Apple devices have become the default choice for most modern workplaces. They are tastefully designed, offer the best security measures, and provide a delightful user experience.
But from an IT administration perspective, managing a fleet of diverse Apple devices consisting of MacBooks, iPads, and iPhones isn’t always smooth sailing. Things can get difficult when a remote and hybrid team is added to the mix. Right from keeping track of device inventories to enforcing security policies, or troubleshooting issues remotely, there are several IT operational challenges that Apple devices can pose.
Also, unlike Windows-based environments, Apple’s ecosystem requires specialized tools for centralized management. That’s where Jamf comes in. As the leading solution for Apple device management, Jamf enables IT teams to configure, secure, and maintain their Apple assets with precision.
However, Jamf alone isn’t a complete IT asset management (ITAM) solution. It focuses only on Apple devices, leaving out other operating systems from the org’s IT workflows.
By integrating Jamf with and ITSM platform like Atomicwork, your IT teams get a single, unified platform to manage Apple devices alongside other IT assets.
Apple Business Manager Apple Business Manager might seem like the obvious go-to for managing Apple devices, but it falls short when it comes to day-to-day device management.
It is efficient at initial device enrollment, however, it lacks robust security features that an org will require to protect its sensitive data. Also, when it comes to integrating with a broader ITSM ecosystem, Apple Business Manager is not making the cut. An Apple-commissioned study found that 2.6 billion personal records were compromised by data breaches in the past two years between 2022 and 2024.
This is where Jamf comes in. As a leading Apple device management solution, Jamf empowers IT teams to secure, manage, and streamline Apple device operations effortlessly.
Jamf takes the complexity out of managing Apple devices by automating key IT workflows with certain key capabilities.
- Device enrollment & provisioning:
Whether corporate-owned or BYOD, devices can be automatically enrolled and pre-configured with security policies, apps, and settings the moment they are activated.
- Policy enforcement & security configurations:
IT admins can remotely enforce encryption, password policies, firewalls, and compliance measures across all Apple devices.
- Software deployment & patch management:
Jamf automates OS and app updates. There is no need for an IT admin to manually update each device. It saves a lot of time and effort and leaves little room for error in system updates and maintenance.
While Jamf is a powerful Apple MDM (Mobile Device Management) solution, we cannot consider it as a full-fledged IT Asset Management (ITAM) platform.
It has some limitations that IT teams should be wary about. The most common limitations of Jamf being:
Jamf is built specifically for Apple devices, which means it doesn’t support non-Apple assets like Windows PCs, Linux machines, or Android devices. Organizations that offer their employees a mixed-device environment will need several tools to manage their entire IT ecosystem. Jamf alone cannot take on that challenge.
ITAM goes beyond device configuration and security; it involves tracking asset lifecycles, managing warranties, monitoring usage trends, and optimizing IT spending. Jamf lacks the advanced asset tracking and reporting capabilities of a dedicated ITAM solution.
Without integration into an IT Service Management (ITSM) platform, Jamf-managed devices exist in silos. These devices will have to be manually linked to incidents, service requests, and troubleshooting workflows. All these additional steps slow down response times and increase IT service inefficiencies.
By integrating Jamf with a full-fledged ITSM platform, organizations can streamline Apple device management while gaining complete visibility and control over their entire IT environment.
You can automatically sync macOS, iPadOS, and iOS device inventory every 24 hours. It ensures that your IT team always has an accurate and up-to-date asset inventory complete with all asset details.
Further, this real-time syncing eliminates the need for manual data entry, which significantly reduces administrative overhead and errors that may arise from it.
You get real-time visibility into critical device details such as name, serial number, OS version, and assigned users. It makes it effortless to identify and manage devices based on their warranty status, device performance, compliance, and so on.
Time is of the essence when it comes to responding to security threats or technical support issues from employees. In cases such as device theft, loss, or an absconding employee, you can empower IT admins to quickly lock, restart, shut down, or wipe Apple devices remotely. This proactive approach helps prevent potential data breaches and unauthorized access to organizational data.
IT teams often struggle with disjointed service request workflows due to siloed device management tools. You can bridge the gap by integrating Apple devices with ITSM processes giving a full contextual view of previous service requests, asset details, incidents and more in a single screen. This will enable IT teams to troubleshoot issues faster with instant access to contextual device details.
While Jamf is excellent for managing Apple devices, as a standalone platform, it leaves several gaps in IT asset management. For a more holistic approach to service management and integration like Atomicwork + Jamf is necessary.
By combining Apple device management with enterprise-wide IT asset visibility, Atomicwork enables IT teams to scale operations while maintaining full control over their entire IT ecosystem. Sign up here to try the integration!
