Apr 10, 2018   SOURCE: PR NewsWire

Fleetsmith Launches Secure, Automated Apple Device Management with Zero-Touch Deployment through Apple DEP

Fleetsmith Launches Secure, Automated Apple Device Management with Zero-Touch Deployment through Apple DEP

Product moves out of beta and features new remote lock and wipe capabilities through Apple MDM; empowers organizations like Monzo, HackerOne, and Robinhood to instantly provision and secure macOS, iOS, and tvOS devices

SAN FRANCISCO, April 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fleetsmith, the provider of secure, automated Apple device management, today announced that its flagship offering is out of beta and in General Availability (GA). It also debuted industry-first automation and security capabilities to provide painless management of macOS devices and, soon, iOS and tvOS devices. The company rolled out support for Apple's Device Enrollment Program (DEP) which, combined with the Fleetsmith Catalog and automatic macOS account creation powered by Google's G Suite, enables the industry's only true zero-touch deployment for the millions of G Suite customers who need to manage and secure their fleets. Building on the rapid adoption of its macOS device management solution, Fleetsmith's new capabilities include remote lock and wipe controls, and automatic WiFi and printer configuration. With a fresh influx of capital announced today, Fleetsmith is bringing to market new levels of efficiency, cost savings, and security, and will continue expanding application and device integrations to solve the pain points of Apple device management.

"Fast-growing and increasingly distributed workforces are in need of a way to streamline Apple fleet management, from employee onboarding to patch management and fleet intelligence. Fleetsmith saves IT departments precious time in provisioning and updating devices, with security built into every step," said Zack Blum, CEO and cofounder of Fleetsmith. "Fleetsmith's secure, intuitive design and deep integration with G Suite make it the only product on the market to enable truly automated macOS account creation--no 650-page manual or tedious assembly required."

Intuitive Design and Advanced Automation Provide an Efficiency Boost
Despite widespread business adoption of Apple products, compatible device management options are scarce and often demand time-intensive, multi-step processes with manual software updates. IT departments have become accustomed to using tools that require hours of training and certifications, as well as ongoing maintenance, leading to a higher total cost of ownership. While some vendors claim to offer instant device deployment, most still involve complex setup procedures that burden both employees and IT teams. Fleetsmith's fully hosted, SaaS-based solution and intuitive interface simplify Apple device management so that even non-technical users are up and running in seconds. Fleetsmith's latest product release includes new features to further improve efficiency:

    --  Zero-Touch Deployment via G Suite Integration and DEP Support - Unlike
        other device management offerings that require hours to provision and
        secure new devices, Fleetsmith's automated Apple user account setup
        through G Suite and Apple DEP allows organizations to ship Apple devices
        directly to employees without IT intervention. Apps, settings, and
        security preferences are instantly managed from the moment a user
        connects to WiFi.
    --  Upcoming Support for iOS and tvOS Devices - Building on existing support
        for macOS, Fleetsmith will expand to help organizations manage their
        entire fleet of Apple devices, including iOS and tvOS products.
    --  Seamless WiFi and Printer Configuration - Fleetsmith administrators can
        now preconfigure new employee laptops with company WiFi credentials and
        printer drivers, even in remote offices. Whenever WiFi settings are
        updated or new printers are purchased, companies can immediately and
        securely deploy the updated configurations worldwide via Fleetsmith.
    --  Automatic Kernel Extension Whitelisting for Managed Apps - Apps that IT
        manage with Fleetsmith now have their kernel extensions whitelisted
        automatically, while other extensions still require user approval. This
        solves a deployment headache for IT and employees while maintaining
        security.

Added Security with Remote Lock and Wipe
Fleetsmith is secure by design, offering a robust set of features that enable fleet-wide protection. These include the industry's only fully automated application and OS patching feature, FileVault enforcement with built-in key escrow, and screen lock and passcode enforcement settings. Now with remote device lock and wipe through Apple Mobile Device Management (MDM), IT teams can benefit from new levels of access and control in managing their fleets. This allows companies to protect their valuable data when a device is lost or stolen, ensuring corporate security regardless of timing or location.

"It's a common misconception that simply installing antivirus software will solve all your endpoint security woes. In reality, patching is one of the most important things an organization can do to eliminate vulnerabilities," said Jesse Endahl, CPO and CSO at Fleetsmith. "Most commonly used enterprise applications release security vulnerability fixes regularly, requiring organizations to be highly disciplined in downloading, packaging, and distributing updates on a frequent basis. Fleetsmith removes the burden of manually updating apps by offering automatic patching to ensure the highest level of security without eating up hours of IT's time or inconveniencing employees."

Fleetsmith and G Suite Enable Swift and Secure Device Management for Monzo
Although Fleetsmith supports the needs of many different companies, it's particularly compelling for startups that need to be strategic in using their time and resources. Such is the case at Monzo Bank, a digital, mobile-only challenger bank based in the United Kingdom. Monzo sees app-based banking as the future and its customers agree - the company has grown quickly, expanding from 70 employees to more than 300 in a single year to support its growing user base. To sustain this growth, Monzo, which relies on G Suite to gain the same capabilities and security benefits as larger competitors, selected Fleetsmith to deliver easy and secure fleet management.

"We wanted a security-focused Mac management solution, so we chose Fleetsmith. Having G Suite integration out of the box was also a huge draw for us," said James Lichtenstein, Tech Ops Lead at Monzo. "Especially during periods of fast growth, the combination of G Suite and Fleetsmith is invaluable. Instead of spending hours provisioning machines and user accounts, we can spend more time with our users to provide in-depth training, and help them increase their productivity using advanced G Suite features."

Once the Fleetsmith desktop agent was in place on Monzo's computers, it took only minutes to enroll the company's entire fleet of 100 machines. Today, Monzo is managing more than 300 devices with Fleetsmith, saving up to 26 hours of Tech Ops staff time per week. Fleetsmith also enforces fleet-wide encryption, strong passwords, and firewall settings, helping Monzo stay secure. Tech Ops engineers are now able to use their time to support continued product innovation as Monzo works to transform the financial services industry.

Supporting Quotes
"At HackerOne, maintaining the security of our products is essential. Keeping your software up to date is one of the most important things you can do for device security. Fleetsmith helps us keep our 'fleet' of employee computers running the most up-to-date software, which allows for quick and easy onboarding of new employees across the globe, and overall helps us gain peace of mind. It is an intuitive tool that easily connects to our existing suite of IT products allowing us to easily achieve multiple goals quickly and easily." - Aaron Zander, senior IT engineer at HackerOne

"As a fast-growing company, it is critical for our IT team at Robinhood to work quickly when provisioning and managing our Apple fleet and Fleetsmith enables us to do just that. Fleetsmith is fast, reliable, and integrates easily with our existing G Suite usage, enabling automatic account creation. This has dramatically simplified the process of adding new team members and allows us to have new devices up and running within seconds. Fleetsmith's high-touch customer support also ensured for a quick and smooth onboarding." - IT engineer at Robinhood

About Fleetsmith
Fleetsmith automatically manages apps, settings, and security preferences across a company's Apple device fleet. Founded by former IT and security leaders from Dropbox and Fandom, Fleetsmith combines world-class product and security engineering with a powerful, intuitive interface that makes advanced Apple device management available for everyone. Fleetsmith is based in San Francisco and backed by Index Ventures, Harrison Metal, and Upfront Ventures. Try it for free at fleetsmith.com.

CONTACT: Nicole Pitaro, Bhava Communications for Fleetsmith, Fleetsmith@bhavacom.com, 630-532-8879

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SOURCE Fleetsmith