Managing data consumption in aviation

It’s difficult to manage and secure your devices, period. When those devices are constantly moving across the globe and are subject to union rules, it’s even harder.

The aviation industry has a unique set of challenges when it comes to their device fleet. So how do you make sure your devices are secure and compliant? That they’re not consuming excessive cellular data? Or that they’re protected from risky content?

It doesn’t have to be a Herculean feat. Let’s talk about how Jamf helps solve these challenges.

Mobile devices in aviation

Airlines use mobile devices for multiple use cases — iPads used as a pilot’s Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), iPhones used to help gate agents check-in passengers, iPads used as a mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) during in-flight purchases and more. For the airline teams who are responsible for devices or its specific use case, using mobile device management (MDM) helps deploy mobile devices. MDM helps ensure devices and apps are configured and standardized across an organization, while keeping devices and apps up-to-date — and a whole lot more.

Airlines have thousands of employees all over the world who are constantly on the move. Not only do organizations need to properly configure, deploy and keep devices and apps up-to-date, but they also need a better way to control how data is used.

Let’s focus on pilots. Airlines love to provide iPads to pilots to host their EFB. Since American Airlines became the first airline to use iPads in 2011, Apple has become the go-to option for EFBs. In fact, about 80% of airlines use iOS devices as their EFBs and can host a variety of both Type A (like Aircraft Parts Manuals) and Type B applications (like Flight Operations Manuals). The iPad’s intuitive platform helps pilots conduct pre-flight planning calculations like fuel requirements, access weather forecasts or engage with real-time updates for in-flight navigation. iPads are a large part of how pilots do their job today.

But what about when a pilot has a mandatory day off before their next flight? A lot of airlines provide pilots a company managed iPad to use for work, but they can also use the iPad for personal use when on pilot rest. And when those devices contain

Any employee needs to unwind by connecting with family or watching their favorite movies or TV shows. While pilots might do this using a hotel, it can also happen at places without Wi-Fi and using a company data pool. Organizations need to protect cellular data consumption on mobile devices. How can airlines help pilots unwind and use devices for personal use, but also make sure excessive amounts of data are not being used?

Data capping and usage controls

Over 50% of corporate data usage is not business critical. Organizations need to granularly configure data pools so that specific groups of employees have the proper amount of data allocated. A pilot who uses an iPad for work and for personal use might have a device that allows for more data usage than a gate agent who is using an iPhone only for work purposes. Organizations need a better way to manage how data is sent and received on the device and how much data can be used depending on the device group.

Jamf provides two ways to help organizations limit data usage on mobile devices. This depends on the product you are using: Jamf Pro or Jamf Protect.

Jamf Pro can send a remote device command called Enable/Disable Data Roaming. This remote command can be sent to individual or groups of devices with Jamf Pro’s smart groups. By building a specific workflow in Jamf Pro using the Enable/Disable Data Roaming command, organizations can dictate how specific apps can be accessed. This means that organizations can control if a specific apps can only be accessed when the device is on Wi-Fi.

Jamf Protect’s internet content filtering and usage controls allow organizations to control and visualize data usage. The service allows organizations to set data caps, thresholds, and notifications for domestic and roaming usage.

With real-time granular reporting, IT admins (or whatever team is responsible for pilot devices) can see what pilots and apps are consuming cellular data, and where they are located. They then can adjust policies accordingly.

Jamf Protect offers context-aware data capping based on a number of variables:

• The user’s job role
• Domestic or roaming data use
• What apps or websites are being accessed

Admins can also allow or disallow device tethering if applicable. These features give IT flexible control over their data costs, preventing unexpected overages.

Being able to capture specific data allowances and costs helps organizations better understand where those costs are coming from and how to prepare usage across its entire Apple fleet.

By implementing services like usage control, organizations can better understand their data — where it is used, what groups of employees are using how much and how to allocate data across the ecosystem.