Hello!
I'm relatively new (18 months) to both using and managing Mac devices. I've inherited a Jamf Now set up, which I'm finding limiting and hoping to pick the brains of fellow macsysadmin's regarding options to replace it :)
Currently managing 35-40 macOS devices, 30-35 iOS devices and a handful of tvOS devices in meeting rooms. A few of the limitations I'm experiencing with Jamf Now are:
Unable to deploy non-VPP/App Store apps (aware there is a Jamf Now Plus plan to do this).
Unable to report/view non-VPP applications currently installed on devices.
Unable to report/view application versions installed on devices (whether VPP or not) to check they are up-to-date.
Unable to deploy/manage printer drivers
Unable to manage local user accounts
Reporting, such as checking which devices aren't running the latest version of macOS requires downloading reports, rather than just being able to view live in the system.
I've had a call with Jamf and been given a quick demo/run through of Jamf Pro, which is the obvious/natural upgrade path and it appears to solve the above limitations but I'm conscious that:
for macOS devices it's a big jump in cost from $24/year (Jamf Now) to $86/year (Jamf Pro)
they're pushing the onboarding as mandatory, which is a huge upfront cost when talking about ~75 devices
it's got lots of functionality we don't need, AD binding, etc. which we'd be paying for and not using
We're all set up with Apple Business Manager and most devices are on DEP. Nearly all the Macs are leased, with a majority of them due for renewal over the next 6 months, so this feels like a good time to switch MDM.
Otherwise we're a fairly straightforward set up, no on-site servers, no domain or Active Directory, we use Office 365, productivity apps, some Creative Cloud users and lots of web-based systems.
I'm the sole IT guy, and being a small business, it's not the only hat I have to wear, so after something to give me that extra control, but not require constant intervention, if that makes sense!
I've seen Mosyle Business and SimpleMDM mentioned a few times and these are more realistic for us pricing-wise, with Mosyle looking particularly attractive as it's cheaper than Jamf Now. Any thoughts on these before I dive into trial accounts? Anything else I should be considering or aware of?
Thanks!
