How Meraki Systems Manager (SM) enables simplified management for app containerization, licensing, and mobile applications.
At this stage of the game, there is no industry that has gone untouched by the growth and penetration of mobile computing. An entirely new sector of the IT industry has arisen from the need for solutions ranging from mobile device management (MDM) to enterprise mobility (EMM). While these devices have resulted in quantum leaps on a personal and business level, there are few products available that are truly adept at making them manageable from an administrative standpoint. Behold Meraki Systems Manager.
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Let’s look at some of SM’s practical uses, both at the user-level and for the IT admin:
Mobility: the big picture
Users interact with their mobile devices using apps. Apps are also a way for companies to provide a service or utility to their audience. Everything from email and cloud storage access, to mobile-enabled websites and handy tools like your phone’s camera – they have all become integrated into our daily routines.
Now let’s look at app management, and the three (3) primary concerns inherent therein:
1. Pushing apps out to users’ devices
Meraki Systems Manager is pretty straightforward when it comes to pushing apps. It’s a three-step process, with a slight modification depending on if it’s a publicly available app or a private app.
If the app is already available on the App Store:
- Locate the app you want,
- Choose the group of users that you want to push the app out to
- Push it out to all managed devices
If it’s a private app or installer, you will replace the first step by either a) uploading it to the Meraki cloud or b) pointing to the location where it’s hosted. It’s really that simple.
2. Managing the licensing process
Licensing and inventory of your apps are crucial to application deployment, but the process can be difficult. Ideally, you’d like to see a simplified process that increases visibility. In Meraki Systems Manager, this is accomplished by integrating with Apple’s Volume Purchase Program (VPP) to enable bulk distribution and licensing. Apps are pushed out silently, minimizing disruption to the end user and making life a whole lot easier for IT admins.
3. Implementation of containerization
Your containerization strategy is the last stage of the process. Again, Meraki simplifies this step by condensing it into a single query: should your managed apps be able to communicate and interact with unmanaged apps? For instance, if you didn’t want your managed apps to connect with Dropbox or Gmail, then you need them to be containerized. It’s as simple as checking a couple of boxes and you’re good to go.
Interlaced: thought leaders in Apple technology management since 2009
If you are interested in finding out more about the Meraki Systems Manager and what it can do for your mobile application management processes, call Interlaced today – we’d love to chat.
