“I want to showcase our CDW framework and how we go about projects,” Kasparian says. “We’re not just going in, implementing and leaving. I want to showcase that we actually look at your environment and present the best possible solution for your environment, because we know everyone’s different.”
Experts Work with Businesses to Design Successful Jamf Initiatives
Working with a third party to design a Jamf environment can be key for IT administrators who find the process daunting.
CDW offers a range of services to help customers gain full visibility into their Apple environments using Jamf. The CDW service framework begins with collaboration to find out the organization’s security and technology goals. The team then uses that information to assess the technology environment.
Leveraging a combination of tools in Jamf Pro, Jamf Connect and Jamf Protect, the team designs a solution that best fits the organization’s needs. It then implements and tests the solution based on the design plan and works with the organization to test and deploy the solution into the production environment.
5 Ways to Streamline Device Management with Jamf
It’s experience with this process, specifically the design portion, that prompted Kasparian to develop the recommendations in his presentation.
“We’re looking at our design session, designing toward the customer,” he says. “And what are the five things that we usually find that customers tend to lean into more to make their environment more efficient?”
WATCH: Learn how businesses can overcome device management challenges in a hybrid world.
1. Deploy Software Updates with S.U.P.E.R.M.A.N.
Kasparian recommended that administrators use S.U.P.E.R.M.A.N. — “super” for short — when deploying software updates. Super is “an open-source script that provides administrators with a comprehensive workflow to encourage and enforce macOS software updates or upgrades for both Intel and Apple silicon Mac computers,” according to Jamf.
With a single script and optional configuration profile, super creates a background agent that helps users upgrade their OS with minimal user interference. It also allows administrators to customize deferrals and deadlines, and it automatically displays update notifications without having to send a command each time.
2. Leverage the Jamf Pro API for Automation
Apple administrators can use the Jamf Pro application programming interface to automate tasks and workflows within their device management processes.
“By utilizing the API, you can streamline device provisioning, software deployment and other administrative tasks, ultimately enhancing efficiency and reducing manual efforts,” Kasparian says.
3. Develop a Security Compliance Framework
Implementing a security compliance framework involves defining and enforcing standardized security policies and configurations across an Apple device fleet using Jamf Compliance Editor.
“This ensures that all devices adhere to organization security standards, reducing vulnerabilities, risk of security breaches, and time in checking compliance and what standards are issued,” Kasparian says.
4. Set Up Compliance and Conditional Access Through Microsoft Intune
Because it employs both Microsoft and Apple engineers, CDW can help business IT administrators integrate Jamf Protect with Microsoft Sentinel and Jamf Pro with Microsoft Intune to set up conditional access and compliance policies.
5. Integrate the Jamf Pro Environment and Power BI Reporting
The Microsoft and Apple expertise also extends to unified base reporting with Microsoft Power BI. IT administrators can extract and analyze data from their Jamf deployments within the Power BI architecture, giving users a full view of their entire Apple environment.
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