SimpleMDM went into 2023 as a flexible, powerful Apple MDM solution. It strutted into 2024 an even more feature-rich tool, ready to take on virtually anything an Apple environment could throw at it. We’ll break down our biggest news of the year.
Declarative device management beta
It was a banner year for declarative device management (DDM) — all current Apple operating systems now support this proactive approach to mobile device management. We’ve been eager to embrace DDM due to its convenience, reliability, and improved overall experience, so we were excited to introduce declarative device management (currently in beta). Customers who opt in can turn on DDM protocol, migrate existing profiles to DDM, install some profiles, and more.
Platform SSO
With the release of macOS Ventura in late 2022, Platform SSO became a reality. We celebrated quietly and with impressive decorum. But before the adrenaline even wore off, we got to work making it virtually effortless to configure Platform SSO with SimpleMDM. Now, user authentication will be incredibly easy once more identity providers support Platform SSO.
New SimpleMDM features
We rolled out a lot of new features this year, giving MacAdmins even more control and flexibility. Here’s a sample of our 2023 additions.
Account-driven enrollment
In October, we announced account-driven enrollment, providing yet one more option for streamlined device enrollment. End users can sign in with an organizational Managed Apple ID via the Settings app. Given Apple’s deprecation of profile-based user enrollment, it’s a good idea for us all to embrace account-driven enrollment ASAP.
Welcome screen enhancements
With our new welcome screen enhancements, you can create a welcome screen form that displays during enrollment. The submitted information saves to the device for automatic insertion into areas like configuration profiles.
Return to Service
We added the Return to Service option to allow touchless reprovisioning. By sending a Wi-Fi network configuration with the Wipe command, the target device automatically reconnects to Wi-Fi to continue through setup. No need for user interaction, which means less work for you.
Scheduled scripts and auto attributes
In a delightful twofer, we introduced scheduled scripts and auto attributes. We’ve supported running scripts for several years now, but scheduled scripts take it to the next level by allowing you to select a future time and date rather than running them in real time. You can even set scripts to run automatically on a recurring basis to save yourself some time and energy.
Meanwhile, auto attributes allow you to store output from scripts, thereby expanding your reporting capabilities.
NoPkg
Back in February, we added support for NoPkg in our hosted Munki integration to expand SimpleMDM’s script execution capabilities. Now, you can manage settings and configurations, automate repetitive tasks, manage printers, and more without distributing a software payload.
Conferences
Because we can’t resist opportunities to learn, network, and have a good time under the guise of “working,” we hit the conference circuit pretty hard this year, attending WWDC 2023 (virtually), MacDevOps YVR 2023, and PSU MacAdmins.
We met many of you, learned from insightful speakers, found out about some of the latest developments in Apple MDM, and marveled at impressive open-source projects. And if our boss asks, that’s all we did. 🤐
The Apple MDM protocol continues to evolve to accommodate changing needs, and SimpleMDM stays on top of developments to offer MacAdmins the latest and greatest innovations. While 2023 was a big year for us, we expect 2024 to prove just as groundbreaking. Read our release notes to stay on top of the latest developments. And if you don’t already use SimpleMDM, sign up for a free 30-day trial to try our new features.
