Tech partner spotlight: Jamf and NavvTrack

Keep precise track of your devices' locations — even within the office — with NavvTrack and Jamf.

October 17 2024 by

Andrew Stauffer

Person working at an office with an iPhone being located by NavvTrack

The hidden cost of lost devices

You configured your devices and deployed their profiles, so now you can (mostly) rest assured your mobile fleet will be used as intended. But what happens when these devices go missing? Helpdesk tickets are created and IT staff are tasked to play hide-and-seek throughout large complex buildings in an effort to recover lost equipment.

Across the healthcare sector, it has been reported that 10-17% of mobile devices go missing each year. This is not uncommon across other industries, as shared mobile devices have become part of our workspaces. Lost devices are not always the result of ill will — as one CIO shared, “I’m not worried about the devices being stolen, we can’t even find them in our own building.”

We can quickly relate to the hardware costs, but the hidden costs cause more disruption. Device set-up is streamlined with a proper Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution, but when these devices go missing, frontline workers still face delays and waste time searching for the tools they need to do their jobs. From pilots to nurses, professionals of all kinds have more important things to focus on than searching for devices.

Enhancing modern management and security with location

Within the modern workplace, IT professionals have Jamf to deliver device management, user identity and endpoint protection. But what about the physical security of these devices? This is where NavvTrack provides indoor location-as-a-service: to not only monitor a device’s health, but also its location indoors or out. With advanced mapping technology directly integrated with iOS, NavvTrack can pinpoint the live location of devices as they move throughout large complex indoor spaces. The ability to pull up a map and see the devices within the building is a game changer for unit managers and staff who rely on having these devices charged and ready to go each day. One customer stated, “Our staff member couldn’t find his phone, so we pulled up the map and found it in the cafeteria. They accidentally threw it away when servicing their lunch tray.”

In addition to indoor location tracking, NavvTrack also provides a virtual boundary that can determine if devices can be used or should be disabled. With this capability, if a device leaves the facility — on purpose or not — the location will trigger Jamf to send a Lost Mode command to the device making it inoperable until the device returns within the fence. Automating Lost Mode with location allows organizations to have an extra layer of security controls to help prevent data breaches through missing iOS devices.

Key benefits

  • Real-time location tracking
  • Enhanced security
  • Device accountability
  • Operational efficiency
  • Seamless integration

How it works

NavvTrack enables live visibility of the entire fleet of iOS devices across an organization on detailed indoor maps. This complements the Jamf management experience in complex indoor environments. The Navv mobile application can be easily deployed and managed using Jamf, and syncs with powerful Jamf features such as Smart Groups. This gives visibility and accountability at the local team level, enabling real-time monitoring of the position and status of devices without requiring admin-level access to Jamf.

Detailed office map in NavvTrack showing precise device location and status

NavvTrack showing device location and status of a device.

Location-as-a-service allows organizations to secure their mobile devices in a timely manner. Reducing device loss increases the efficiency of teams that use these devices daily. Lost mobile devices are not only a financial and security concern; they also impact productivity, often resulting in delays that can resonate throughout the entire organization if employees are not able to locate the devices they need.

NavvTrack administration dashboard.

Together, NavvTrack and Jamf can enable device management at a team level, which reduces strain on a central IT team. By allowing team managers to view the location and status of devices in the NavvTrack platform, they can take device management into their own hands and resolve team-level device issues without delays.

NavvTrack also brings automated Lost Mode capability to enhance device security. When a device leaves a designated area, Lost Mode can be enabled through virtual fencing to automatically secure the device and reduce the risk of data breaches. When the device returns inside the fence boundary, it is automatically removed from Lost Mode and can be used again.

Summary

Enterprise organizations have the power to manage their mobile fleets more effectively and increase security by combining Jamf’s MDM solution with the device location information provided by NavvTrack. IT teams can reduce the risk of data breaches with location-aware security measures, and teams across the organization can locate and manage the shared devices they need to work efficiently.

About Jamf

Jamf’s purpose is to simplify work by helping organizations manage and secure an experience that end users love and organizations trust. Jamf is the only company in the world that provides a complete management and security solution for an Apple-first environment that is enterprise secure, consumer simple and protects personal privacy.

About Navv Systems

Born out of Henry Ford Health System, Navv Systems provides indoor location-as-a-service to the enterprise with the NavvTrack platform. Utilizing core Apple technology, NavvTrack delivers highly accurate indoor positioning, giving businesses a live view of their people, places and equipment to streamline operations and enhance productivity. While they started in healthcare, indoor location has taken them out of the operating room and into the modern workplace.

Check out NavvTrack in the Jamf Marketplace.

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