Addigy Review

Problem #1: Little Visibility over Assets on Network

Solution: To address security problems on your network, you need to know what devices are on it. Initially creating this inventory may feel intimidating especially if your organization has a BYOD policy, but this process is straightforward with an MDM and the help of the data from Automated Device Enrollment (formally Device Enrollment Program/DEP).

Once you know what devices you have on your network, you simply log the start date of each employee and the date their Mac computer or iOS device was purchased. These data points will then set you up for best practices around provisioning and help you plan your device procurement.

Most Mac devices come with a one-year warranty, and Addigy generally recommends that organizations purchase the extended warranty for devices they purchase. With it, they will get excellent coverage for three years.

Field practice shows that if a device hasn’t broken after the first two years, chances are it won’t. You may need to replace a battery after several years of use, but if end users are diligent about basic care and beverage placement, you’re likely to get four years of use out of a Mac computer in a business setting.

Once you build out your device inventory, with one eye on hiring trends, you’ll be able to make an educated estimate for your provisioning budget and include potential increases in software costs.

Problem #2: Complicated Software Provisioning

Solution: When it comes to provisioning software, you may be asked to report on who is using what tools and if there’s room to save money by redistributing software licenses that aren’t currently in use.

Many enterprises have a huge budget for the deployment of the full Office 365, but you may be asked how many people are actually using it. With an MDM, you have visibility into who has launched the program. This allows you to evaluate software usage within a more helpful framework.

For example, you may want to ask how many people have opened this program in the past six months. If they haven’t and its usage isn’t likely required for their core responsibilities, you may then inquire if these end-users would be open to passing that license along.

While it may be more sensitive for end-users to participate in a software audit than a device inventory, a mobile device management portal will give you clear visibility into what applications or software licenses are frequently put to use and which may be redistributed.

Problem #3: Security Updates Are Time-Consuming

Solution: Once you know what Mac and iOS devices you have on your network, you’ll be positioned to proactively manage security and updates.

Security and updating go hand in hand: the processes that you use to alert people to security updates are the same when it comes to updating their machines. If the update doesn’t have a major security fix, it’s best to send a gentle notification rather than a massive email, and then offer your employees the options to update their software now or later.

With mobile device management software activated, if a certain piece needs immediate remediation (as Zoom did last year), it is easy to respond to the issue in a timely manner—this is a great example in which MDM software sets your team up to react efficiently rather than scrambling.

To proactively address security risks, you’ll have to ask the bigger question: What are the necessary security requirements for these Mac devices if we’re going to put corporate data on them?

This question will help you define what you want to monitor and set up alerts for—integrating automatic scripting and end-user communication through one user interface.