Eliminating the Middle Man: Providing Creative Device Provisioning Directly to Users with Casper

The Apple environment at the London School of Economics has grown from a handful of non-supported Macs to over 1,000 managed Apple devices in the last 18 months. In this JAMF Nation User Conference (JNUC) session, Yannis Lagogiannis—London School of Economics' Apple Systems Specialist—explained how the Casper Suite was at the heart of this journey and helped him and his staff implement a diverse managed environment. 

Lagogiannis walked the JNUC attendees through several case studies explaining how the London School of Economics pairs Apple's Device Enrollment Program (DEP) with the Casper Suite to ship iOS devices directly to users and how this method provides a management framework for iRoam — a fully automated MacBook Air "vending machine" for students that is paving the way for fewer static computer labs and more open-study area.

"We decided early on to not manage the machine, but rather provide services to the user. With Apple's Device Enrollment Program, it's all about the user experience and not about the hardware," explained Lagogiannis in regards to the school's philosophy of providing low-touch management.

He also added that "The point of DEP automation is not to never see your users, but rather to give dedicated help to those who want it." This allows his staff to focus their time and support on users that need more time versus giving everyone a smaller support window. 

Finally, Lagogiannis described how their MacBook vending machine works by leveraging the JSS and DEP to refresh the Mac every time it's rented by the student. The vending machine "is fully automated, but we also have student helpers on site for those who want help."