Mosyle and Fleet bring new device management options to Apple enterprise

​ Hot on the heels of Jamf’s introduction of new compliance tools for Apple admins, Mosyle and Fleet have rolled out improvements to their own competing device management offerings.  

What all these solutions have in common is that they meet an enterprise market that is rapidly adopting Macs, iPads, and iPhones, prompting fast-paced service enhancements across the Apple device management industry.

Like art, business technology also seems set on reflecting life. “Apple Macs, iPhones, and iPads are now commonly used as productive business tools in enterprises across many industries,” said Phil Hochmuth, IDC research vice president for endpoint management and enterprise mobility. Apple itself understands this, and now offers a wide array of services and training for business users.

The growing Apple enterprise pie

“IT organizations are increasingly required to deliver a cohesive Apple experience to end users across multipole device types, while providing deep integration to enterprise applications and IT infrastructure platforms,” Hochmuth said. “Apple-focused UEM and device management tools can help organizations keep these devices managed and secure.”

That’s true, and it’s also correct to believe vendors in the space are competing for a big slice of the IT spending pie. IDC predicts global IT and business services revenues will reach $1.28 trillion this year; while Apple device management and security solutions represent only a few drops of that spend, those drops are worth a lot. With increasing focus on managed device, zero-trust security, managed services, and integrated administration tools, Apple’s MDM partners can’t resist the opportunity.

That’s the situation we find ourselves in, so what’s new from Mosyle and Fleet?

Mosyle aims at managed service providers

Unashamedly aimed at managed service providers (MSPs), Mosyle Fuse MSP combines five management and security tools in one bundle. The tools include those for device management, endpoint security, internet privacy and security, identity, and application management.

In use, these tools let MSPs set and automatically apply policies across all their customers from one place. Mosyle also says it’s possible to break out individual service components when required — so VPN profiles can be managed separately from Apple Push Certificates, for example. Billing has also been simplified to ensure MSPs only pay for licenses their customers actually use. More information on the combined package is available here.

“Mosyle is committed to growing the Apple ecosystem and helping MSPs scale,” Alcyr Araujo, founder and CEO at Mosyle, said in a statement. “Mosyle Fuse MSP is designed to accomplish both — delivering an automated and scalable platform for MSPs that offers comprehensive security and management for Apple-focused customers across the globe.”

Fleet simplifies multi-platform fleet management

A relatively new entrant to the market, Fleet’s USP sits in its open-source roots and its positioning as a device management solution for multiple operating systems, including Apple, Windows, and Linux.

Fleet’s Maintenance Window feature is designed to take the pain away from system upgrades on managed devices by figuring out the optimal time to apply updates through analysis of an employee’s own work calendar. The idea here is that when IT pushes an update at their fleet — Apple, Windows, or Linux — the system will not interrupt workflow or tie a computer up at the worst possible time.

That means your computer won’t restart to install something in the middle of a meeting or just before an important client appointment. “We’ve heard the complaints loud and clear and are doing something about one of the biggest problems in workplace productivity — disruptions caused by forced, unplanned OS updates,” said Fleet CEO Mike McNeil.

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Apple, iOS, Mobile Device Management, Mobile Security   Read More Computerworld