Apple Acquires Enterprise Device Management Firm Fleetsmith

[MacRumors]

Enterprise security software Fleetsmith is now part of Apple. Fleetsmith is a suite of management and security services that allows users to oversee a fleet of Apple products, automatically managing apps, settings, and security preferences while implementing best practices for IT and security.

Fleetsmith has always been focused on Apple products, and now Apple has purchased the company. Fleetsmith said that, "Our shared values of putting the customer at the center of everything we do without sacrificing privacy and security, means we can truly meet our mission, delivering Fleetsmith to businesses and institutions of all sizes, around the world."

Fleetsmith offers a free trial for up to 10 devices. Afterwards, you can opt for the free version of Fleetsmith or pay $8.25 per device per month for enhanced settings and more control over each device.

Article Link: Apple Acquires Enterprise Device Management Firm Fleetsmith

 

[supremedesigner]

That's awesome! Will it be used for college/university support one day? If so, that'd be great. We're using O365...

 

[MacsRgr8]

Addition to Apple Business Manager / Apple School Manager?
Getting some security and management features in there in the future?

 

[Sharewaredemon]

Addition to Apple Business Manager / Apple School Manager?
Getting some security and management features in there in the future?

It makes sense for them to have more choices rather than simply suggest you use Jamf/Cisco/Mosyle

 

[konqerror]

That's awesome! Will it be used for college/university support one day? If so, that'd be great. We're using O365...

It's probably go the way of most of Apple's other enterprise/educational services: Apple will only support Apple devices, while Google and Microsoft and other competitor's MDM supports all platforms, so no medium sized company or university will use it because they can't ensure or don't want to have a 100% Apple environment, and they don't want to do everything twice.

 

[PR.]

Interesting, this might make Jamf nervous considering they have a lot of schools on their books with purely iOS/macOS devices.

 

[Trik]

Wow... this is huge. If they essentially bundle a Microsoft Intune type solution for "free", this could really help drive enterprise adoption. This coupled with Apple Silicon processors, in 2 years, assuming they pull it off and have 12-15 hours of battery life, because A14 chip is so power / thermal efficient, I'm going to have to be ordering 75% Macs instead of 25% as I do currently.

(I'm an IT Security manager at a mid-sized company)

 

[Hicksmat1976]

Enterprise security software Fleetsmith is now part of Apple. Fleetsmith is a suite of management and security services that allows users to oversee a fleet of Apple products, automatically managing apps, settings, and security preferences while implementing best practices for IT and security.

Fleetsmith has always been focused on Apple products, and now Apple has purchased the company. Fleetsmith said that, "Our shared values of putting the customer at the center of everything we do without sacrificing privacy and security, means we can truly meet our mission, delivering Fleetsmith to businesses and institutions of all sizes, around the world."

Fleetsmith offers a free trial for up to 10 devices. Afterwards, you can opt for the free version of Fleetsmith or pay $8.25 per device per month for enhanced settings and more control over each device.

Article Link: Apple Acquires Enterprise Device Management Firm Fleetsmith

JAMF et al won't be happy at this development. It was widely assumed for years that Apple and Jamf were very close, indeed Jamf may have developed internal systems for Apple.

 

[Trik]

It's probably go the way of most of Apple's other enterprise/educational services: Apple will only support Apple devices, while Google and Microsoft and other competitor's MDM supports all platforms, so no medium sized company or university will use it because they can't ensure or don't want to have a 100% Apple environment, and they don't want to do everything twice.

I definitely don't want to do everything twice, but there is an argument for best of breed. MS Intune on Mac leaves a lot to be desired. If this "just works" with Apple DEP out of the box, I might just say the hell with it, and have two systems.

 

[TriBruin]

JAMF et al won't be happy at this development. It was widely assumed for years that Apple and Jamf were very close, indeed Jamf may have developed internal systems for Apple.

Nothing is assumed anymore. Apple publicly stated at last year's JNUC that they use Jamf as their internal MDM. Prior to that, it was common knowledge, if not publicly disclosed.

 

[mlrproducts]

It's probably go the way of most of Apple's other enterprise/educational services: Apple will only support Apple devices, while Google and Microsoft and other competitor's MDM supports all platforms, so no medium sized company or university will use it because they can't ensure or don't want to have a 100% Apple environment, and they don't want to do everything twice.

As someone who worked for Apple B2B for 5+ years you're 100% right. Apple and business go together like Apple and Intel... they have to somewhat but they sure don't want to support it.

 

[dvanwinkle]

It's probably go the way of most of Apple's other enterprise/educational services: Apple will only support Apple devices, while Google and Microsoft and other competitor's MDM supports all platforms, so no medium sized company or university will use it because they can't ensure or don't want to have a 100% Apple environment, and they don't want to do everything twice.

I am a current Fleetsmith user. All they offer is Apple device management anyway.

 

[0s and 1s]

Happy for them - great product. Congrats!

 

[JMStearnsX2]

This could be interesting, I manage our MDM at my organization and if Apple decides to offer a 1st-party MDM solution it could really be a great benefit to us, especially if it's free and an extension to Apple DEP/Business Manager.

 

[whyamihere]

$100 per year per device X a "fleet" of devices = CHA-CHING!

 

[tivoboy]

If apple decides to make it easier to bring devices INTO this MDM solution, without having to have all the rigamorole of original purchaser, all the owner details, then that’ll be that for JAMF.

 

[beermode]

Not good. They'll find a way to limit the best API's to Apple only and lock out JAMF, Mosyle, etc.

 

[mariusignorello]

Very interesting. Jamf was and is considered the gold standard for device management. Maybe I’ll have to check this out.

Edit: it seems to require G Suite or O365 directories. Never mind, we don’t use either.

 

[ITinSF]

My IT team uses Fleetsmith, we woke up this morning to find all 3rd party app integrations GONE. The entire 'value proposition' has bottomed-out. Fleetsmith charges up front, annually, we paid $24K+ last January and now the most useful feature set has been ripped out. The terms say they can add and remove features at any time, but imagine if you took your car into a dealership for its warranty service and they returned it without the seats, justifying it on 'terms'. Not what you expect when terms state 'add or remove features'; this was the entire feature set!
This is not any kind of behavior a customer would expect from a partner; and if your vendor is not behaving like a partner...
It is still possible to manually create an app for assignment to a profile so you can push its install to devices. However, this requires constant updating by an IT resource to ensure the most recent versions of an app package is replacing the outdated version. The overhead created by this is HUGE, especially for SMBs with limited IT resources.
Overall, before this 'gutting', the service was fairly immature, lacking some basic admin functions and features. I was truly shocked when I read the announcement that Apple bought them. It will require a lot of heavy lifting (think FileVault encryption keys), but as soon as possible, and hopefully with some claw-back of our subscription fees by our legal department, we will move to an alternative, Addigy or jamfPRO.

 

[AJ Muni]

My IT team uses Fleetsmith, we woke up this morning to find all 3rd party app integrations GONE. The entire 'value proposition' has bottomed-out. Fleetsmith charges up front, annually, we paid $24K+ last January and now the most useful feature set has been ripped out. The terms say they can add and remove features at any time, but imagine if you took your car into a dealership for its warranty service and they returned it without the seats, justifying it on 'terms'. Not what you expect when terms state 'add or remove features'; this was the entire feature set!
This is not any kind of behavior a customer would expect from a partner; and if your vendor is not behaving like a partner...
It is still possible to manually create an app for assignment to a profile so you can push its install to devices. However, this requires constant updating by an IT resource to ensure the most recent versions of an app package is replacing the outdated version. The overhead created by this is HUGE, especially for SMBs with limited IT resources.
Overall, before this 'gutting', the service was fairly immature, lacking some basic admin functions and features. I was truly shocked when I read the announcement that Apple bought them. It will require a lot of heavy lifting (think FileVault encryption keys), but as soon as possible, and hopefully with some claw-back of our subscription fees by our legal department, we will move to an alternative, Addigy or jamfPRO.

Just crazy, no heads up at all for current customers. Addigy, here we come baby.

 

[joeyleifer]

My IT team uses Fleetsmith, we woke up this morning to find all 3rd party app integrations GONE. The entire 'value proposition' has bottomed-out. Fleetsmith charges up front, annually, we paid $24K+ last January and now the most useful feature set has been ripped out. The terms say they can add and remove features at any time, but imagine if you took your car into a dealership for its warranty service and they returned it without the seats, justifying it on 'terms'. Not what you expect when terms state 'add or remove features'; this was the entire feature set!
This is not any kind of behavior a customer would expect from a partner; and if your vendor is not behaving like a partner...
It is still possible to manually create an app for assignment to a profile so you can push its install to devices. However, this requires constant updating by an IT resource to ensure the most recent versions of an app package is replacing the outdated version. The overhead created by this is HUGE, especially for SMBs with limited IT resources.
Overall, before this 'gutting', the service was fairly immature, lacking some basic admin functions and features. I was truly shocked when I read the announcement that Apple bought them. It will require a lot of heavy lifting (think FileVault encryption keys), but as soon as possible, and hopefully with some claw-back of our subscription fees by our legal department, we will move to an alternative, Addigy or jamfPRO.

Have you considered Kandji as an alternative?

 

[Yebubbleman]

I'm definitely curious as to how this will affect JAMF. I'm probably more of a JAMF fanboy than I am a Mac fanboy at this point.

 

[MaxLeopold]

$100 per year per device X a "fleet" of devices = CHA-CHING!

JAMF Now Plus Plan is just $4 per Device per Month &
using Jamf Pro on a MacMini or iMac on a Public IP is even cheaper than hosted.

 

[nylonsteel]

hate it when corporate it gains more control of emplyees computers
how do we get our work done with all the bloat and restrictions and permissions