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Case Study · Apple & Mac

Managing 25,000+ iOS Devices with Open-Source MicroMDM

How TexArxs helped an IT product company deploy and manage more than 25,000 iOS devices across India on a tight budget, using open-source MicroMDM.

  • 25,000+ iOS devices deployed across India
  • 0 Commercial MDM licence fees
  • Mixed suppliers One enrolment process for every supplier's devices
  • Activation Lock Turned on by an automated script

Before and After

Before After
MDM Licence Budget None available No licence fees needed
Devices from Many Suppliers No single enrolment route One process for all
Device Released in 30 Days Could be set up outside the organisation Activation Lock stays on

Challenge

An IT product company had a project to deploy more than 25,000 iOS devices across India. The budget was tight, and paying for a commercial MDM licence for every device was not an option. The company still needed proper control over every device:

  • A custom Setup Assistant, so devices start up the way the project needs, skipping setup screens users do not need.
  • Restriction profiles, to limit what can be changed or installed on each device.
  • Single App Mode, to lock devices to one app where needed.
  • Devices from several suppliers. The devices were not bought from one vendor, so they could not all be enrolled the same way through one reseller.

Our Recommendation

We recommended two things:

  1. Add every device to Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Manager) with Apple Configurator. This brings devices from any supplier into the same automated enrolment, so the mixed sourcing no longer matters.
  2. Use MicroMDM, an open-source MDM server the company runs itself. It handles Setup Assistant customisation, restriction profiles and Single App Mode, with no per-device licence fees.

What We Implemented

MicroMDM with a Webhook Server

We set up MicroMDM together with a webhook server. MicroMDM reports device events to the webhook server, so actions such as sending profiles and commands can run automatically instead of by hand. At a scale of tens of thousands of devices, that automation is what keeps the project manageable.

Profiles for a Controlled Setup

  • A customised Setup Assistant for every enrolment
  • Restriction profiles to control what can be changed or installed
  • Single App Mode for devices that should run only one app

Protection During the 30-day Provisional Period

A device added to Apple Business with Apple Configurator has a 30-day provisional period, during which it can be released from the organisation. We provided an automated script that turns on Activation Lock on the devices. If a device is released during that period, Activation Lock stays on, so someone else cannot easily set it up and use it.

Outcome

  • More than 25,000 iOS devices deployed across India and managed from one MDM server.
  • No commercial MDM licence fees, keeping the project within its budget.
  • One enrolment process for devices from several suppliers.
  • Consistent setup and restrictions across the fleet, with Single App Mode where needed.
  • Devices protected by Activation Lock, including during the 30-day provisional period.

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