IT administrators can now more easily find, configure, deploy and monitor macOS settings in Microsoft Endpoint Manager after Microsoft released support for macOS policies in its settings catalog and added support for new payload settings.
Microsoft calls this part of its continued investment in macOS platform management and one that eliminates some manual processes previously forced upon IT admins.
According to Microsoft, customers used to have to create a custom configuration profile using information from Apple’s developer documentation. However, that required manual entry and was prone to errors. Admins were dependent on scripting for certain scenarios, which increased the challenge of managing macOS devices with Endpoint Manager.
In a Tech Community blog, Microsoft said the company realized it could mirror the extensible technology of the Windows settings catalog to make administration of macOS endpoints easier.
“The settings approach would follow a similar pattern, whether they were Windows or macOS devices,” the blog reads. “We developed a data-driven model that allows you to more quickly add and update macOS payloads as they are made available by Apple, while providing a simpler management experience for admins.”
The company says it plans to add additional macOS payloads in the future, but the first release includes four previously unsupported, commonly requested payloads that are prone to error when done manually, including domains, global HTTP proxy, printing and profile removal password.
Another new features include the ability to use a search bar for admins to find apps that are blocking the enrollment status experience in Windows Autopilot. Admins can use the tool to quickly find the apps they want rather than having to scroll through a long list of apps. This also allows admins to see whether the app is online or offline and the version of an app.
Microsoft says it is also simplifying the enrollment and sign-in experience via a new capability that enables admins to require users to accept Azure Active Directory terms of use during enrollment and/or during the Company Portal app sing-in. Designed to improve security and transparency, admins can use this to add Azure AD terms of use when creating a Conditional Access policy for ADE devices enrolling with Setup Assistant with modern authentication.
Read Microsoft’s blog for more information.
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