MobileIron announced its Apple Release which addresses the growing need for enterprises to provide employees with the option of using a Mac. The release is designed to bring MobileIron’s modern security and access model to macOS to increase Mac security and reduce the complexity of IT operations. The release also features day zero compatibility support for iOS 11, which is expected to be released by Apple later this month.
Apple has won the hearts, minds, and wallets of many Millennials. Research firms have found that Apple is the number one Millennial brand†and the brand to which Millennials are the most loyal and engaged.†Therefore, as Millennials have entered the workforce, there has been an increase in the use of Apple Macs in the enterprise. TrendForce reported that Mac shipments grew 17 percent in Q2 2017.†However, many Macs used in the enterprise present a serious security risk because they are unmanaged by IT or they increase operational complexity because they are managed using legacy solutions.
MobileIron’s modern security and access model
Desktop and mobile operating system architectures are converging and IT teams should be looking to reduce the number of technologies they use to manage their endpoints. MobileIron’s Apple Release is designed to make it possible to secure and manage all modern endpoints with the same, easy-to-use console. Planned capabilities include:
- Protect data on a Mac by securing application delivery and configuration
- Protect data as it leaves a Mac by securing connectivity through MobileIron Tunnel, which provides per-app VPN and eliminates the need for a separate third-party VPN
- Protect data in the cloud by enforcing trusted access through MobileIron Access, blocking unauthorized Macs from reaching services like Office 365 and Salesforce
“To attract the best talent, companies must provide employees with the cutting edge technologies they want to use,” said†Barry Mainz, President, and CEO, MobileIron. “With our new macOS capabilities, CIOs can not only effectively secure the Macs they already have, but also offer Macs to a broader set of employees as a corporate-authorized platform. Security and operational complexity will no longer inhibit the adoption of Macs in the enterprise.”
Target features:
- Support for MobileIron Access and Tunnel:†Brings expanded MobileIron modern security and access model to macOS.
- App gatekeeper: Sets policies that define which apps employees can download to their devices in order to prevent apps from performing malicious actions.
- App distribution: Brings all of MobileIron’s app distribution and lifecycle capabilities to macOS devices, including Apple’s Volume Purchase Program (VPP) and Device Enrollment Program (DEP).
- In-house apps support:†Distribute apps that are not in Apple’s†Mac App Store.
- Security policy and compliance actions:†Triggers pre-defined compliance actions when certain conditions are detected, such as encryption is disabled, MDM is deactivated, etc.
- Mac restrictions:†Supports restrictions through Sierra 10.12 release.
- Custom configurations:†Adds macOS to MobileIron’s existing custom configurations so administrators can push custom configurations to Mac devices.
MobileIron’s new macOS features extend MobileIron’s modern security and access model to employee-owned and corporate-purchased Macs. Enterprise data is more secure and desktop administrators can give users secure access to email, Wi-Fi, VPN and other business and productivity apps and content repositories in minutes.
iOS 11
MobileIron’s Apple Release also includes day zero compatibility support for iOS 11.
