease Software How to Prevent Devices from Installing Prerelease Software

How to Work Smarter with Apple Business Manager

Apple Business Manager is absolutely essential for managing Apple devices in the enterprise. With it, you can enroll your company’s devices in your MDM solution, distribute apps, and create Managed Apple ID accounts that your organization retains ownership of. It’s the central component of zero-touch deployments, letting you drop-ship new Mac computers and iPhone and iPad devices to users and have those devices configure themselves the first time they boot. For the most part, ABM is pretty straightforward to use. But we've got some tips and tricks that will help make it—and you—more effective. (Note that these ideas apply to Apple School Manager as well.) Use Safari on a Mac Trust the browser Use a Staff role account to set up APNs Make sure you have a second Administrator account Set up locations first

What Mac Admins Need to Know about Rosetta 2

The release of macOS Big Sur and Apple silicon in 2020 brought a lot of changes to the Mac environment. Apple introduced Rosetta 2 to help make those changes easier for developers and for Mac admins, by enabling code designed for older Intel-based hardware to run on the new Apple systems. As the transition to Apple silicon continues, with the ongoing release of new Mac computers using the M1 chip, Rosetta 2—which is free—still has a role to play. Here are some quick answers to the questions admins have about this technology: What is Rosetta? How do you install Rosetta? Which apps require Rosetta?