What's new in Jamf Pro version 10
October 24, 2017 by Jeni Asaba
Posted in: Jamf Pro, Business, JAMF Nation User Conference
Along with some exciting new features and benefits, Jamf Pro 10 includes an updated interface, entirely redesigned with end users in mind. In today's Jamf Nation User Conference (JNUC) session, Jamf product experts, Joe Bloom, Marek Jarmuszkiewicz and Nick Thompson briefly reviewed the history of Jamf Pro, formerly the Casper Suite, before diving into the exciting new features of Jamf's newest release.
Jamf users know Jamf Pro is the gold standard for managing Apple products. They understand that thanks to Jamf's integrations with the Apple Device Enrollment Program (DEP) they can easily configure their devices, obtain apps, gather inventory data, ensure security and compliance, and provide users an overall amazing experience with their Apple devices. In short – Jamf Pro makes things work. So how could it get better?
Providing the best solution possible for users to manage their Apple deployments is always top priority for Jamf. That's why Jamf Pro 10 includes a new look and feel, a more robust Patch Management, and a totally revamped Jamf Self Service.
"In Jamf Pro 10, there are no major API changes, so your existing integrations will continue to function as expected," Thompson said. "The underlying database is the same, so you won't have to worry about migrating user data from one database format to another. All your devices, users and data remains in place. And finally, while the new user interface has a new look and feel, a lot of your workflows will feel familiar since menu items are mostly in the same location."
They introduced six new, notable features:
1. Dashboard: The new dashboard provides quick access to the policy status, smart groups and patch information.
2. Table Views: Interactive tables now allow users to easily customize their view and sort their data.
3. Collapsible Menu: A collapsible sidebar menu gives users more screen space to work with when they need it.
4. Breadcrumbs: With breadcrumbs, now users can see the path they took and get a quick link back to where they've been.
5. Contextual Warnings: These will help users solve common issues quickly while also directing them where they need to go.
6. Mobile Friendly: Users can now access Jamf Pro 10 on their mobile phones and perform common management tasks.
After a demo, the Jamf team started describing the newly enhanced Patch Management with a high level overview. "Jamf currently monitors 36 software titles that we believe to be the most popular," Bloom said. "They are monitored by Jamf employees, and we publish notifications within 24 hours." The notifications arrive inside the Jamf Pro server or via email. Also, they contain both current and old versions, which allows admins to easily identify when specific software titles were released.
Uploading a package file remains manual, but a number of available integrations help with the process. "We recommend using your favorite auto-packaging tool to get packages in an automated fashion. You can then upload those packages to Jamf Pro and make them available to your distribution servers," Thompson said. "We are working very hard to automate this piece in the future."
The team then walked through a handful of additional Patch Management features and workflows before introducing the all new Jamf Self Service. "It's a modern Mac app with a new look and feel," Jarmuszkiewicz explained. It contains productivity apps, design apps, an IT help section, developer tools, a new hire kit and more. And it's fully customizable.
This new Self Service also includes dynamic buttons that show the user what's happening when they run a policy. They're even updated with secondary text after the policy is complete. But that's not all. A new History tab shows users what they previously downloaded or patched, and patch notifications and updates are consolidated into one location and will inform users when it's time to update their software.
Additional changes in Jamf Pro 10 include a SCEP Proxy and additional functionality around scaling. "And while we don't always highlight it in our releases, you should know we performance test every release and continue to make improvements to the Jamf Pro architecture to allow you to scale your Apple deployment," Bloom said.
There was also news about a shift to Jamf's release calendar. Jamf Pro 10 was a large release, with more than 2,000 individual items. "Our goal is to deliver valuable updates to you more frequently, and by having smaller, more frequent releases, we can also contain risk and improve the quality of each release," Bloom said.
The session ended with a quick recap of the new functionality, and a message from everyone at Jamf who diligently worked to create the best product possible for users. "That's Jamf Pro 10, and we think you are really going to like it."