We have 10 iPhones for our very small company. I'd like to be able to track and/or wipe these phones if they're lost or stolen like Find My iPhone does. The problem with using a single iCloud account is it would screw up their calendars and contacts. The MDM software I've come across seems expensive. Is my only other option to make each person give me their iTunes password?
iPhone 3GS, Windows XP
Meraki offers a free cloud-based MDM solution called Meraki Systems Manager. I haven't used it myself but it sounds like it might be suitable.
You can do the remote wipe via Exchange if you use it.
For tracking the phones, you can have them install the Apple Find Friends app and add you as a friend with permissions to track the phone.
You should be able to do all this without needing to get into their iTunes accounts.
I had to give up on Meraki. They offer no way to passcode protect the phone/ipad if it's misplaced, so your only option is to wipe it. That's too drastic a measure if someone just forgets it in a store. For my purposes, I just opted to go with the built in iCloud functionality. It's a bummer that I need a diffeferent account for each phone, but it's free.
JustLee,
Did you ever resolve the "pending" issue?
From what I could tell in using the Meraki system manager. I can still delete the Meraki profile (on the iPad), refresh/reset the ipad (as a thief would probabaly do) because Apple Configurator doesn't prevent a hard reset. Now, like you, I can see that the Meraki certificate was removed, and I do still see the device in system-manager, so I issued a reset, but it continues to just say pending and the ipad is non-the-wiser.
Has anyone figured out a good way to deal with theft? Passcodes aren't good because the student, who may steal the iPad, was probably given the passcode when they got the ipad at the start of class. For me the solution can not involve a passcode.
Why does apple not password protect SETTINGS if the device is supervised?
Hi Dave,
It sounds like you're looking for a way to prevent someone from wiping a stolen device, is that correct?
I believe there is a way to create a Device Profile that prevents a user from simply deleting it (see pages 31-32 of http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/Enterprise_Deployment_Guide.pdf) but I'm not sure if Meraki Systems Manager exposes that setting. I would check with Meraki's technical support on that.
Even if you can turn that on, be aware that a thief can always start a device in DFU mode by holding down the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons and restore it with iTunes to the default settings. There's no way of getting around that.
Your best defense against theft is effective physical security and insurance.
There is one other technique you could use to track a stolen and wiped iPad in a university environment. If you kept a record of the MAC address of each device, you could check if a stolen device connected to an access point somewhere on the campus.
Beyond that, I don't think there is much else you can do.
JustLee,
Wouldn't the configurator tool let you passcode protect? I don't need to passcode, for only students use the devices; but in playing around with configurator I remember creating a profile with a code, and then having to enter it once I prepared/supervised.
What email delivery system do you use? As Phillip mentioned, Exchange can do what you want.
Thanks for the quick reply rgsteele.
My main profile is indeed set to not be deleted; however it appears that a "wipe" of the iPad (via DFU mode) or "Erase All Content and Settings" (via settings) rids the device of the profile anyway.
I work at a University. so where as in business, data protection is important (and effort is made to remotely wipe or passcode protect in the event of theft or loss) at my school there is no real important data to secure - we just want to (potentially) find the thief who stoled the iPad.
I've been told by Apple Engineers that "Find my Ipad" isn't enterprise friendly, so my boss said find something else. Meraki seems to be able to give you a general location of where the iPad "walked" off to even if the the machine is wiped (and the Meraki and other profiles are removed).
Any way(s) to help track a stolen iPad appreciated!
hi this is punith from india .. i'm big fan of apple ..we find very difficult to use IPAD without any connectivity like USB hub.. samsung is offering microusb which can act as macro usb which can connect pendrive/external hard drive.. etc.. even though people like apple product in india ..but because of these issues (including cost in india is very expensive compare to counterpart in america) people are going for samsung/htc/motorolo.. so kindly solve these issuse.. i bet u apple would be big successor in india if u attach a usb coonectivity in ipad and reduse its cost in india... i hope u people consider my suggestion.. !!!!
That sounded promising. But for my first test I tried to lock a phone that was sitting next to me. After two hours command is still "pending". Not useful if the phone is lost/stolen.
Suggestions for company iPhones
