Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.
There’s never a good time to migrate between device management vendors, but sometimes its necessary. If all of your devices are deployed at the same time (on a lease, etc.), you can time these device refreshes with the new device management deployment; otherwise, you’ll be migrating mid-flight. The end goal is to ensure that end-users have no disruption.
About Apple @ Work: Bradley Chambers managed an enterprise IT network from 2009 to 2021. Through his experience deploying and managing firewalls, switches, a mobile device management system, enterprise grade Wi-Fi, 1000s of Macs, and 1000s of iPads, Bradley will highlight ways in which Apple IT managers deploy Apple devices, build networks to support them, train users, stories from the trenches of IT management, and ways Apple could improve its products for IT departments.
Why are you migrating?
Before you pull the trigger, you need to make sure you’re making the right decision. Are you switching simply for cost reasons, or are there technical challenges your current MDM is not allowing you to meet? Is it difficult working with the support team, and you have unresolved issues?
Migrating to a new device management vendor can be challenging, expensive in cost and labor, and highly disruptive to productivity. There are reasons to migrate, but before you begin, you need to document how your existing vendor is not meeting your needs and ensure that your new vendor can solve that problem.
Planning is absolutely vital
When planning your MDM migration, you’ll want to start with a comprehensive planning document and project management plan. You’ll want to define the scope of the migration, identify the internal stakeholders involved, and establish clear objectives and timelines.
Customers first
A healthy IT department is one that views end users as their customers and focuses on putting their customers first. With a MDM migration, you’ll want to ensure that the user experience is at the forefront of the strategy. One thing to remember is that MDM is a tool for IT first, so end users simply view it as a way to receive policies, apps, etc. They just want their devices to work. While your team might be excited about the migration, for end users, it’s just another task. You’ll want to ensure that your migration path is as friction free as possible, dates are communicated, and training is done.
Document everything
Documentation is everything when it comes to MDM migrations. This includes preparing detailed documentation on the differences between the old and new MDM platforms, why the company is changing (transparency is key), and providing training sessions that can help bridge these gaps. It’s also important to have a dedicated team to handle queries and issues that arise during and after the migration. I recommend setting a one-month migration window where folks can migrate themselves. Encourage folks to migrate early to avoid future downtime when their Macs can be in challenging middle state.
Technical considerations
Address technical challenges by choosing the right time to conduct the migration to minimize impact on business operations. The end of the quarter or fiscal year is not the time to kick off this migration. Find a time when folks aren’t traveling (not around conferences, key events, summer vacation, etc). You’ll also want to test the migration process thoroughly before going fully live can prevent many post-migration issues. Don’t trust the vendors process – verify it and document every step.
Wrap up
After the migration, continuously gather user feedback to address any issues promptly. Anything related to MDM migration should be considered a P1. IT kicked off the project, so IT must support it. MDM migration can seem overwhelming, but the process can be significantly streamlined with the right preparation, a focus on user experience, and effective change management. TL;DR: The key to a successful migration is not just in choosing the right solution but also in managing the change and making your end users happy.
Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.
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