[ipad] Best iOS MDM

[FN-GM]

Hello,

 

We use Meraki and its not the best. Can anyone else recommend good free MDM for iPads please?

 

Thanks

[Blue_Cookeh]

Lightspeed's MDM looks ugly (IMO) but it seems quick to jump onto iOS MDM features as they become available. For example I still can't deploy Application specific PLIST configuration files with Meraki, but I can with Lightspeed. That alone is a major feature.

 

Also I found that if you're into Lightspeed's filtering then you can do some neat stuff with the built in iOS filter and Lightspeed, even when off site.

[MicrodigitUK]

We use "VMware AirWatch" mixed with "groundctl.com" for easy on-bonding devices into AirWatch MDM via USB cable.

 

---- Update ----

 

Sorry missed the word "FREE" its defiantly not that.

Edited March 15, 2017 by MicrodigitUK

[Brimstone]

JamfPro, as used by IBM, very powerful but not free

 

https://www.jamf.com

[Arthur]

Can anyone else recommend good free MDM for iPads

Jamf Now is free for upto 3 devices.

 

G Suite also includes an MDM but it's probably going to be too basic?

 

https://support.google.com/a/answer/1734200?hl=en

 

How essential is it that it's free? The best iOS MDM isn't going to be free.

[snagrat]

ZuluDesk is excellent. But not free

[Jamman960]

We've gone from Meraki to trialing Lightspeed and now we're sticking with ZuluDesk, it's about the same price as Lightspeed but is generally updated as soon as new mdm features get supported by iOS. it took Lightspeed far too long to include Apple classroom/shared iPad and from what I've heard they still haven't implimemented it well

 

If money was no object I'd probably go with Jamf but right now Zuludesk is good enough, The Apple tech guys quietly recommended it when I went to their 9.3 preview last year.

[Sylv3r]

I'm interested why you guys don't like Meraki - we've got it setup in 4 of our schools and we've had no issues at all with it. We used Airwatch previously, and we didn't have many issues with it, I just thought Meraki was more intuitive.

[Jollity]

We are just about to do a big expansion in the number of iPads. We previously have been using configurator, but I do not think that will cut it any more and am wondering a similar thing to @FN-GM.

 

What do people think of Apple's profile manager for managing iPads? If not quite free, it is very cheap if you already have a Mac to run it on. However, I get the impression it is not particularly well regarded. What are the issues with it? Or are there people out there very happy with it?

Edited March 24, 2017 by Jollity

[markwilfan]

We are just about to do a big expansion in the number of iPads. We previously have been using configurator, but I do not think that will cut it any more and am wondering a similar thing to @FN-GM.

 

What do people think of Apple's profile manager for managing iPads? If not quite free, it is very cheap if you already have a Mac to run it on. However, I get the impression it is not particularly well regarded. What are the issues with it? Or are there people out there very happy with it?

In a word "flakey". We use it for 70 ipads and 20 macs. Server needs restarting every few days. It also does not scale up very well

[PR-UK]

Profile Manager is pretty weak, as above fairly unreliable even just for the 20 iMacs we run on it.

 

Not free but we use Casper/JAMF Pro for iPad MDM, have over 1200 devices on it and it's pretty good, we run it on site and pushed stuff goes through very quickly, it's not perfect, every few weeks we have to restart the service as Tomcat is running 100% CPU. Previously using Legacy Meraki and that was a mess, so slow to do things; push an app out to a year group, it could take days for it to work through them all.

[Simcfc73]

Just having a play with Zuludesk.. its cheap and has some nice features in Supervised mode but can I heckers like get it working.

[Jehanzeb]

I am also looking at options as we are currently using Meraki (Legacy system) and it's showing signs of limitations in many areas. I've looked at Lightspeed, Zuludesk, Jamf Pro and off course Meraki. They all seem to be serving the same purpose, just need to see who does more innovative but also adapt changes according to their customer feedback. I personally love companies that build upon their customer feedback and respond promptly I.e. Work as "partners".

 

Kindest regards

 

J.