As organizations increasingly embrace the flexibility of remote work, ensuring the security and manageability of macOS devices has become paramount. Microsoft Intune offers a comprehensive solution for managing macOS devices, allowing IT administrators to secure access to work email, data, and applications while simplifying the user experience. This article explores the essential steps for enabling mobile device management (MDM) for macOS devices using Intune, from initial setup to app deployment.
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Prerequisites for macOS device management
Before diving into macOS device management with Intune, several prerequisites must be met:
- 1. Add Users and Groups: Set up the necessary user accounts and groups within Intune.
- 2. Assign Licenses: Ensure users have appropriate Intune licenses assigned.
- 3. Set Mobile Device Management Authority: Designate Intune as your mobile device management authority.
- 4. Set Up Apple MDM Push Certificate: Acquire and configure an Apple Push Notification service (APNs) certificate.
Understanding roles and permissions is critical. While the Microsoft Entra Global Administrator and Intune Administrator roles have extensive rights within Intune, it’s advisable to utilize the least privileged role necessary for specific tasks. For instance, the Policy and Profile Manager role is sufficient for managing device enrollment.
Planning your deployment
Strategic planning is vital for a successful Intune deployment. The Microsoft Intune Planning Guide provides insights into defining device management goals, use-case scenarios, and rollout strategies. It’s also important to develop a communication plan to inform end users about how to install the Company Portal app on macOS, which is not available in the App Store.
Enrolling macOS devices
Proper enrollment is essential to ensure that devices receive the appropriate Intune policies and configurations. Intune supports various enrollment methods:
- Bring Your Own Device (BYOD): This method allows users to enroll their personal devices for work purposes, facilitating flexibility and enhancing productivity.
- Apple Automated Device Enrollment (ADE): Ideal for organizations with many devices, ADE automates the enrollment process for corporate-owned devices purchased through Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.
- Direct Enrollment for Corporate Devices: This method is suited for corporate-owned devices used in shared environments, allowing for straightforward enrollment without data wiping.
In addition, designating Device Enrollment Managers (DEM) allows organizations to enroll multiple corporate devices simultaneously, simplifying the management process.
Creating compliance rules
Compliance policies are critical for maintaining security standards across devices. These policies define the conditions that devices and users must meet to access protected resources. Noncompliant devices can be flagged and restricted based on predefined criteria.
Key steps include:
- Creating Compliance Policies: Follow step-by-step guidance to establish and assign compliance policies tailored to your organization’s needs.
- Adding Actions for Noncompliance: Define specific actions for when devices fail to meet compliance standards, such as sending notifications or restricting access.
- Establishing Conditional Access Policies: Utilize conditional access policies to protect specific apps or services, ensuring that only compliant devices gain access.
Configuring device settings
Intune empowers administrators to configure device settings to enhance security and usability. Administrators can create device configuration profiles to enforce specific settings across macOS devices. This includes:
- Wi-Fi and VPN Profiles: Enable seamless connectivity for users through configured Wi-Fi and secure VPN options.
- Restricting Device Features: Control access to specific functionalities, enhancing security by limiting users’ options on work devices.
- Custom Profiles and Branding: Personalize the Intune Company Portal experience with your organization’s branding and contact information.
Deploying applications
Efficient app management is crucial for user productivity. When deploying applications, consider your organization’s needs regarding platforms and tasks. Intune allows you to manage both device and app configurations seamlessly.
Tasks include:
- Adding Essential Applications: Deploy key applications like the Intune Company Portal, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft 365.
- Managing App Assignments: Control user access by assigning apps to specific groups and using shell scripts for advanced management tasks.
Running remote actions
Intune also enables IT administrators to manage and troubleshoot macOS devices remotely, ensuring ongoing support and issue resolution. Utilize remote actions to address device-specific challenges efficiently.
Conclusion
Managing macOS devices with Microsoft Intune offers organizations a robust framework for ensuring security and accessibility. By following the outlined steps for prerequisites, deployment planning, enrollment, compliance, device configuration, and app deployment, IT teams can streamline operations and enhance user experiences. AVASOFT is committed to helping organizations navigate the complexities of mobile device management, ensuring that your macOS devices are secure and compliant.
