The Iru Blog

Ali Khan

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5 min read

How MDM Can Help You Achieve ISO 27001 Compliance

ISO 27001 is a compliance standard that defines in general terms what a good information security management system (ISMS) should do. Such systems protect the security, availability, and confidentiality of an organization’s information assets through technical and organizational policies and procedures. Conformity with ISO 27001 means that an organization has systems in place and is following best practices to manage risks to its data.

Educational May 17, 2024

Iru Team

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9 min read

How to Add Devices to Apple Business Manager Using Apple Configurator

Before mobile device management solutions for Apple devices—such as Iru—were common, there was Apple Configurator.

Educational April 18, 2024

Alexandre Morin

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6 min read

Home Screen Layout: When and How to Use It

Just over eight years ago, at its 2016 spring media event, Apple made a batch of product announcements, including the brand new iPhone SE and iPad Pro. The company also announced the upcoming release of iOS 9.3—one of the biggest ever for the enterprise and education markets alike. It introduced Apple School Manager, Managed Apple IDs, Classroom, and Shared iPad, which allowed a single Apple iPad to be shared among multiple users.

Educational March 29, 2024

Iru Team

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5 min read

Deploying Adobe Creative Cloud: Choosing the Right Path

For Apple IT teams with MDM tools, deploying applications to users is a familiar and relatively straightforward process. Depending on the app and the MDM solution, it could mean deploying titles from the macOS App Store, building and deploying your own app packages, and/or making apps available via self-service.

Educational March 6, 2024

Iru Team

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4 min read

Managing iCloud Access: What You Can (and Can't) Do

Apple IDs have long been integral to the Mac, iPhone, and iPad experience. People are accustomed to using them to sign in to services on their Apple devices—whether those devices are personal or professional.

Educational February 22, 2024

Iru Team

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8 min read

Configuring Mac Settings: MDM, Configuration Profiles, or Scripting?

When it comes to managing Mac computers, there are several ways IT teams can configure their settings remotely.

Educational January 19, 2024

Iru Team

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16 min read

Guide for Apple IT: Introduction to Mac Shell Scripts

With computers, there are usually multiple ways to perform a given task. On Mac, the most obvious and most common way is through the graphical user interface (GUI) using a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad. But smart Mac admins know that anything you can do in the GUI you can usually also do from the command-line interface (CLI).

Educational January 16, 2024

Iru Team

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5 min read

Mac Evaluation Utility: What It's Good For, How to Use It

The Mac Evaluation Utility (MEU) started out as an informal collection of scripts that Apple engineers and consultants would use to evaluate client environments, to see if they were ready for the deployment of Apple devices. Those scripts would check things like local device settings, network configurations, and the accessibility of Apple services, looking for anything that might pose problems for that deployment.

Educational January 9, 2024

Iru Team

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5 min read

Key to Successful MDM Migration: Enlisting Users

Migrating from one MDM solution to another can be a huge win not only for an Apple IT team but for its organization as a whole. That move can unlock efficiencies, reduce costs, and improve security and compliance for everyone. But in pitching, planning, and executing such a migration, it’s good to keep one particular constituency front of mind: your end users. Ultimately, they’re the real reason you’re switching—and you can’t make the move without them.

Educational December 14, 2023

Arek Dreyer

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10 min read

Apple IT Training and Certification: What You Need to Know

Back in May 2022, Apple announced a new series of online IT training and certification programs. These programs follow three tracks: Apple Device Support, Apple Deployment and Management, and Apple Business Essentials.

Educational December 5, 2023

Iru Team

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6 min read

Apple IT Essentials: PKGs and Software Deployment

Packages are structured files, denoted by a .pkg or .mpkg file extension, used to carry installable software. They can contain app and software components, scripts, receipts, and other metadata necessary to install, update, or remove an application. But there are several different types of packages that you might run across.

Educational November 17, 2023

Iru Team

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7 min read

Managing Mac Printing: What Admins Need to Know

Despite the rise of paperless and remote offices, managing printers is still a thing, something Mac admins must deal with every day.

Educational November 10, 2023

Iru Team

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7 min read

The Evolution of Managed Apple IDs

Anyone who manages Apple devices has had at least some contact with Managed Apple IDs. Like personal Apple IDs, the managed kind can be used to access Apple devices and services. But unlike personal IDs, Managed Apple IDs are owned and controlled by the organization, rather than the end user.

Educational September 15, 2023

Iru Team

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5 min read

AI and Cybersecurity: What You Need to Know

While artificial intelligence (AI) could be a world-changing technology, we’ve also seen some dire warnings about the dangers it might pose. Regardless of what you think about those warnings, as an Apple admin you do need to be mindful of the particular—and real—threats that AI poses to IT and information security here and now. Here’s what you need to know about AI and cybersecurity and what you can do to mitigate the risks.

Educational September 5, 2023

Iru Team

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10 min read

How to Offboard Apple Devices: From Recycling to Resale

There’s a lot of information available to Apple admins about the best ways to onboard devices and deploy them to users. We’ve got Automated Device Enrollment, zero-touch deployment, and other workflows that help at the beginning of a device’s lifetime. But what about the other end of the device lifecycle, when you’re ready to move devices out of your organization? Offboarding workflows don't get as much attention.

Educational August 24, 2023