Our session for leveraging App Config
to streamline your iOS deployment is about to begin.
I'm pausing here for a brief moment
for you to review our forward-looking statement.
It will also be available for detailed review if you'd like
under resources.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Justin Betker.
I'm a sales engineer here with Jamf.
I've been working here at Jamf for about five years at various roles.
I help potential customers with pre-sales and technical questions.
Adam and I are excited to jump in
and talk about the world of App Config today
and how it can enable better iOS deployments in your environments.
Good afternoon, my fellow Mac admins..
Welcome to JNUC 2020. My name is Adam Derrick.
I'm a sales engineer here at Jamf.
I'm based out of Pennsylvania and I spent the last 13 years
managing any kind of Apple devices out in the enterprise.
Justin and I are excited to showcase the exciting world of App Config with you,
so let's get started.
Here's a quick agenda for our presentation.
We'll be covering topics ranging from what is App Config
to implementing and streamlining your own iOS deployments utilizing App Config.
This session is applicable to health care, commercial, and education customers.
Here we go.
Managed App Config works with native iOS management framework
and enables developers to identify the configurations
that should be implemented when their app is installed as a managed app,
enabling employees to start using apps
that have been configured right away without custom setup from IT.
App Config provides instantaneous mobile productivity
and seamless out-of-the-box experience.
IT teams can be provided assurance
that corporate data within apps is handled securely.
With Jamf Pro, you can configure preferences and settings
for managed apps before distributing it to mobile devices.
In 2016 at Mobile World Congress,
AirWatch, IBM, Jamf, and MobileIron
announced the formation of the App Config community.
The App Config community announced an open XML schema
for iOS enterprise app configurations.
Since that time, SOTI, BlackBerry, Meraki, and SAP have accompanied
and sponsored the App Config community with the original founders.
The community's mission is to establish a common approach
for enterprise app configuration and security
based on operating system native standards
including the extensive frameworks available in iOS.
Working together, the members of the App Config community will create tools,
best practices, and educational forums to enable developers and organizations
to simplify app development and accelerate
the adoption of transformational business apps.
As you can see in that last bullet point there,
App Config community and other resources can be found at appconfig.org.
So here's a fun fact.
If you take a look at this Jamf Pro server here,
and we navigate over to mobile device apps
and then to the Jamf Self Service application on the App Config tab,
you may notice that the Jamf Self-Service app for iOS
is actually leveraging managed App Config
to talk back to the Jamf Pro server question.
Next, we're going to explore how we can leverage the power of App Config.
Leveraging App Config and Jamf Pro is very simple.
Through the App Config tab,
utilizing native iOS management frameworks that Apple makes available,
the App Config tab in Jamf Pro allows you to choose the XML schema code
based upon supported variables for the application.
This allows for touchless configuration of preferences and settings in Jamf Pro
for a managed app before distributing it down to mobile devices.
This can help you and your IT team prevent unnecessary support and help desk tickets.
Variables, on the other hand, allow you to populate settings in a managed app
with attribute values stored in Jamf Pro.
You specify in the XML document a key for each configuration setting
that your app will receive.
Jamf Pro delivers the keys and their default values
to the device for your app to consume.
This allows you to create preferences
containing information about each user and mobile device
to which you're distributing the app
further streamlining the touchless onboarding process.
Obviously, App Config is helping to solve a challenge
out in the IT space.
First, let's start off
by going over the current way apps are deployed to iOS devices
and some of the pain points end users and admins both share.
Generally, the traditional method of deploying applications
would be to go on a device, visiting the App Store,
signing in with an Apple ID, and then downloading the app.
Once we actually have that app on a device,
we would type in some sort of cumbersome URL,
any additional server information,
and then we would authenticate with our credentials.
All very manual steps.
The idea of App Config
originated from a shared coalition of MDM providers
such as Jamf, AirWatch, and a few others.
They team together to create a universal language
to administer configurations down onto apps.
So a modern workflow leveraging not only Jamf Pro
but Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager
and manage App Config kind of looks like this.
First we go ahead and purchase the app inside of Apple Business Manager
or Apple school manager.
Next, the app is going to assign the licenses to Jamf Pro.
And we open the App Configuration tab to throw in our preference file.
This will allow the user to receive personalized settings
when they open up the app and the app is configured in a touchless fashion.
Some of the areas that have config helps solve
are allowing the admins to automate signing into apps manually,
typing cumbersome server URLs or IP addresses
as Adam talked about previously,
sharing credentials for accounts like Zoom or other online Webex accounts.
This not only helps the IT admin,
but it provides and gives the end user a better overall experience.
Next, we're going to highlight a few App Config workflows
that our customers are using today.
Redzone is an application that helps food and beverage manufacturers
to provide real-time, planetwide visibility
as well as quality management at their fingertips.
If you're deploying Redzone and Redzone Admin,
via an MDM such as Jamf Pro, you can make use of app configurations
to auto-configure the apps with both the server https address
and connection description fields outlined in red in the picture shown here.
In this scenario, managed App Config helps to streamline the onboarding process
when an employee receives a new iOS device or at the beginning of their shift.
App config also helps with Apple TV and other digital signage efforts.
Leveraging the power of Jamf Pro, food manufacturers can feel confident
knowing Apple TV will power on,
open the app with the correct server information,
and deploy any restrictions to the Apple TV.
This will provide a more polished-looking experience.
For those of you who are not familiar, Jamf Setup and Jamf Reset
that are two apps developed by Jamf which enable end users
to quickly and efficiently set up and configure an iOS device.
If you are more interested in the inner workings
of Jamf Setup and Jamf Reset,
check out the 2019 session I presented on Jamf Setup and Jamf Reset
located in the resources area of this presentation.
Managed app configuration for Jamf Setup and Jamf Reset
allow for a lot of magic behind the scenes to happen.
This allows us to customize and brand the apps
for our individual use cases.
This looks like a lot.
However, if we break things down, things really begin to make sense.
As you can see,
these fields are where we can customize things like
user roles, logos,
and even customizing text and titles that are displayed to the user
when they make their selections.
Here at Jamf, we provide you the granularity to customize everything
from the button color to the image that's displayed at the top of the app.
If you're not familiar with Zoom,
it is the leader in modern enterprise video communications.
With a cloud platform for video and audio conferencing,
chat, and webinars.
Zoom has become a large part of my daily life,
as I assume you're becoming more familiar with it in these times.
Zoom does support App Config with a variety of configuration options.
It enables the admin to support the end user
with a faster setup and better experience.
Here's a list of some of the supported variable App Config options
available from Zoom.
Telehealth is the distribution of health related services
via electronic information and telecommunications technologies.
The concept of telehealth isn't something entirely new.
It's just an increasingly popular due to the effects of COVID-19.
Jamf Pro can trigger automated workflows
to create unique, randomized accounts in a third party conferencing platform
such as Zoom, Teams or Webex.
The account information is temporarily stored in Jamf Pro
for each patient visit
and automatically refreshed for the next patient.
This removes the complexity of accounts, logins,
and passwords being shared with the patient,
maintains privacy for providers,
and ensures security by preventing any spam calls.
Admins can deploy accounts for use on iPad or iPhone.
Once config accounts are stored in Jamf Pro,
they're set up for use on devices provided to patients.
Patients are then notified when the provider initiates the meeting
and can join the conference with a single tap.
Admins can create a simple workflow for providers or patient families
to initiate a meeting.
Doctors and other clinical staff can access a video conferencing directory
from their computer or mobile device.
Then, by searching the directory by room number on the patient's record,
the provider can access a meet now link
to auto-join the patient's videoconference.
Patients are also able to connect to their families through their device
by sending a link directly to them.
In response to COVID-19, UCSD Health transformed their health care delivery
by turning the majority of their in-person care appointments into telehealth visits
As a part of their telehealth strategy,
UCSD implemented virtual visits powered by Jamf in mid-April
and now have hundreds of iPads configured
for their inpatient video visits across the campus.
This allows their providers to connect with patients
from a safe distance during this pandemic.
As you can see,
Jamf is excited to offer assistance to organizations with telehealth initiatives.
Now let's see the rest of the workflow in action.
The create new link button will create a new and unique video meeting link.
But most importantly from the patient's perspective,
it really is as simple as tapping a single button to create that link.
The new meeting link is automatically filled into an e-mail
that the patient can send to their family.
Simply enter an email address and tap the send email button.
The email subject and body can be easily customized for your specific needs.
This ensures families can see this as a trusted solution.
The final step is to simply tap the start meeting now button.
Depending on the video solution, this will open the app on a device,
sign the user in, and automatically begin the video call
all in one tap.
The family simply needs to join the video call with the link in their email
on any device capable of running the video call.
The assessment app is a simple iPad OS app
to enable live proctoring of web-based assessment exams.
The assessment app displays camera view
and web-based exam in a single app.
The app's intended to be used in conjunction
with a third-party video sharing solution such as Zoom.
Basically, you have an exam taker that's sharing your iPad screen
with assessment running in the foreground
with the live camera and exam displayed
while sharing the screen with the exam proctor.
The assessment app leverages the power of Jamf and managed App Config.
Configurable features include screenshot detection,
camera enablement, custom UI and exam view size,
custom exam URL that you can input as well.
Go to jamf.it/assessment
for the Jamf Assessment App marketplace listing.
So you like what you see and now you want to do this.
Here are some things you may want to know.
An MDM such as Jamf Pro is required.
App Config an open protocol which any MDM could use,
the key thing here being that as long as the MDM supports it.
The one thing to note with managed App Config workflows
is that they require an app that supports App Config.
The application developer needs to build support for the application.
You can obtain more information on apps that support App Config
by visiting the Jamf Marketplace or appconfig.org.
So what is this look like deployment-wise?
Essentially, we need to build out an xml file
or a plist with supported attributes for App Config.
The XML file or plist then gets uploaded into your MDM,
such as Jamf.
And the MDM will deploy this down onto the device.
And there is no step three.
It is important to note
that you always can consult the app developer's support page
for more information.
If the app you want to use currently does not offer managed App Config,
Can be sure to reach out to the app developer
and let them know about your specific use case.
To wrap up and recap on some of the resources we talked about.
The Jamf Marketplace is a central location
for you to find, learn about, and utilize valuable tools
to integrate with and extend the Jamf platform.
Jamf integrates with more than 300 providers.
Included in that are a variety of App Config solutions.
The App Config Generator is a tool which assists in the generation
of a configuration plist for a mobile app on the device enrolled in an MDM solution.
And last but not least, we have already mentioned the App Config community,
but this is where you can access a community focused on providing tools
and best practices around native capabilities
to enable more consistent, open, and simple way to configure
and secure mobile apps in order to increase mobile adoption in business.
So that was a lot of information in a short time span.
If you have additional questions outside of the Q&A for the session,
don't hesitate to reach out to Justin or myself.
And please don't forget to give us feedback on this session
so that we can bring you even more content for next year's
hopefully, fingers crossed, in-person JNUC.
And thank you for watching. Please stay safe and well.