SMB MDM: How to get started with Jamf

More than ever before, today’s hybrid workforce wants to be able to use Mac, iPad and iPhone devices for their jobs. People love using Apple devices for both work and home because they’re fun, efficient and easy to use.

But in a small or mid-size business, enabling employees to work with the technology they feel most comfortable using can also create new IT responsibilities. You may find Apple device management to be time-consuming work, especially if IT isn’t your day job.

So how can you simplify your device management? Look to Jamf Now to serve as your end-to-end management platform, with powerful support and protection for your employee’s Apple devices. Jamf Now streamlines Apple mobile device management (MDM) to make it easy for you, without expecting you to be an IT expert.

Read on to learn how Jamf Now helps businesses handle Apple MDM, by providing the purpose-built solutions you need to continue to grow, scale up and succeed.

Jamf Now: Who’s it for?

If you’re new to MDM, or just beginning to scale up your Apple devices, Jamf Now is a great place to start.

Tailor-made for smaller businesses, Jamf Now is streamlined Apple device management for small business; no IT experience required. If your IT staff is slim (or tasked with other jobs), or you have a more simplified environment, Jamf Now is for you.

We’ve designed Jamf Now to walk you through every stage of your account creation to ensure you have all the necessary pieces in place to start managing devices.

Jamf Now powers entry-level Apple Enterprise Management (AEM), also offering enhanced management features including core identity elements and cutting-edge security – all within Jamf Now’s intuitive platform.

What’s it all about: Basics of MDM for small business

Before setting up your Jamf Now account, it’s helpful to understand the basics of Apple mobile device management.

While Apple hardware and software are known for being easy to use, even Apple devices can be time-intensive to deploy if you’re manually configuring, managing and securing every device in your organization. It’s one thing to manage one or two devices at home, but quite another to try to efficiently manage 5, 10 or 100+ devices in a business setting.

That’s where an MDM solution like Jamf Now comes into play. Jamf Now gives you access to workflows that help make device management more efficient, such as:

• Configurations - the power to specify settings and tell a device how to (and how not to) function; the most powerful way to prescribe apps, set minimum security standards and even disable built-in functionality.

• Commands - the ability to remotely send commands to locate, lock, wipe and update a device’s operating system empowers you to address new concerns in real time.

MDM for SMB brings real value to the entire lifecycle of your devices. Whether you’re deploying iOS, iPadOS, tvOS or macOS devices, an MDM solution gives you quick access to important device data throughout its provisioning and life.

Jamf Now enables you to easily control your complete device management including:

• Device Deployment - Get devices to end users with the tools they need.

• Configuration - Apply specified settings.

• App management – Deliver and update applications.

• Inventory - Report on device statuses and plan for hardware refresh cycles.

• Security – Help secure hardware and data against loss and theft.

From day one of deployment to end of device life, MDM keeps you in control of your business devices – and their connection to your organizational resources - wherever they’re used.

Start me up: Apple device setup made simple for small business

To get started with Jamf Now, simply sign up for a free account on the website. The Jamf Now plan is free for the first three devices.

The first thing you will need to do is enroll in Apple Business Manager. This allows you to use free Apple business services and programs, including automated device enrollment and purchasing and distributing Apps and Books.

During setup for your account, you’ll immediately begin to see how the power of Jamf makes your device management more efficient.

After you’re enrolled in Apple Business Manager, these steps help you complete your setup:

Step 1: Set Up Your Apple Push Notification Service (APNs)

• APNs enables you to create a trusted relationship between your devices, Apple and Jamf.

The APNs remote notifications feature provides the communication link that sets you up to manage Apple devices through your MDM.

Step 2: Set Up Automated Device Enrollment

• Automated Device Enrollment using Apple Business Manager allows you to automatically download Jamf Now management settings to Apple devices immediately upon activation.

Take your device deployment to the next level! Use automated device enrollment to get users up and running in minutes with a fully configured device, without ever having to touch the device.

Step 3: Set Up Volume Purchasing

• Integrate with volume purchasing (Apps and Books) in Apple Business Manager.

Simplify your app distribution. App distribution with Jamf Now is a simple process when you integrate with volume purchasing (Apps and Books) in Apple Business Manager. Apps and Books provide the best way for organizations to centrally purchase and deploy apps. When you purchase apps for managed distribution, your organization can assign apps to an employee's Apple ID or device while retaining ownership of the app.

Step 4: Configure and Assign Blueprints

• Bundle applications, settings, and restrictions to tell devices how (and how not) to function. After configuring a Blueprint, you can assign devices to that Blueprint to deploy selected bundled settings to those devices.

Make it specific to your business. Start with a Blueprint to customize a group of devices, deploying specific apps, restrictions and settings as you see fit. Set up additional Blueprints to support other devices with different needs.

Examples of things you can configure in a Blueprint include:

Email Configuration: Automatically configure company email accounts on all of your Apple devices. Jamf Now supports Microsoft Exchange and Google accounts as well as any IMAP or POP mailbox.

Restrictions: Sometimes it makes sense to reduce the number of features and apps available to your users. Restrictions are an easy way to turn off core functionality – like Messages or Safari – and protect against accidental wipes by disabling that command from the Settings menu.

Jamf Now also includes common industry templates to help you get set up, including Blueprints for advertising and marketing, construction, consumer, field sales, field services, government, healthcare, hospitality, real estate, restaurant and food services and retail.

For a sampling of special features specific to your industry, read more in these related resources:

Manufacturing solutions
Hospitality solutions
Retail solutions
Field Service solutions
Healthcare solutions

Now that you’ve set up your account to manage devices, you’re ready for the final step -

Step 5: Enroll Devices

• Add devices and establish a connection with Jamf Now. This allows you to perform inventory, configuration, security management, and distribution tasks on the devices.

• You can enroll devices using automated device enrollment or open enrollment. Open enrollment allows your users to add their iPad, iPhone, and Mac to Jamf Now themselves through an open enrollment URL.

Jamf Now has helped you set up, manage and secure your Apple devices in minutes – and you can get back to doing the important work of building your business.

Get the most out of MDM for small business

As your business scales, Jamf Now is ideal for growing small and medium-sized businesses that need to deliver more power with entry-level AEM.

Jamf Now also offers enhanced management features, including core identity elements and cutting-edge security.

Advanced features include:

• Malware Prevention: Help prevent malicious software and other threats from running on Mac devices with Malware Prevention powered by Jamf Protect.

• Password Sync: Password sync, powered by Jamf Connect, helps keep the Mac password in sync with cloud credentials, leveraging a single identity for everything users need to be productive. Enforce password policies from identity providers Microsoft Azure AD and Okta to maintain consistency and security across all users.

• Self Service: This on-demand Mac App catalog, powered by Jamf Self Service, provides a list of organization-approved Mac App Store and third-party apps to help empower end users with instant access to the resources and tools they need.

• Custom Applications:  Easily deploy custom apps developed in-house or by a third party. Simply add a custom app to your account and then begin assigning that custom app to Blueprints.

• Custom Profiles: Deploy a configuration profile that goes beyond what is currently offered in the Jamf Now Blueprint user interface (such as a VPN configuration). Custom Profiles give you the benefit of unlimited configurations without sacrificing the simplicity of Jamf Now Blueprints.

• Deploy macOS Packages: Whether you want to deploy an app not currently listed in the Mac App Store or want to build your own packages, you can now take your Mac management to new heights with package deployment.

• Support: Even the simplest MDM solution could still use some backup. We’ve got you covered with chat, email and phone support if any issues arise.

To try Jamf for yourself, sign up for a Jamf Now account.