Managing Apple in the enterprise

Rob Bamforth, Principal Analyst

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Managing Apple in the enterprise http://www.quocirca.com 2014 Quocirca Ltd

Apples products were once niche devices. Now,
following a consumer-led initiative, they are
widely used across the enterprise.

Not long ago, the idea of managing Apple
machines in the enterprise would have been met
with confusion and an answer along the lines of
"we dont worry about a couple of desktops used
in marketing".

Apple devices, desktops in particular, have been
viewed as expensive, limited in application
choices and best suited to more creative roles
design, photography, video editing and so on.

They have often been seen as ahead of the
market for ease of use (hence the old joke, what
do Apple users call Windows 98? Mac 89), but
real computer users want a machine you can
upgrade, customise and install drivers on, dont
they? Not any more.


Not any more


A mid-sized utilities company recently revealed
in an internal survey that, when asked what sort
of computer they would like, more than two-
thirds chose a Mac.

Add this to the consumerisation of mobile IT and
the bring your own device (BYOD) trend, and
suddenly there are more Apple devices in the
organisation than ever before.

This only adds to the existing challenge faced by
most IT departments of controlling a mass of PC
desktops and laptops that are likely to have
multiple versions of Windows, despite the recent
discontinuing of updates for Windows XP.

There will be plenty of other mobile devices and
operating systems adding to the confusion but,
here at least, tools are starting to appear that
support different mobile platforms.


Desktops, tablets, smartphones


Apple has two primary operating systems: OS X
and iOS. Upgrade costs for the former are low
compared to a traditional PC in fact, the latest
Yosemite operating system will be free to Apple
customers. OS X is also Unix-based, which leads
to a solid operating system platform for running
and managing systems.

The operating system for iPads and iPhones, iOS,
shares many basic frameworks with OS X, but
has adaptations, for example, in the user
interface so it is better suited to touch
interaction.

There are also restrictions and limitations that
prevent it from being fully compatible with Unix.
Originally designed and optimised for consumers,
there are challenges for enterprise deployment
and management.


Deploy or BYOD


Moving from a few Macs to a widespread
corporate deployment is a big jump. The basic
OS X setup process, using the Migration
Assistant to transfer settings from another
system, is straightforward, but unfeasible when
working on several computers. Mass
deployments usually require a corporate
standard image to be used and installed on all
hardware.

While the Apple enterprise management
ecosystem is nowhere near as broad as that of
PCs, there are some decent tools worth
exploring. First, Apple includes some
rudimentary image-management capabilities
through NetInstall in its Server app for OS X
server (superseding the earlier Server Admin
Tools), along with other tools for managing
users, sharing, backups and so on.




Managing Apple in the enterprise http://www.quocirca.com 2014 Quocirca Ltd

There are also free tools, such as DeployStudio,
that will fill some gaps, and more complete
packages, such as JAMF Softwares
comprehensive Casper Suite, which integrates
well with Apples own tools, and Symantecs
Client Management Suite (although this requires
Windows on the server side).

Managing the mobile side of products throws up
many more options. This is because mobile
device management (MDM) suppliers have had
to support at least iOS and Android as their first
platforms, followed by Windows Mobile and,
perhaps, BlackBerry.

Improvements to iOS have given it better
integration with third-party MDM systems, not
only for enrolment and deployment, but for
managing apps. Enrolment can be fully
automated via the Apple device enrolment
programme for corporate-owned devices. And
those who have chosen a BYOD approach can
allow users access to a self-service enrolment
with opt-in and opt-out options.


Managing software


Mac software can be bought through the App
Store, delivered automatically and cached
through the Apple server platform (for both OS X
and iOS devices), and controls can be applied to
automate updates in the background or delay
restarts until suitable times.

As the App Store is now part of Apples volume
purchase programme, there are significant
commercial benefits for enterprise software
licensing. These apply to BYOD, as well as
traditional corporate device deployments.

Not everyone is impressed with Apples
enterprise support. Indeed, Facebook and Google
developed their own management approach to
Macs. For Google, this includes building on the
use of open-source tools, such as Munki for
software installation and Puppet for configuration
management.

It also added its own work with CanHazImage for
managing system images, and Cauliflower Vest
to automate OS Xs FileVault2. Google also used
Crankd to respond to system or network events.
Facebook, meanwhile, has pushed into security
with an intrusion-detection framework called
Project Midas (Mac Intrusion Detection Analysis
System), working with Etsy.

Further commercial software-management tool
options are available in addition to the
capabilities from JAMF and Symantec mentioned
above, including other management suites such
as FileWave and LANDesk.


Integrating with the enterprise


For individual Macs, there are virtual machines,
such as Parallels and VMwares Fusion, and
virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) systems,
from VMware View or Citrixs DesktopPlayer,
which deliver centrally controlled and managed
Windows desktops on a Mac. Taking this a stage
further, into the cloud, Amazons WorkSpaces, a
desktop as a service (DaaS), also delivers a
managed virtual desktop to most devices.

Most enterprises, however, have existing models
to structure user access to IT systems through
groups, user name and password, and very often
Microsofts Active Directory.

Configuring and setting up user accounts, logins
and groups can be accomplished for Mac users
through pre-configuration, but in different ways
to those employed in Windows environments,
because the server side tools differ.

OS X server tools have some of the necessary
functionality, but can be supplemented further
with tools such as Centrifys User Suite Mac
Edition and Thursby Softwares ADmitMac, which
extends basic Mac capabilities to turn a Mac into
a full Active Directory client.

Mobile devices replacing desktops and laptops
bring further physical problems although these
are not unique to Apple. There are of course
security concerns but the loss or theft of the
device can be mitigated by good insurance.

A choose your own or bring your own device
policy, where employees take more care of
devices they have a stake in, could also alleviate
these concerns. But there still needs to be
suitable management of data, applications and
mobile devices to protect the digital assets.





Managing Apple in the enterprise http://www.quocirca.com 2014 Quocirca Ltd

Finally, individuals might have their own
chargers and devices, but when the model
moves to widespread enterprise deployment,
further assistance may be of benefit.

A quick glance on the Apple store indicates a
range of third-party rack, stack, sync and
charge products from suppliers, such as
Bretford, LocknCharge and XtremeMac, which
may go some way in aiding automation.

In a few short years, Apple has moved from a
specialist minority device provider, popular in
certain creative applications, through a
consumer-led initiative, into general-purpose
enterprise use. Organisations now have to build
up the expertise and tools to help manage this
fleet, and suppliers, including Apple itself, are
starting to recognise the challenges and address
the opportunity.


This article first appeared on
http://www.computerweekl y.com





Managing Apple in the enterprise http://www.quocirca.com 2014 Quocirca Ltd


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