Three ways to streamline device management with Jamf Now

Working in a small or medium business can often mean being responsible for a soup-to-nuts list of projects, including tech-related tasks. Everything from taking the lead on setting up new devices to fixing the office printer can be on the table, and often is.

With all those plates in the air, it can be easy to spend day after day dealing with the tactical at the expense of the strategic. Sure, deploying apps and setting passcode requirements are important tasks, but imagine what else you could accomplish if they didn't have to be done individually?

Work smarter, not harder
While clichés like "work smarter, not harder” rarely hold serious value in business, this one rings true in the world of technology. Think of how many recurring hardware management tasks could be automated and centralized with the right solution. Asset tracking could migrate from a spreadsheet into the device details page on your mobile device management (MDM) solution; application upgrades could happen from within the product instead of individually across your environment.

Sometimes a single small change in your daily workflow can yield huge results. If you’re trying to quantify the value of MDM for your organization, take a minute to think through the small tasks that you already do to manage Apple hardware. That’s a great first step to imagining a future where MDM enables you to spend less time managing hardware and more time building your business.

Many hands make light work
One of the challenges inherent with any software implementation is the need to consistently find time for both farming- and hunting-style work. Tasks like regular maintenance and important security patching fall into the farming bucket while proactive upgrades and adding new devices to your ecosystem fall into the hunting category.

For many organizations, there is a tipping point where the collective hunting and farming work begins to become too much for a single person. That’s where Teammates comes in.

As outlined in a previous blog post, Teammates is the ideal feature when you want to share access to and administration of Jamf Now. Whether you’re leaving for vacation or just want an extra hand to help keep tabs on devices in your ecosystem, Teammates is just what the doctor ordered. In a matter of seconds, you can invite a trusted colleague or supervisor to join you as an administrator-level user on your Jamf Now account by entering their name and email on the Teammates invitation page.

Stay current, stay safe
For Apple fans (myself included), there are few times of the year more exciting than the release of new iOS and macOS versions. From fun additions to iMessage to game-changing updates to payment systems like Apple Pay Cash, getting new versions of the operating systems that power your favorite devices is an exciting time.

But with new major version change comes a need to keep your staff running the latest and greatest editions of iOS or macOS. In December 2017, Jamf Now launched the ability to manage operating system updates right inside the product. With about three clicks, you can select a device or group of devices, verify that they have pending OS updates available and kick off those updates.

So, whether you’re thinking about adding MDM to your organization, about to add your first new-and-improved workflow with MDM or are a battle-tested MDM veteran, the three workflows above are a great start to a better and more efficient way to manage Apple devices.

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