Apple @ Work is exclusively offered by Mosyle, which is the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates all the necessary solutions to deploy, manage, and secure Apple devices in the workplace seamlessly and automatically on a single professional-grade platform. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices operational effortlessly and cost-effectively. Request your EMPOWERED TRIAL today and understand that Mosyle has everything you need to work with Apple.

Apple Business Manager (and Apple School Manager) is the real source for managing Apple devices. If a device is not in ABM, it really does not exist in your fleet. Although the web portal has evolved over the years, it is still a web portal. Logging in, approving 2FA, etc. often takes longer than just searching. That's why I was excited when I recently came across ABMate.

About Apple @ Work: Bradley Chambers managed an enterprise IT network from 2009 to 2021. With experience in firewalls, switches, mobile device management systems, enterprise-level Wi-Fi, deploying and managing thousands of Macs and thousands of iPads, he will highlight how Apple IT administrators deploy Apple devices, build networks to support them, train users, share stories from the front lines of IT management, and how Apple can improve its products for IT departments.

A Local GUI for Your ABM Inventory

ABMate is an open-source tool that wraps the Apple Business Manager API in a native macOS interface. It is written in SwiftUI, so you will feel right at home on your Mac. The basic principle is simple: instead of logging into Apple Business Manager to check a device's status, you open ABMate. It communicates directly with the new Apple Business Manager API, pulling data much faster than loading the official portal's site.

The application likely covers the basic tasks you perform daily within Apple Business Manager:

  • Device Search: You can view a device's model, color, operating system version, and warranty status precisely using just the serial number.
  • MDM Server Assignment: If you manage multiple MDM servers (e.g., leftovers from M&A), moving devices in the web portal can be cumbersome. ABMate allows you to quickly assign or unassign devices within the app.
  • Bulk Actions: You can perform these actions on multiple devices without creating or formatting a CSV file.

Since it interacts with your corporate data, you will need to create an API key in Apple Business Manager to use it. The application runs locally on your computer, so your keys stay with you, but you should always follow internal security protocols when using third-party tools with production credentials.

You can download ABMate from GitHub. If you find it useful, I recommend giving the developer a star on the project. Since Apple announced the new Apple Business Manager API, I have been impressed with some of the tools developed by developers!

Apple @ Work is exclusively offered by Mosyle, which is the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates all the necessary solutions to deploy, manage, and secure Apple devices in the workplace seamlessly and automatically on a single professional-grade platform. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices operational effortlessly and cost-effectively. Request your EMPOWERED TRIAL today and understand that Mosyle has everything you need to work with Apple.