Apple @ Work: What’s new with Apple system administration for iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and extra?

Apple @ Work is solely dropped at you by Mosyle, the one Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the one answer that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all of the options essential to seamlessly and robotically deploy, handle & defend Apple units at work. Over 45,000 organizations belief Mosyle to make thousands and thousands of Apple units work-ready with no effort and at an inexpensive value. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL in the present day and perceive why Mosyle is every little thing it is advisable work with Apple.

WWDC has come and gone, and we now give attention to a summer season of unstable beta system utilization as we put together for Apple’s newest iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS updates. In fact, with new main variations of Apple’s software program come the most recent updates to Apple system administration. In case you handle Apple units at work, right here’s a rundown of what to anticipate this fall.

About Apple @ Work: Bradley Chambers managed an enterprise IT community from 2009 to 2021. By means of his expertise deploying and managing firewalls, switches, a cellular system administration system, enterprise grade Wi-Fi, 1000s of Macs, and 1000s of iPads, Bradley will spotlight methods through which Apple IT managers deploy Apple units, construct networks to assist them, prepare customers, tales from the trenches of IT administration, and methods Apple may enhance its merchandise for IT departments.

Adjustments to Activation Lock

For my part, one of many largest enhancements this 12 months involves Apple’s Activation Lock. Activation Lock is certainly one of Apple’s main theft deterrents for units, making certain that when a tool is marked as misplaced—whether or not by way of Discover My, iCloud.com, or by an IT administrator by way of system administration—a password or secret is required earlier than it may be used once more.

Nevertheless, issues come up when a tool is returned with out disabling Activation Lock or if MDM fails to take away it. Even when the system has been erased, it may’t be activated, leaving the IT unable to make use of it or promote it till the lock is lifted.

Beforehand, lifting this lock required help from Apple Help and proof of buy of the units. With the autumn updates Apple Enterprise Supervisor (or Apple Faculty Supervisor), IT admins can flip off Activation Lock for organization-owned Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional units.

The most effective half is that Apple Enterprise Supervisor can take away user- and device-based locks. On the Mac, this performance extends even when Activation Lock was enabled by a consumer utilizing a private Apple Account earlier than the pc was enrolled into MDM.

Imaginative and prescient Professional features zero-touch deployment

Apple is constant its give attention to making the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional IT-friendly. This fall, Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional will have the ability to enroll robotically in MDM by way of Automated Machine Enrollment by way of Apple Enterprise Supervisor (or Apple Faculty Supervisor), similar to Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. visionOS 2.0 will even deliver most of the MDM performance which might be already obtainable on iOS and iPadOS.

Platform SSO enhancements

Apple introduced that macOS 15 will increase the Platform Single Signal-On performance to require Id Supplier authentication throughout FileVault, the Lock Display, and the login window. This enhancement contains new coverage choices for configuring Contact ID or Apple Watch to unlock the display screen, making certain a streamlined consumer expertise whereas having sturdy safety requirements.

Managed Apple Accounts

Apple has launched a brand new area seize and account switch characteristic to assist organizations handle accounts utilizing their area emails – now known as Managed Apple Accounts. If an end-user has created a private Apple ID with their group’s e mail (e.g., @college.edu or @enterprise.com), Apple presents a path for customers to retain their private Apple ID whereas enabling the group to seize the e-mail to be used as a Managed Apple Account.

Software program Replace enhancements

One other vital change on the horizon, due to Declarative Machine Administration, is improved administration of beta testing applications for brand new Apple working methods. Beforehand, admins had required intensive guide intervention to enroll customers in these applications. DDM goals to streamline this course of, permitting IT groups to remotely enroll units into totally different beta applications, implement phased rollouts, management the variations of beta software program put in on supervised units, and achieve higher visibility into what’s put in on their managed units. Moreover, units may be added to a beta program utilizing a corporation token, eliminating the necessity for customers to check in with an Apple ID of any kind.

Managing native community drives and exterior exhausting drives

In macOS 15, an necessary restriction has been reintroduced for managing native community drives and exterior exhausting drives. IT admins can now management whether or not these drives can connect with their units and restrict them to read-only entry.

Safari extension administration

Safari extensions have been round for a lot of years, however IT admins are actually gaining management over how they work on managed units. You’ll have the ability to management which extensions are allowed, whether or not they’re at all times on, and which web sites they will work on. Finish customers will likely be knowledgeable if their IT crew has turned on extensions.

iPadOS and the Calculator app

Whereas this solely seemingly impacts schooling prospects, the calculator app from iOS is lastly coming to the iPad with iPadOS 18 with some nice options like Math Notes, which lets you write or sort out equations on a display screen and the place issues are immediately solved. For IT admins, they will handle using Math Notes on their units.

Wrap up

General, it’s a 12 months of strong additions from Apple for IT groups. There are a variety of new additions that may proceed to make Apple among the finest companions for IT admins when deciding on units which might be simple to handle, but in addition safe and simple to make use of.

Apple @ Work is solely dropped at you by Mosyle, the one Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the one answer that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all of the options essential to seamlessly and robotically deploy, handle & defend Apple units at work. Over 45,000 organizations belief Mosyle to make thousands and thousands of Apple units work-ready with no effort and at an inexpensive value. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL in the present day and perceive why Mosyle is every little thing it is advisable work with Apple.