Jamf will be available at Microsoft’s Azure Marketplace

It’s a sign of the times that Jamf has reached a deal with Microsoft that, among other things, means the Apple device management tech leader will now be available from within Microsoft’s Azure Marketplace.

The move reflects the reality that Apple has seized a bigger slice of enterprise IT than it has for many decades, that Microsoft understands that, and that it is prepared to bend with the wind to maintain market relevance.

So, what’s the deal with Jamf?

• It says it is entering the Microsoft ISV Partner Program.
• Has reached a five-year agreement to expand its existing collaboration with new and innovative Microsoft Cloud and AI-powered solutions.
• Jamf offerings will be hosted on Microsoft Azure and available for purchase on the Azure Marketplace starting in late 2024.

The news should be seen within the framework of the ongoing relationship between both companies, who began working together in 2017. That’s when Jamf and Microsoft introduced  Conditional Access for Macs, which included the ability to share inventory data from Jamf Pro to Microsoft Intune.

Then, during the peak of the Covid crisis, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of the Enterprise Client & Mobility (ECM) team, Brad Anderson explained to me why the two firms continued working to enhance the Microsoft/Apple enterprise experience. “There’s some stuff that we that we’ve done together, not just making the Mac more manageable…, but a more complete enterprise device,” he said.

That work has continued ever since.

What does this mean?

We know that business users are adopting Apple devices. As they do they are making use of Apple device management and security solutions to help manage their fleets. At the same time, the reality is that most firms are working with multiple platforms and seek cloud-based infrastructures to manage these.

With this in mind Jamf Pro, Jamf’s flagship Apple management solution will be available to new customers via Azure cloud via Azure Marketplace in late 2024. This will let customers work from with device management and cybersecurity within their existing Microsoft environment.

The Azure support also provides a reliable foundation for deploying Jamf’s cloud solutions at scale, ensuring seamless integration with existing enterprise architectures and IT environments.

What Jamf said

“We’re excited to continue our close collaboration with Microsoft to better serve the many organizations that require advanced IT workflows and solutions built on Microsoft’s enterprise cloud platform,” said Henry Patel, Chief Strategy Officer at Jamf.

“By combining our market-leading expertise in Apple endpoint management and security with Microsoft’s cloud platform and AI security capabilities, we are equipping organizations with the tools they need to manage and protect the modern workplace — all while preserving the native Apple technology experience that end users love.”

What Microsoft said

“Microsoft has always been a partner-led platform company. We rely on our partners to help our mutual customers adapt and thrive in this era of AI Transformation. Jamf’s decision to build on Microsoft Azure highlights the robustness of our platform in supporting advanced endpoint solutions across various industries and countries, and underscores the extensive reach and trust of our cloud services,” said Priscyla Laham, VP Global Partner Solutions Americas at Microsoft.

“We are excited to welcome Jamf as a Microsoft partner. Together, we will empower organizations to stay ahead of threats, managing and protecting their users and data across endpoints and the cloud, while reaching a broader set of customers around the world.”

More background

Since 2017, Jamf has continued to develop a range of integrations with Microsoft enterprise tools, spanning across Entra ID, Sentinel, Defender, PowerBI and Copilot for Security, giving shared customers everything they need to manage, connect and protect Apple devices with Microsoft’s critical infrastructure.

• Device management: Jamf and Microsoft Power BI provide insight, visibility, and interactive reporting to bring a deeper level of data analytics.
• Identity and access management: Jamf integrates with Microsoft Intune and Entra ID for better identity management, SSO capabilities, device compliance, and conditional access to ensure devices are protected and compliant right out of the box.
• Endpoint security: Jamf’s plugin for Microsoft Copilot for Security streamlines how security analysts access MDM inventory and security telemetry data. Jamf Protect for Microsoft Sentinel pushes security-related telemetry data, alerts, and threat events directly into the Sentinel SIEM dashboard.

In 2023, Jamf reached another milestone, becoming a member of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association. This enabled even deeper collaboration on security solutions between Jamf, Microsoft, and other MISA members to further benefit joint customers in detecting and responding to threats.

In 2024, Jamf was chosen as a participant in the Microsoft Copilot for Security private partner preview, which led to the availability of Jamf’s plugin for Microsoft Copilot for Security, facilitating a more effective response to threats and a seamless collaboration between IT and Security teams.

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