Management and backup do different jobs
You need both. Management controls the Mac. Backup keeps a copy of what is on it.
The layers
| Layer | What we use | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Apple Business with Automated Device Enrollment | Each Mac is registered to your company. It enrols into management during setup, and enrols again if it is ever erased. |
| Management | Jamf | We apply security settings, install apps and can lock or erase a Mac remotely. |
| Encryption | FileVault, with the recovery key held for your company | The data is protected if the Mac is lost. You can still unlock it if the employee won’t share the password. |
| Backup | Backup software installed through Jamf | Versioned copies of work files, kept in storage your company controls. |
| Accounts | Company-owned email, cloud storage and Apple accounts | Work is not left in a personal iCloud or a personal mailbox. |
What Jamf does, and what it doesn’t
Jamf is device management. It lets us configure, secure and control your Macs from anywhere, without touching them.
Jamf does not copy your files. That is why we install backup software alongside it, and use Jamf to keep that software in place.
Why the backup survives a wipe
- It runs in the background. Staff do nothing, and cannot forget.
- It keeps earlier versions and deleted files for a period you choose.
- Deleting a file on the Mac does not delete it from the backup history.
- Staff have no access to the backup settings or its storage.
- We monitor it, and follow up when a Mac stops backing up.
If someone empties a client folder on Friday afternoon, Thursday’s copy is still there.
What we can’t promise
- Nobody can stop a person deleting files they are allowed to open. We make sure a deletion can be undone.
- Work created after the last backup ran can be lost. Backups run frequently to keep that gap small.
- Files kept only on a personal USB drive or in a personal account are outside the backup.
- Backup protects against loss, not copying. If your worry is staff taking data with them, tell us and we will look at that separately.
How setup works
- Review. We list your Macs, where work is saved, and who has administrator rights.
- Apple Business. We set up or tidy your account and add your Macs to it.
- Enrolment. Each Mac is enrolled in Jamf. We turn on FileVault and store the recovery keys.
- Backup. We install the backup, run the first full copy and test a restore.
- Policy. We give you a short device policy for staff to read and sign.
Macs bought from an Apple business supplier can be added to your account directly. Other Macs can be added too, but each one has to be backed up and erased once. Where that isn’t practical, we enrol the Mac as it is, with slightly weaker protection, and tell you the difference.