By Chris Brannighan
Systems Engineer
Chris looks at what to consider if you are still using Fleetsmith as it becomes End of Life.
Fleetsmith is a MDM solution that offers management capabilities for both macOS and iOS. It was one of the first cloud hosted MDM solutions dedicated to Apple products, even though other on prem solutions had been around a lot longer.
End of life
Apple acquired Fleetsmith in June 2020, and the tech world thought then this would be Apple’s entry into the device management marketplace that wasn’t Apple configurator. Fast forward to October 2022, Fleetsmith will become end of life as a service. This comes as a bit of a surprise for some users, as it was only just acquired by Apple, much to the fanfare by commentators in the industry.
Apple Business Essentials
It does seem though some basic features will remain. Apple is leveraging some of the back-end services within its new service, Apple Business Essentials. This brings new support for small to medium businesses (SMB’s) in the form of some initial MDM features, enhancements to hardware support and the streamlining of the onboarding process for Apple business users. Apple Business Essentials will be an option for less regulated organisations to have greater control of their devices. Larger enterprise users with more security requirements, may find themselves with a bit of a dilemma, asking themselves where they go to get those more granular controls that it doesn’t provide at the moment. Other questions may be around migration, updating applications and how to protect users further as the cyber security regulations and new threats evolve.
What does this mean for current Fleetsmith users?
With all this happening in the background, it leaves current users of Fleetsmith in an evolving situation. Companies will require a solution with similar or better capabilities, and still be able to maintain full management of their devices as they are being migrated. This can be a challenging process for internal IT teams, and it needs to be deployed in a secure way that doesn’t impede productivity or negatively impact company resources. With a hard deadline looming for October, companies may want to look now at what’s out there, to meet their requirements and quickly.
What is a credible alternative?
So, how can organisations move forward onto a secure Apple enterprise management platform they can trust, and still comply to industry standards as highlighted by National Cyber Security centre
Jamf is a market leader for managing and securing Apple devices at an enterprise level. The Jamf suite of products covers all business sizes and is deployed in various vertical markets. Jamf uses a customised combination of tools to manage, secure, and protect users and devices. There are also different licensing models available to suit budgets, team sizes and company growth plans in these unprecedented times.
Jamf have also been featured in the Fortune 100 best places to work for 2022 which also demonstrates the belief and investment in the platform, solidifying its position as a market leader in Apple management.
How DARE can help:
DARE are Apple security experts, and a Jamf Gold Partner for the UK and the Nordics. DARE specialise in the management and security of Apple devices in enterprise. DARE offer a wide range of services and support that can help with migration, onboarding, and the deployment of Jamf, all while providing high levels of user support up to a full MSP level.
If you are exploring other solutions for your Apple estate, DARE can demonstrate why Jamf is the platform that will provide the market leading secure solution your organisation requires.
