5 Things You Should Know About Apple Mobile Device Management (2024)

Apple Mobile Device Management (MDM for short) is a means of distributing data and settings to iPhone, iPad and Mac devices.

What does MDM help you to do? Using MDM, you can push email, security settings, apps, app settings and even content through devices. Here are 5 things you should know about how Apple device management really works:

1. Apple Business Manager is Apple’s way for IT teams and businesses to automate their device deployment, app deployment and purchasing, and content distribution while working seamlessly with their Mobile Device Management solution. Apple has integrated the DEP and VPP programs within Apple Business Manager so that you can accomplish deployment and management tasks in one location.
2. Your data doesn’t route through Apple. All Push Notifications do route through Apple, but the data in these is minor. For example, if you use Mobile Device Management to push an email account to a device, the email settings (which are otherwise easily attainable on the Internet) are applied to a new email account on a device; however, the mail password never flows through that connection. The Push Notification that goes through Apple only indicates there is a setting on the Apple Mobile Device Management solution, the Mobile Device Management suite sends the settings, and then the person using the device provides the password. This builds in at least two layers of security between Apple and the password.

   Note: You must have your own APNs certificate. Installing a Push Notification Certificate and renewing it when it expires is necessary for Mobile Device Management suites.

3. Apple has built-in native security features such as device encryption, Touch ID and Lost Mode, plus a consistent OS upgrade schedule. MDM for Apple devices is crucial to ensuring these security features and turned on and enforced. Mobile Device Management allows you to actively monitor devices and send remote security commands to devices to ensure they are protected and compliant.
4. Apple changed technology with the introduction of the App Store in 2008. Since then, the App Store alone could be a Fortune 100 company. It impacts everyone. Using MDM for Apple devices to empower your workforce with the apps, programs and tools they need through streamlined deployments is enough to separate you from your competition.
5. Any good Mobile Device Management solution will help you conduct ongoing lifecycle device management without difficulties. This is accomplished by offering simplified workflows for setting up a new Apple device, effortlessly making changes to device settings when necessary and quickly seeing a bird’s-eye view of the status of all of your Apple devices.

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