IT gains open-source tools to manage iPhones, iPads, and Macs

If you happen to be, or know, an open-source advocate who’s fallen into Apple IT management, here’s some welcome news: all-remote, open-source device management platform Fleet has introduced iOS device support to supplement its existing Mac, Windows, and Linux device management capabilities.

This is, as regular readers will know I continue to insist, yet another sign of the growing maturity (and market share) of Apple’s products in the enterprise. The ecosystem that supports those products is growing to meet multiple business needs, and this now extends to enterprise admins who want open-source solutions to manage multiple platforms. That is what Fleet does.

Apple’s enterprise ecosystem gets a little open source

The deal is that Fleet’s GitOps-based approach to device management means IT departments can integrate existing GitHub repositories and workflows into their device management workflow. 

Who benefits most? IT admins managing multiple platforms. While needs and industry requirements differ, there are some who want the ability to manage multiple platforms from one place. Fleet gives them a tool to manage iOS (iPhone and iPad) devices, while also managing other platforms — all in the same Fleet instance.

“Our vision is to empower teams to manage their devices their way — without being locked into proprietary tools or vendor restrictions, Fleet CEO Mike McNeil said, banging the open-source drum.

I spoke with McNeil last year, when he explained that companies who choose tools on a per-platform basis can end up with problems handling it all.  “Juggling diverse platforms will often lead to adopting more vendors, which translates to higher costs and reduced efficiency due to the need for additional personnel with unique skill sets that translate poorly from one platform to the next,” he said then. “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to this complex situation, no ‘easy button’ or single vendor that can solve these problems effortlessly.”

What about Fleet?

Fleet’s source code remains publicly available and contributable to by open-source developers. Fleet also offers some degree of scale. The company aspires to be as open in its business as in its code, with a highly detailed company handbook (which you can explore here), and claims to be attracting strong interest from fintech firms seeking to manage cross-platform fleets.

On its website, the company also explains: “This latest release is designed to simplify mobile device management (MDM) while giving your team the control and flexibility they need to scale effectively.”

What’s new?

The release supports automatic installation of software on hosts, self-service apps, and BYOD iPhones and iPads. Fleet’s support for Apple Business Manager (ABM) means admins can manage software installs, device settings, and compliance across employee-owned devices. And Volume Purchase Program (VPP) support makes it possible for admins to deploy corporate-purchased App Store apps across their devices. Fleet also supports automatic software installs to help maintain device and fleet compliance, though that feature isn’t yet iOS-compatible.

Fleet’s solution lets larger users add multiple ABM and VPP tokens across a single Fleet instance. While most smaller enterprises won’t put much store in that feature, larger businesses, especially Managed Service Providers (MSPs), will see immediate benefit from being able to use one instance of Fleet to handle multiple customer needs.

“Whether an MSP or an enterprise with multiple divisions, admins can set up separate workflows to automatically enroll devices and distribute apps through the App Store. This update simplifies the process of handling macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices, providing a scalable solution for both MSPs and enterprises looking to centralize control while maintaining flexibility for different user groups,” the company says on its website.

What comes next?

Fleet has become one of the myriad of device management vendors locking in Apple support as they understand the critical nature of doing so. These vendors aren’t doing it for fun; they read the same market reports as everybody else, which of course means they also recognize that enterprise IT is changing. They know at their intuitive core that the future of business is as much about iPhones, iPads, and Macs as it once was about Roneo, Windows, and Letraset. It’s best to get to where that change is going, rather than be left behind.

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