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Streamline Your Apple Device Deployment

Automate with Apple Business Manager & ManageEngine

Experience seamless device deployment across four countries with our integrated solution. Simplify purchasing and management with ease.

by | Dec 7, 2024

Project Overview

Transforming Apple Device Management

Our project focuses on revolutionizing the deployment and management of Apple devices within your organization. By leveraging Apple Business Manager and ManageEngine, we aim to streamline processes, enhance security, and reduce operational costs. As the company grows there will be more Apple devices to manage, at the time of the project the company was expanding to 3 other countries. I suggested as a part of the project we include these countries as well.

Current Deployment Process

Challenges in Apple Device Deployment

Currently, the deployment of Apple devices involves several manual steps, including device configuration, application installation, and security setup. Apple devices are shipped to the main headquarters, configured and then shipped out to the end user.

This process is time consuming and can leave the end user without a device for up to 3 weeks. These limitations highlight the need for a more efficient and automated deployment process.

Streamlined Deployment

New Apple Device Deployment Process

Our new deployment process for Apple devices leverages advanced automation and streamlined workflows to ensure rapid and efficient setup. By utilizing Apple Business Manager, we can seamlessly enroll devices, configure settings, and deploy applications without manual intervention. This process significantly reduces setup time and minimizes the potential for errors, providing a more consistent and reliable experience for end-users. Additionally, the integration with ManageEngine allows for real-time monitoring and management, ensuring that devices remain compliant and secure throughout their lifecycle.

Purchasing

Apple device purchasing was needed to automated the process to get device enrolled into Apple Business Manager and then into our MDM.

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Apple Business Manager

Apple Business Manager connects or purchasing accounts to our MDM solution. In addition, it controls what apps our managed by the company.

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ManageEngine

This is the final piece that allow for full device management. ManageEngine is my companies choose Endpoint Management solution.

Enhanced Organizational Efficiency

Benefits of the New Deployment Process

Implementing the new Apple device deployment process has yielded numerous benefits for our organization. Firstly, it has drastically reduced the time and effort required to deploy devices, allowing IT staff to focus on more strategic initiatives. The automation of routine tasks has also led to a significant decrease in deployment errors, ensuring a higher level of consistency and reliability. Furthermore, the streamlined process has improved overall productivity, as employees receive their devices faster and can start working with minimal delay. The enhanced security measures and compliance tracking have also mitigated risks, safeguarding our organization’s data and assets.

Seamless Integration

Role of Apple Business Manager, Apple Business Purchasing, and MDM

Apple Business Purchasing

  • The purchasing account allows devices to be added directly into Apple Business Manager. Each country will need to be setup individually with an Apple business representative. 

Apple Business Manager (ABM)

  • Apple Business manager is used to connect the devices purchased through the Apple to the MDM. In this case, we used ManageEngine.
  • In addition, Apple’s Volume Purchasing progam is used to purchase app licenses.

Mobile Device Management (MDM)

  • This is the tool used to configure devices and push out applications for end users.

Deployment

How to Deploy Full Solution

Apple Business Purchasing

  • You can contact your local Apple retail store to get started on the process of creating an account. They will provide you with Account number that you will need add to ABM. This will automatically link any devices purchased to your ABM account.
  • For a multi-country solution, your Apple representative can get you in touch with a represative from each country to get accounts setup.

ABM

  • To create an Apple Business Manager account go to business.apple.com
  • You will need to verify the organization using a D-U-N-S Number. This is country dependent as well.
  • Verify your domain(s)
  • Federate your Domain through Microsoft or Google or your identity provider.
    • This will make pull accounts already created in either platform. This will increase productivity and reduce account creation errors.
    • This is not required.
    • User Guide
  • Connect ABM to your MDM. To do this you will need to add an MDM to you ABM account.
  • Connect Content Tokens
    • The content token is used to distribute app licenses to the MDM
    • User Guide
  • Volume Purchasing Program
    • ABM will be used to purchase app licenses that are pushed to your MDM

Mobile Device Management (MDM)

  • Connect ABM to your chosen MDM solution. See links above to connect MDM and content tokens
  • Configure groups and profiles based on your company’s security requirements.

Conclusion

By adopting this solution, the IT department can deliver devices directly to end users, significantly shortening deployment time from two to three weeks to as little as one day. The Mobile Device Management system manages all configurations and app distributions seamlessly during the device activation process.

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