MDM is an umbrella term for a collection of different software products which together allow you to remotely manage, configure and ensure compliance of your Laptops and Smartphones. For Apple devices, this is usually a combination of Apple Business Manager and an MDM provider such as Mosyle, Jamf or Kandji.

The beauty of MDM is that it helps you ensure consistency between all your devices, making sure all of your team have the apps they need and settings configured correctly. When you have 10+ devices in the mix it becomes really powerful but the sooner you start, the easier it is to onboard new team members as you grow!

My experience is with Apple devices, and so if you use iMac’s, Macbook’s, iPads, iPhones, Apple TV in conference rooms or even Apple Watches, then they can all be managed by MDM.

An MDM is an essential tool for obtaining security certifications like Cyber Essentials, as it will help you define your baseline standard for security and then prove that they’ve been applied to everyone’s devices. That can be as simple as making sure that everyone has a complex password to ensuring everyone has full disk encryption enabled (meaning company and customer data can’t be accessed on a lost or stolen device.)

Your MDM configuration can include rules to enforce updating systems and apps to the latest versions within a certain number of days after release. Users can be given a nudge for a few days and then forced to stop and run the update if they ignore them. And you’ll be able to evidence that everything is up to date from your central dashboard.

If a device is lost or stolen, then in just a couple of clicks the MDM can send a command to lock the device, put it in lost mode, display a message on its screen and even remotely wipe it. In the unlikely event that a thief did manage to wipe the device and reinstall it, then the first time it boots back up it will report into Apple and be automatically reinstalled to your MDM and locked down again!

If your team works remotely, then an MDM gives you all the tools you need to remotely manage their devices with minimal input from them. Many changes and updates happen silently in the background. And when they do need your help you’ll be able to connect remotely and install software or make changes for them. Minimising downtime and hassle for everybody.

The MDM software is cloud based and sold as a per device subscription, my preferred service is Mosyle MDM, which is very affordable with the full version costing just a few dollars a month per device and also includes a suite of extra functionality like Single Sign on, Antivirus and Anti Malware, Web Filtering and more, making it a great deal.

Of course! I can work with you to set up and configure the MDM, or if you already have an IT team or external provider, I can work with them to advise and implement a solution.

It’s a HUGE time and money saver! Manually managing devices is time-consuming and expensive, requiring changes to be made on each device individually, and often necessitating hands-on or remote access that disrupts users from their work.

MDM offers a streamlined solution, allowing for quick and easy installation of apps and settings on multiple devices simultaneously. And simplifying device replacement for new employees or in cases of loss or damage, with Zero Touch Deployment enabling automatic registration and configuration of replacement devices, minimizing downtime and ensuring a seamless user experience.

So they can get going in minutes not hours with all of their apps, settings and even your branded desktop wallpaper installed automatically.