Using Mobile Device Management (MDM) for installation & management

Mobile device management (MDM) is a group of server-based software solutions used to monitor, manage, and secure mobile devices. 

MDM providers use a standard set of Apple protocols to communicate with devices, which means that while the interfaces vary between providers, most of the time the functionality that they provide is very similar.  These Apple protocols allow the MDM provider to access specific information about the device and enable functionality that is not available to iOS apps or devices without the help of MDM. 

Kiosk Pro can be used in combination with third-party MDMs in a number of ways outlined below, but we do not currently offer our own MDM server.  We currently partner with and use:

• Jamf Pro
• Miradore
• Moki
• SimpleMDM

for internal testing of MDM-specific features in Kiosk Pro, but there are many providers in this space, including Microsoft Intune, AirWatch, MobileIron, Cisco Meraki, SOTI, IBM Maas360, and others.  

If you are a part of a large organization, it's likely that your company already uses some type of MDM software.  If not and you are in charge of selecting a provider, we highly recommend looking at their user interface and documentation, as well as attempting to gauge the responsiveness of their support team prior to making a decision as these can vary significantly. 

MDM solutions can be used to remotely: 

• install, update, and manage apps, including Managed App Configuration of a specific app's settings
• update the iOS operating system 
• lock the device into Single App Mode or install a profile for Autonomous Single App Mode
• restart the device in case of problems
• set certain types of restrictions on device use
• configure specific device-level settings (like WiFi network)
• wipe the device if it is lost or stolen

Some of this functionality requires that the device be supervised. 

MDM operates at the device level by communicating directly with the iOS/iPadOS operating system. This is frequently paired with our KioCloud Remote Management Server (RMS) for additional app-level reporting and management - for more information on RMS, click here.