From mid-November through the final weeks of the year, many IT teams shift into a different rhythm. Projects wrap up. User demand slows. Emergency tickets still happen, but the pace usually lightens. This quieter stretch creates one of the best opportunities to build new skills, strengthen existing ones, and earn certifications that keep you growing.  Technology does not slow down when the calendar does. Platforms update, security threats evolve, and new tools enter the stack faster than most teams can adopt them. Staying sharp takes intention. If you wait for the “perfect time” to learn something new, it rarely comes. But late Q4 offers a natural runway that is easy to miss if you are not looking for it.  Using this time for learning sends a clear signal to yourself and your team. It shows that continuous upskilling is not a checkbox, but a habit. Whether you manage devices with Jamf, work in security, support end users, or build infrastructure,

 We’re a year into Apple shipping Apple Intelligence (though technically still in Beta) but Apple hasn’t shipped a clear matrix of which features are on-device vs. require Private Cloud Compute (PCC). If you haven’t read part 1, then click here and go back and read it. And then follow up and read part 2, by clicking here. But what if… all that information was hiding on your very Mac in a system diagnostics, your Mac quietly generates a Model Catalog inside sysdiagnose that lists feature availability, languages, and — critically — which resources are server-side! For those that do not know, you can run a system diagnostics and explore the zip file created to potentially fi

Jamf announced in January that the Jamf Pro Classic API will no longer support basic authentication in a future release. Classic API scripts can still run—administrators just need to make a simple change in how they authenticate. Let’s look at why this change is coming and how to convert Classic API scripts to use bearer tokens for authentication instead of usernames and passwords. The token obtained during this workflow will allow authentication to either the Classic API or the more modern Jamf Pro API. We’ll cover: How bearer tokens improve security Request the first token Parse the token Use the token to send an API command Expire the token Renew the token How bearer tokens improve security This change to move away from supplying usernames and passwords as credentials for authenticating to Jamf Pro is a good thing. Bearer tokens improve security by reducing the number of times credentia

A Bold Leap Into AppleIt was the summer of 2024 when we were asked to do something our company had never done before. We were going to introduce MacBooks into an environment that had always been 100% Windows. Naturally, questions started flying. How would we manage them? What tools would we need? And, most importantly, how could we ensure the experience was seamless for our users? The hardware part was easy. We knew we could purchase them from Apple anytime. So, the MacBooks were purchased and ready to go, eagerly awaiting their release into our environment. The real challenge was management and integration. After speaking with our team and several vendors, we made our decision: we decided on Jamf. Paperwork signed, onboarding scheduled, and a new chapter began.One Year Later: A Transformation We Didn’t ExpectFast-forward to October 2025, about a year plus, and what a journey it’s been! We’ve faced challen

The heartbeat of Jamf has always been its customers. From day one, your passion and expertise have shaped a community unlike any other. What began as a simple email newsletter eventually grew into Jamf Nation - a space to troubleshoot, share wisdom, and connect with people who just get it. Along the way, we noticed a group of customers consistently going the extra mile, and that sparked the creation of Jamf Heroes - our deeply engaged, wildly generous champions who support Jamf and the wider community in incredible ways. Whether answering questions, offering solutions, or hopping on calls to help someone out, their impact was undeniable. But over time, we realised something bigger: meaningful contributions happen across our entire customer base, every single day. So, we built a way to recognise all of it. Enter Jamf Nation Rewards.  

I’d wanted to understand for a while how Apple structures its own support approach and what really lies behind the Apple Certified Support Professional certification. So I decided to take the exam myself. In this post, I’ll share how I prepared, which learning resources helped me most, and what I’d recommend to anyone planning to do the same. The Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) certification validates comprehensive knowledge in supporting and administering Apple devices. It’s designed for IT professionals, help desk staff, and administrators who regularly work with macOS, iOS, or iPadOS and provide daily end-user support. “This course introduces you to the knowledge, skills, and tools used to support and troubleshoot Apple devices in a large organization as a level 1 or 2 help desk

An original version of this post has been shared to Patch Notes and Progress. Reflections from JNUC 2025 — automation, openness, and community taking Mac management to new heights. Denver, Colorado | October 6 – 9, 2025Day 0 — Travel and New ConnectionsJNUC 2025 in Denver was my first in-person Jamf Nation User Conference — and my first time ever on a plane. Over three days, I watched Jamf redefine what MDM means in an API-first world, connected with the Mac Admins community I’ve long admired, and saw firsthand how automation, identity, and community are working to shape the next chapter of Apple device management services. As mentioned in a previous post: 

It’s already November, and that means the end of 2025 is clearly in sight. Can you believe it? It’s been an eventful year at Jamf, especially for the Jamf community and User Groups!  Earlier this year, we officially launched the User Group program with the goal of connecting as many Apple Admins as possible. We created a starter kit to help new groups get up and running, complete with all the information and resources they need. We also introduced a brand-new community platform, featuring a User Group landing page and an interactive Groups map that displays all the groups around the globe.  It’s been a great year!  To end on an even higher note, we want to give an extra boost to all the groups thinking about getting started. We’ve heard from several

This past July, I gave my third-ever presentation at a large conference: "swiftDialog for Overworked MacAdmins," at the Penn State University MacAdmins Conference. It wasn't my first time: I also presented in 2024 at MacAdmins on the topic of Compliance, and at the Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges as part of our security response team on a phishing response workflow. I'm not a big name speaker. I'm not a well-known blogger, or tech writer, or popular person on Slack. I'm not on LinkedIn. I don't have any particular expertise, or much formal training. I'm not even a people-person. So what do I think I have to contribute to the community? I think, like you, that I have a lo

Attending JNUC 2025 in Denver was an incredible experience, a mix of innovation, collaboration, and community. Being surrounded by Apple IT professionals, consultants, and Jamf engineers reaffirmed how rapidly the Apple ecosystem is evolving across management, automation, and security. Key Takeaways 1. Jamf Blueprints and Compliance FrameworksThe new Blueprints feature truly changes how we approach configuration management. The ability to combine configuration profiles, policies, and restrictions into modular blueprints simplifies deployment and compliance alignment, especially for large environments.It also pairs perfectly with automated compliance reporting and remediation workflows, something I’m already planning to test in our sandbox. 2. Jamf Pro + AI IntegrationOne of my favorite announcements was the AI integration in Jamf Pro, providing sm

If you are looking to manage a fleet of Apple devices at scale, Jamf Pro Cloud is one of theleading tools out there. Whether you are handling Mac, iPads, iPhones, or even Apple TVs, thecloud-hosted version of Jamf Pro makes setup and ongoing management so much easier, no on-premise servers, no manual patching, and security managed by the experts at Jamf. Below, Ibreak down the main steps to get up and running with Jamf Pro Cloud, share key concepts,real-world workflows, and actionable tips.Table of Contents1. What is Jamf Pro Cloud?2. How to Implement Jamf Pro Cloud3. Core Concepts ExplainedPolicies Configuration Profiles Smart and Static Groups Extension Attributes Scripts App and Patch Management

 This guide will walk you through setting the local macOS account pictures for end-users via Jamf Connect  Requirements: Jamf Pro Jamf Connect Formatted ID Token Path setup in Jamf Connect Login Config (/private/tmp/token) Azure Storage Blob Email addresses of users follow a pattern for all users (john.smith@myorg.com, jsmith@myorg.com, etc..)  Tested with: Azure AD and Jamf Connect Test User: John.smith@ericsontech.com Steps: 1. First step is to get all of your user images. To make this easy on yourself name them the same as the user's email address. So for John Smith his email is john.s

This article is based off of the presentation at JNUC given by ​@tommypatzius , ​@Jordy-Thery and ​@glennu  Our session at this year’s JNUC 2025 was designed to present a list of helpful tools available to Mac Admins of all skill levels and backgrounds. We know that everyone’s experience with Apple device management is different, so we’ve pulled together a collection of tools that are approachable, practical, and, in many cases, free. Many of them have a low learning curve, making them accessible whether you’re brand new to managing Macs or have years of experience. Our goal is that everyone walks away with at least one new tip, trick, or tool they didn’t know before. To make things clear and easy to follow, we’ve divided the tools into categories by function: Apple apps, Jamf tools, maintenance, setup & customizat

This guide represents the synergy of the latest technologies from Apple and Jamf. It harnesses the power of the new Declarative Device Management (DDM) framework built into macOS 15 (Sequoia). This modern approach is unlocked by Jamf Pro version 11.8.0 or later, which introduces Software Update Blueprints. Critically, this entire workflow is powered by the Jamf Account SSO, which connects your instance to the cloud micro-services required for Blueprints to function, creating a truly modern administrative experience.The guide outlines the modern, three-part strategy for managing macOS 15 and newer in Jamf Pro. It leverages DDM via Blueprints for a reliable, automated workflow and is based on enterprise best practices for both aggressive and controlled rollouts.PrerequisitesBefore you begin, ensure your environment meets these minimum requirements:Jamf Pro: Version 11.18.0 or later. Target Computers:

This October, I’ll be heading to Denver, Colorado, for the Jamf Nation User Conference (JNUC 2025). It’s a week that brings together community, learning, and all things new with Jamf, and this year, I’m especially honored to be attending as one of the recipients of the JNUC Diversity Sponsorship. The Sponsorship ExperienceThe Diversity Sponsorship program reflects Jamf’s commitment to amplifying the voices of underrepresented individuals in the tech industry. Now in its ninth year, the program selects up to 10 individuals to attend JNUC with full conference registration, a travel stipend, and access to exclusive networking opportunities. Being chosen for this year’s sponsorship is both humbling and energizing. It’s not just about attending sessions or seeing the latest product announcements—it’s about being recognized as part of a broader effort to ensure diverse perspectives are present in conversations that shape the future of Apple admin

Have you ever had to manage devices from a DEP instance you don’t control or even own? Or send DEP or BYOD devices to another campus where they need to be managed with a different MDM? This was the situation we encountered last year, and here’s how we solved it. Institutional ContextOur institution has expanded globally, adding new international campuses in Spain. These schools serve students from K–12, with management needs that differ significantly from those in the U.S. Because of local legal and operational differences, we chose to build independent technology stacks for each campus, modeled after our flagship U.S. campus. This provided consistency while allowing for flexibility.U.S. campus: Jamf Pro + Protect; BYOD model for students, DEP-managed devices for staff and faculty. Spanish campuses: Jamf Pro + Protect + Connect + Safe Internet; all DEP-managed, school-owned student devices.

Before we get too far into this I want to say one thing. I am not a medical or mental health professional. I’m a Jamf Engineer who has thought a lot about this but by no means am an authority on the subject. The following article is my reflections and not any type of mental health treatment. Now that that’s out of the way…here we go! Nobody goes to school to be a Jamf Engineer or Admin. The vast majority of us ended up in this field because we like to tinker with things, eventually break them and are forced to fix them without any help or education. For a lot of us, we ended up in this field by doing other things in a job where we do have formal training.When you fix what you’ve broken, you feel great. But when you can’t fix it, some of us give up, others seek advice, some keep plugging along to find the solution.  But what happens when you end up in a corporate environment and you have to tackle things that you inherited, need an upgrade or

This article and many others can be found on Rich Trouton’s blog Der Flounder As part of Apple’s unveiling of Declarative Device Management (DDM) at WWDC 2023, Apple announced that DDM management included the ability to deploy MDM configuration profiles using DDM as the delivery mechanism in place of using MDM to deliver the profiles. Jamf Pro’s Blueprints leverages this capability to support device restrictions.Let’s see how this works using a device restriction configuration, using the example of setting the following Apple Intelligence management functions to false in order to block the correspo

In the MacAdmin world, few names command the kind of respect Charles Edge does. Not just for his technical expertise, but for his relentless curiosity and generosity. After his unexpected passing in 2024, I found myself reflecting on a behavior I learned through Charles's actions. A mindset I've come to call the Edge Methodology. It's not a framework or a management technique in the traditional sense. It's a response to fear. A refusal to fake confidence in things not yet understood. And it's inspired by the way Charles lived: by digging in, learning with humility, and lifting up others in the process.

I don't know about you, but my in-person conference skills need a brush-up. For me, it's been a little over three years since my last in-person. So here are some tips I've put together with some help from a few friends. If you are turning up on Monday before dinner, check the JNUC Slack Channel for any pre-conference get-togethers Monday night. The same is true every night. You can sleep when you get back home. This may be the only chance you get to talk to these people for some time. Go to the Keynote. It's the start of the conference, and at JNUC it starts well. I know it might be hard getting out of bed after the long flight the day before but do it. In fact, get into the conference venue for breakfast and a

It must be 8 or 9 years ago that I started supporting customers with ZuluDesk (now Jamf School). This was my first step into the device management world. Before that, I was a repair technician.  As my curiosity grew, I was lucky enough that my employer allowed me to do the Jamf 100 and 200 courses. Managing iOS devices is all good and well, but with Mac you need a little more tools. Things like setting a wallpaper sound easy, but they actually require a bit more work than I expected.   Welcome to the world of Mac Admins! I discovered that for everything I wanted to figure out how to do, there is usually someone with the same question, and maybe they’ve already found a solution for it. Coming in as a completely new Mac Admin, it might be a bit difficult to find your way. But knowing the right peop

Not too long ago, I wrote a Tech Thoughts article covering some of my favorite community resources. I wrapped up that post by mentioning a couple of conferences that might be worth your time. Well, it’s time to revisit those — because conference season is upon us! This list is heavily inspired by Jamf’s very own Armin Briegel whom has a fantastic page listing conferences and resources at scriptingosx.com/conferences — and he keeps it well updated!    A Quick Look Back  My personal favorite from last year was JNUC 2024 in Nashville. It was my second time attending, and I already knew a few folks, which made the experience even better. The networking opportunities are truly the highlight. Talking to l

Death by PowerPoint started in the living room Willis H. O’Brien was a famous Hollywood special effects artist known for his pioneering work in stop-motion cinematography. While we may look at his special effects in the movie King Kong from 1933 as outdated compared to the special effects we see in contemporary movies, his work is still relevant. He gave his audience the illusion that a giant gorilla not only moved but climbed the Empire State Building, then the tallest building in the world. And he did it one frame at a time. Unlike stop-mot