Curtin University is a renowned education institution in Western Australia. Offering courses across areas like business, science, engineering and humanities, Curtin has established itself among the top one percent of universities in the world. With an ever-increasing student intake, the university required a robust solution to manage and secure their multi-platform technology estate.
Increased efficacy with remote deployment
The Managed Desktop Environment at Curtin University is responsible for Apple and Windows desktop experiences, as well as iOS devices. They manage app deployment, policies, security and compliance for labs and staff machines, together with learning and research resources, and ensure that devices are always up-to-date and ready with the latest technology.
Timothy Balakrishnan, Desktop Systems Engineer at Curtin University, explained the impact that Jamf continues to have on this fast-paced higher education institution.
Moving from the university's own servers to Jamf Cloud was a game changer, saving on resources and allowing the team to implement a zero-touch deployment workflow for their Apple devices. This workflow means that iPads and Macs can be set up and configured from anywhere an internet connection is available. It was particularly helpful during the travel restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic as the team, based in Perth, had to deploy Mac machines in Eastern Australia.
In addition to easy deployment, centralizing management of devices was a fundamental aspect of the solution at Curtin University. Transitioning from an unmanaged model, in which staff were able to procure their own iPads, resulted in about a thousand iPads & iPhones being now managed through Jamf Pro.
Management and security through Jamf has been successful for both IT and users, who no longer need to worry about managing apps and updates - everything is done remotely and effectively by the Desktop service team. The platform is user-friendly, and workflows can be easily picked up by members of the team to support end users. It has helped break silos in an environment with highly skilled academics.
"We let them know that all this can be done remotely, and we can do it for them. It just takes the burden off their shoulders," says Timothy. "As a matter of fact, because of the ease of Jamf, I can remotely deploy an app or a configuration policy from anywhere in the world. I was on my way to Indonesia, and I had a call coming in saying, 'Hey, sorry for this very late notice, but we have to deploy an app to 30 iPads tomorrow, please.' I said, 'No worries.' I stopped at a Starbucks in Singapore airport, settled down, got myself a coffee, opened my laptop, and pushed out the app seamlessly."
This success is reflected, for example, in the deployment of devices for the university's oral health centre. The original BYOD model was not suitable, as the devices brought in by the oral hygienists had too many technical inconsistencies. By providing managed iPads, the team was able to get the services up and running efficiently without impacting teaching deliverables.
Supporting innovative research with managed devices
Providing devices where needed is the university's chosen approach to ensure that students and researchers have the technology they need without having to go to third-party solutions. This ethos means not only offering choice in platforms, but also integrations that can bridge any gaps, connect seamlessly, and achieve practical results.
"We stand in the culture of 'yes' within reason. So as an educational institution, we endeavour to meet whatever educational research needs they have to the best of our ability, and if we can't, then we should be proposing new solutions and ideas to implement," says Timothy.
To ensure a flexible but robust security and compliance strategy, Curtin University procured Jamf Safe Internet. With a lot of devices being taken out of jurisdiction across campuses in Perth, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton, Jamf Safe Internet keeps devices safe with protection from cyberattacks and content filtering.
Making it work with Jamf
Through strategic use of Jamf's solutions, the university has implemented centralized management and enhanced security, all while maintaining a strong focus on meeting educational and research requirements. As Curtin University continues to evolve, its commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology ensures that it remains a leader in providing a modern and efficient campus experience.
Overall, Timothy and the team's experience with Jamf has been very positive.
It’s an excellent product, and I hope they continue producing high-quality products without compromising on standards. They should keep doing it as it's meant to be. Steve Jobs on Apple's mantra, 'Think different', which promotes change. I believe the ethos or the mantra of Jamf is about managing those changes; every time Apple dishes out something different, Jamf is always there to build that bridge.