Tad Johnson Discusses JAMF Software's Focus on Apple Devices

Tad Johnson, marketing campaign manager at JAMF Software, reached out to us to discuss why the company has focused solely on offering solutions for Apple devices and how that strategy has evolved.

ADM: Who is JAMF Software and what does the company do?

Johnson: Since 2002, JAMF Software has been solely focused on helping organizations succeed with Apple. In fact, we offer the only management solutions built exclusively for Mac, iPad, and iPhone devices.

By providing a simple, flexible, and scalable framework to work within, our Casper Suite and Bushel platforms help IT admins and every day people alike maintain, update, and ensure that their fleet of Apple devices are running at optimal performance. With an effective management solution in place, organizations can rest assured their end users' most crucial technology needs are always met - from automated software updates, to security, to inventory.

ADM: What are some of the advantages of developing for iOS as opposed to from Android, Windows or other platforms?

Johnson: Out of the three prevailing mobile operating systems, iOS is the only platform that is designed for consumers and widely embraced by enterprise IT. iOS boasts an intuitive user interface, a secure ecosystem of business-ready apps, and built-in tools that empower users to be more productive than ever before. 

A big advantage for iOS developers is that iOS has a massive population of users, with a very small number of device types and OS versions to support. According to Apple, as of April 2016 84% of users are on the latest version of iOS, with another 11% on the previous version. 

As a developer, this is a huge benefit because you’re not required to support a complex mix of hardware and OS combinations. This means you can take full advantage of the latest iOS frameworks and be confident that your users will enjoy the app experience you intended. 

ADM: Why is the native app experience so important?

Johnson: People choose Apple for the awesome user experience. The most successful apps complement the native Apple experience visually with UI, interactively with UX, and by implementing the unique Apple features like iCloud support, Touch ID, smart notifications, or a companion app for Apple Watch.

For this reason, JAMF is leading the way as part of the AppConfig Community – a group of industry leaders collaborating to establish a common approach for enterprise app configuration and security based on OS native standards, including the extensive frameworks available in iOS. 

By working to standardize the way apps are built and delivered, we are helping to accelerate the pace of mobile transformation by making it easier for developers to create the types of apps with all the native features that users expect today. 

ADM: How are apps transforming business processes today and what are some of the strategic use cases?

Johnson: Device deployment and communication are the basic needs of any business. As businesses look to maximize productivity and customer satisfaction, iOS apps are a mechanism to streamline communications, improve transactions, and transform business processes.  

By putting iPad and iPhone into the hands of employees, organizations of all shapes and sizes are paving the way for better engagement, enhanced business practices, and greater output of creative and innovative work. 

For example, Via Transportation is able to offer a ride sharing service for less than its competitors by supplying drivers with real-time information to optimize their routes – delivered through an iOS app. Epic Systems is helping hospitals to transform the patient experience via an app on the iPad to help demystify medications, procedures, and instructions from their care providers. And retail stores are also able to better serve their customers with iPads and iPhones that bring the Point-of-Sale (POS) devices out from behind the counter. 

ADM: What trends are you seeing in terms of app adoption in the enterprise?

Johnson: Apple continues to raise the bar of what is possible with technology across all organizations. It makes sense that the Apple platform continues to see an uptick in adoption, with user preference as the leading driver. When given the choice, 79 percent of employees say they choose iOS as their mobile device operating system of choice, says a recent survey report.

For businesses looking for greater competitive advantages, industry-specific iOS apps are a mechanism to transform business processes, making the largest impact when an app is leveraged to meet the customer where they are at. This is happening in retail, where salespeople are coming out from behind the counter, in healthcare where a doctor meets the patient, and in field services where the office goes on the road.

ADM: How is JAMF Software supporting these trends?

Johnson: JAMF is committed to empowering mobile workers to setup, optimize, and support their own computing devices, giving them the freedom to be more creative, productive, and ultimately transformative. 

Our software puts the right apps, with the right set of configurations, in the right hands, and keeps them secure. We can deploy apps from the App Store or custom-built, along with a configuration payload to manage the way the app interacts with other enterprise systems. 

We also offer an API that app developers or IT admins can use for more advanced workflows, like automatically wiping an iPad when it’s returned at the end of a shift or when a patient checks out of the hospital. And, we offer professional services and certifications to help IT staff succeed with their transformative app initiatives. 

ADM: What can we expect to see in the future of app development?

Johnson: Mobile computing will continue to grow and displace “traditional” desktop or laptop computers. As mobile-optimized CPUs become more powerful, wireless networks get faster, and mobile operating systems mature, I see a massive opportunity for mobile app developers.

Also, the mobile app interface will change. The iPhone set the gold standard for the mobile multi-touch interface almost ten years ago. Today, smart watches (Apple Watch and many others) are pushing app developers to design app interfaces for a different style of usage. Soon, app interaction will take place through speech, driven by powerful A.I. We’re already seeing the first wave now with Siri, Cortana, and Alexa.