To enhance our management capabilities for Windows, macOS, and iOS systems we are deploying some new device management systems over the coming months.

For Windows systems are are upgrading our existing Chocolatey installation from the free release to Chocolatey for Business. Most of the changes from this will be transparent to end users, but there will be a user-accessible private App Store which will allow automated installation and updates for selected packages.

We are also participating in the University-wide roll-out of KACE systems management for Windows, which provides us with reporting facilities which all allow us to ensure that Windows and Office patches are deployed in a timely manner.

On the Apple side of things we have just commissioned a Jamf Pro installation which will complement the existing Munki infrastructure for macOS, and provide new management capabilities for iOS. It will also allow us to use the Apple Device Enrollment Program (DEP) to auto-configure new devices, and gives us access to remote lock and wipe capabilities for lost systems.

Initial deployments of Jamf Pro are commencing with Astrophysics machines and will then spread to the rest of Physics, before finally assimilating the Mathematicians.

The goal for these deployments is to enhance both our security posture and user experience. Many changes will be transparent to users, but where user action is needed instructions will be available from this page.