Apple Enterprise Management bridges the gap between Apple’s products and the security and collaboration requirements of today’s remote teams. It enables organizations to protect, manage, and connect all of their Apple devices such as Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV. This is possible no matter where their employees are working from.
This sounds like the ideal solution to security concerns for organizations with remote work devices as a team communication tool. But, where do you start? There are lots of useful online articles available about remote working tools such as, “Customer Service Platform: How to Choose the Best Software for Your Business”. However, in this post, we are going to be concentrating on Apple Enterprise Management. Read on to discover how your business could benefit.
What is Apple Enterprise Management?
Apple Enterprise Management is a convenient way of automating the entire lifecycle of Apple products in your organization. The focus is on connecting, protecting, and managing Apple devices, apps, and corporate resources.
Devices are deployed, secured, and managed without the need for IT departments to physically touch them. This is all possible without impacting the end-user experience and it has huge benefits for the remote workforce.
How can Apple Enterprise Management help my organization to stay secure?
Now more companies have remote employees than ever before, device security is crucial. A remote workplace throws up unique security threats. Business owners must adapt to deal with these.
If you are running an Apple-exclusive remote workplace, you can find the right Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution from providers such as Jamf or VMware. This will enable you to secure, deploy, and manage remote devices while safeguarding productivity. Only trusted devices, employees, and applications will be able to access your corporate data.
Successful virtual project management requires the marshaling of newly remote employees and having a well-defined, secure system that supports online collaboration. It should be easy to integrate without causing confusion and employee fatigue. This is where Apple Enterprise Management comes in.
Preparing devices securely for people working remotely
The first step here is to decide which devices your remote employees can take home. Then you can use MDM to make the devices ‘work-ready’ with content, settings, and restrictions. Business-owned Macs, iPads, and iPhones will need to have their settings adjusted so that employees can work remotely.
Another option is for business owners to allow remote workers to use their own personal devices for work. To do this, User Enrollment instructions are required. Employees can then enroll their devices into MDM. This allows them to access extra resources and apps to increase productivity and improve remote work management and collaboration.
Devices should all be updated to the latest versions of iPadOS and MacOS to ensure compatibility before beginning. You can use Apple Business Manager (an online portal that allows company IT departments to deploy Apple devices from one central place) with your organization’s MDM solution. This allows you to configure device settings and buy and distribute content.
Secure device deployment
Zero-touch device deployment is a key feature of Apple Enterprise Management. Automated Device Enrollment means that company IT departments can enroll devices in MDM remotely. Pre-configured, new Apple devices can be dispatched directly to remote team members.
Managed Apple IDs can be created in Apple Business Manager. Doing this will allow employees to enroll personal devices using User Enrollment. This protects company information and also the privacy of employees. Apple IDs also allow access to key Apple services.
Distribute content securely
The apps that employees need to work from home can be distributed remotely using your MDM solution and Apple Business Manager. For example, your organization might rely on a gmail desktop app (gmail on desktop). Some MDM solutions even have a self-service option to provide employees with a choice of supplementary apps that can be used to improve work and task management.
Security steps for remote devices
Organizations can secure remote devices with built-in tools and MDM. Security and privacy come as standard with Apple devices’ built-in features. Extra steps to take include:
- Enforcing a passcode policy for data protection
- Using FileVault encryption on Mac
- Use an end-point security solution to avoid malware
- Use MDM to restrict use of apps, cameras, etc.
Configure settings to suit your own organization
Configuring settings through MDM will allow remote workers to securely access resources and follow remote working policies. Central IT departments can:
- Set network restrictions to allow users to connect to home or public wi-fi networks
- Configure the services which a remote team uses e.g. mail, calendar, and contacts
- Connect key services by configuring VPN
Managing a collaborative and productive remote team
There is more to recruiting and retaining the best employees than providing fair compensation. With 79% of Mac users believing that they ‘couldn’t be as efficient with anything else’, Apple Enterprise Management allows organizations to keep their remote teams happy while maintaining security.
Apps from both Apple and third parties or team management websites help with connection and collaboration. Tools enable virtual meetings with the most secure video conferencing features, and real-time updates.
It’s important to regularly check that you are using the best apps for your individual team’s needs. For example, when was the last time you carried out a Glip vs Twist Comparison?
Apple is there for your remote team
Apple Care is there to provide support for your remote team. For example, an employee may want to know how to connect a Bluetooth mouse or track-pad to an iPad or have multiple other queries.
Apple support can prevent your own IT department from getting swamped with questions, allowing them to get on with important projects and increase employee productivity. Troubleshooting help is available for both hardware and software.
Managing productive remote teams with peace of mind
Apple Enterprise Management can help your organization to protect devices and data, connect users to resources, and automate every aspect of device and app management. However, the benefits don’t stop there.
This collaborative solution can improve every aspect of your business from your distribution channel to your HR department. It supports automation and helps accelerate digital transformation in an organization. To improve your remote teams’ productivity, while retaining peace of mind, why not get started today?
