Primo's MCP server: Your AI assistant can now talk to your IT operations

The benefits of automation are well known to modern businesses. For decades, companies have found ways to turn slow, repetitive processes into efficient, self-executing systems. Which lets teams focus on impact, rather than repeating the same low-value tasks. 

Onboarding and offboarding are both high-value processes made up of low-impact touchpoints. Getting team members up to speed quickly really matters. How you create their email account or reset security permissions doesn’t.

Which is why automating these manual steps makes such a big difference. Automated onboarding and offboarding takes low-value work off your plate, and lets you focus on what is important. It also makes both processes faster, easier, and eliminates basic errors. 

In this article, we look at how automation can improve your onboarding and offboarding processes—particularly for IT operations. Then we meet two companies who successfully automated their own IT onboarding, and saw tangible benefits. 

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What are employee onboarding and offboarding processes?

Onboarding and offboarding are the practical, functional, and cultural processes associated with welcoming and farewelling company employees. Onboarding typically includes teaching new hires about the company culture, training in your specific ways of working, and giving them the hardware and software tools they need to execute. 

Offboarding is the change process at the end of an employee’s time with your company. This can include exit interviews, farewell celebrations, and regaining possession of company property like computers, phones, and access cards. 

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Key steps in IT onboarding

The IT onboarding process is often slower than you’d like. It involves numerous distinct steps, which can really add up if handled individually and manually. These include:

• Setting up user profiles and permissions
• Ordering new devices
• Configuring applications, software, and security updates on these devices
• Delivering devices to new employees
• Training employees on compliance, cybersecurity, and optimal use
• Monitoring device performance and troubleshooting issues

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IT is just one aspect of an employee’s onboarding, and can be taken for granted by hiring managers. Your goal is to make all of the above happen smoothly, quickly, and with no extra work for yourself or the new hire. 

For help, see our short checklist for efficient IT onboarding. 

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What IT offboarding involves

While the IT onboarding process may be neglected, offboarding is often overlooked altogether. Retrieving devices from departing employees is essential both for asset management and security. 

Key steps include: 

• Locking devices the moment employees no longer need them
• Wiping personal data or returning devices to factory settings
• Returning physical devices to the office or supplier
• Checking a device’s state for reuse
• Preparing devices to be redeployed

All of this adds up, and is always more complicated with remote or distributed teams. In a traditional office setting, it’s pretty simple to have an employee hand in their devices on their last day. It’s more challenging if that employee is in another city, state, or country. 

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Why automate employee onboarding and offboarding? 

In general, the best processes to automate involve a number of manual steps and little added value from having people handle each one.

Key benefits of automating your IT onboarding and offboarding include: 

• Time saved for IT teams and hiring managers, who no longer need to manually work through each of those steps we saw above. 
• Faster onboarding for new employees, who don’t need to wait for people to set up their profiles or order devices.
• Near-instant offboarding, because devices can be locked or wiped immediately with a simple click.
• Fewer errors, including skipped or forgotten steps, faulty devices, or losing track of devices when an employee leaves. 
• More consistent experiences, as every employee follows the same automated process at the beginning and end of employment. 

Overall, automation creates more streamlined and efficient internal processes. And for something as common and recurring as onboarding and offboarding, efficiency gains can really add up.

How modern SMBs automate onboarding and offboarding — and why it works

To illustrate with tangible examples, let’s take a look at two companies that prioritize automation in the onboarding and offboarding process. 

Like many growing companies, both faced real challenges in scaling IT operations. Even as modern tech companies, they had few resources specifically for IT operations. They needed to create efficient, easily-replicable processes to get new employees up and running, and to smoothly offboard team members at the end of their work. 

Best modern SMBs have understood that a great onboarding experience comes from the collaboration between HR and IT teams — and these two companies made that alignment a core part of their approach. As we’ll see, the secret to success lay in choosing the right tools and partners to take the weight off their very busy leaders.

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Faume: Near-instant IT operations for a distributed workforce 

Founded in 2020, Faume is a technical logistics solution that lets brands create resale services for their products. Faume works with world-famous logos like Hugo Boss, The Kooples, Aigle, and Bash to bring second lives to items and make consumer commerce more sustainable.

Faume’s 30-person team includes remote staff across France. CTO and Co-founder Jocelyn Kerbouc’h needed a simple way to deploy and manage devices for this distributed workforce ahead of scaling post-Series A.

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Before: False starts with IT providers

Faume initially leased computers in the hopes of getting additional support and a streamlined service. But this was far more expensive than the cost of buying—they were asked to pay up to €2,500 for a €1,200 computer. And worse, they still regularly encountered malfunctioning devices and frustrating errors. 

They pivoted to buying from Apple directly, tracking devices manually in a Notion doc. This was certainly more cost effective, but added more administrative effort to the onboarding process. 

As a co-founder wearing multiple hats, Jocelyn couldn’t afford this extra admin. Faume needed a more robust IT operations solution that could deliver devices at the right price, while also tracking their use and ensuring security. 

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Today: Centralized IT onboarding & offboarding

The big switch was finding an IT operations provider that lets Jocelyn order, configure, and deliver employee devices in a few clicks. Using Primo, Jocelyn sets password rules and updates, and pre-configures applications so that computers arrive ready to use. 

“Thanks to Primo, onboarding new employees now takes us half the time it used to,” says Jocelyn.

Faume has essentially automated the onboarding process, and offboarding is just as simple. When an employee leaves, Jocelyn can lock and wipe their computer remotely. Departing employees receive a shipping box and can easily return computers from anywhere. 

The result is a more efficient, secure IT environment for Faume. And Jocelyn can put all his energy into building and leading his business.

Read the full Faume story here.

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Dalma: Efficient operations with no IT team

Dalma is France’s fastest-growing pet health insurance company. Its tech-enabled platform already insures more than 40,000 European cats and dogs, with no signs of slowing down. 

Founded in 2021, the 70-strong team has grown quickly to deliver this popular and worthwhile service. While that’s good for business (and for our pets), it put pressure on former Head of People Claire Maarek. 

With IT onboarding just a small portion of her role, Claire didn’t have the time or technical expertise to build a comprehensive program from scratch.

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Before: Poor leasing experience

Like Faume, Dalma also tried leasing as a (theoretically) efficient way to manage IT operations. But Claire explains that the downsides were obvious right away. “Our leasing experience was disappointing, offering minimal service and reliability with poor customer support.”

It was a maddening mix of high prices and low-quality service. For an HR leader like Claire—not an IT pro by trade—this wasn’t a tenable situation. 

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Today: IT onboarding in seconds

Since switching to Primo, the results are night and day. IT onboarding takes mere seconds, and Dalma can secure hardware at competitive prices, configured and delivered for when the person arrives. All of this with no deep IT procurement knowledge or dedicated technical experts. 

Most importantly for HR professionals, Primo integrates with Payfit (alongside other HR platforms). Dalma adds a new employee in Payfit, and most of the process is automated from there. Devices arrive on time, whether new hires are in France or Germany. 

When an employee leaves, Primo makes it easy to retrieve or reassign devices elsewhere, or simply resell them. Which makes both onboarding and offboarding as easy as can be. 

Read the full Dalma story here.

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Make IT onboarding and offboarding a breeze

Both IT onboarding and offboarding are relatively simple processes, made difficult by manual steps and a need for technical expertise. Particularly for growing companies without IT teams or paid external consultants, key steps can fall through the cracks. 

That’s how you end up with security risks, sluggish processes, and frustrated team members — right when first impressions matter most.

The best way to streamline IT onboarding and offboarding is with one central solution. And as both Faume and Dalma showed, it’s even better when that solution integrates with your HR systems and company tools. This lets HR leaders and hiring managers—often “accidental IT managers”—keep control and ensure each step is completed efficiently. 

Primo provides exactly that: an all-in-one IT management system for faster onboarding and offboarding. You can easily automate virtually all of your IT operations, without paying huge fees to managed providers. 

‍See how Primo can improve your IT operations today.

How to Create an Efficient IT Onboarding Process for New Employees

Starting a new job is equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking. No matter how many interviews and coffee chats a new team member did during the hiring process, they’re stepping into the unknown. 

As a hiring manager or HR leader, your goal is to harness this energy and make them feel comfortable and fit in. 

But very few experiences will burst their bubble like feeling forgotten about. Showing up for their first few days with no computer, no login, and nobody to help is immediately alienating. And it puts pressure on their new colleagues to help out.

Only 12% of employees believe their company does a good job of onboarding team members. And in our modern, digital-first work environments, this starts with IT. 

This article explores the value of well-designed, efficient IT onboarding for new employees. And we also look at the keys to doing this well, without wasting time and effort.
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What is IT onboarding? 

IT onboarding is the process of getting new employees up and running with company information systems. These include computers, phones, and tablets, as well as user profiles, cybersecurity policies, and network access. 

A fully onboarded employee:

• Has their own devices, including remote workers
• Can log in and use them safely
• Has access to the wi-fi network
• Can use communication channels like email, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom
• Knows where to look for more information should they need it

IT onboarding is arguably the very first thing a new employee needs to succeed. Before they can fully understand the company’s mission and cultural values, or even get to know their new team mates, they need IT access. 

Typical challenges when onboarding new employees

For such a fundamental part of the hiring process, IT onboarding remains difficult. In fact, it may be harder today than in previous eras. 

The cliché cubicle setup was simple. Everyone needed the same computer and phone on their desk, the same network access, with relatively few exceptions. 

Today you have remote employees using a wide range of both hardware and software. A salesperson may need vastly different IT equipment from an engineer. 

IT onboarding is challenging and often falls short for the following reasons:

• It’s time consuming: The average onboarding process involves around 50 administrative steps. IT setup alone can easily account for 20 or more of those, and will quickly become a bottleneck if your processes are inefficient.
  
  
• It’s increasingly personalized: Employees love to select their own hardware, and some have specific technical requirements. You may also have different nationalities, which means different keyboards and operating languages.
  
  All of this means a one-size-fits-all IT setup won’t work.
  
  
• There are lots of moving parts: Between the devices themselves and the software setup required, you can have more than 10 IT vendors per employee. Which also means different timeframes—hardware orders may take days or weeks, while creating a user profile might only take a moment.
  
  
• Some technical skills are required: Corporate systems may not be as technical as they used to be, but HR and office managers may not feel well equipped to manage IT hardware. If you don’t have a dedicated IT expert on staff, you either need to lean on other skilled employees for support or bring in outside help to resolve issues. Both of which add time and complexity.
  
  
• Onboarding is cross-functional. Every employee needs onboarding, but it’s not always clear who should lead. The hiring manager, an HR person, the IT person, or someone else? This inbetween status can mean onboarding isn’t given the attention it deserves, and new employees are overlooked. 

Whether you have a robust onboarding process or not, it’s a good time to look closely at your IT rollout. Ensure new employees get the smooth welcome they deserve. 

8 IT onboarding best practices

A good employee onboarding process is the best way to overcome the common issues above. Here’s what should be in yours. 

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1. Prepare your pre-onboarding routine

Even if each onboarding may have its specificities, you want a repeatable, consistent approach for every new employee. Ideally, you’ll have a checklist to work through as soon as a work contract is signed. 

This starts with hardware. Ensure all laptops, monitors, phones, and extras are delivered and ready to use before the person starts. That also means installing the necessary hardware and creating user permissions. 

There’s a lot more work here than many admins anticipate. You have to order from several providers (such as Apple for the computer, Amazon for the hub and screen), and track to make sure everything arrives where and as intended. 

You then have to configure these items by hand. Or ask your brand new employee to self-set up, which is not a great onboarding experience. 

Your best option is to use a service like Primo with zero-touch deployment. Primo pre-configures devices to your specifications, so they arrive with new employees ready to use:

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2. Provide secure access and credentials early

Start dates can shift and onboarding can throw up surprises, so it pays to prepare in advance. You can easily set up employee accounts and even share their email access ahead of time, so they’re ready to log in right away. 

Send the new hire their login credentials for email and other key software prior to their start date. They don’t actually need to do anything with it, but it’s good to know it’s ready for them. 

That includes security tools like password managers, and security protocols like two-factor authentication (2FA). Again, they don’t need to connect before day one, but they should have everything they need to get started right away. 

Finally, ensure newcomers have access to all key business software: Google Suite or Microsoft Office, Notion or Asana, Slack, and more. 

An IT operations system like Primo can also really help here. Primo lets you create new user profiles in just a few clicks, and automatically adds users to the tools they need in their specific role. The tools required can be job-dependent and vary hugely between users, so a one-size-fits-all software setup won’t work. 

Done well, you don’t have to manually visit each individual platform. And you never forget anything important.

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3. Document policies and create useful onboarding guides

Most young companies don’t have clearly-stated onboarding policies. This leaves it up to individual managers and admins to welcome employees on a case-by-case basis. That may work when you have the time to dedicate real attention to onboarding. 

But as soon as your attention is elsewhere—or if you’re hiring very quickly—newcomers can be left behind. And more broadly, you want a consistent experience for all new employees. So a documented process and policy is best. 

Include step-by-step guides for common tasks. Even better, prepare a 4-week onboarding template that any manager can quickly update and tailor to their roles.

That can start with IT. Provide easy-to-follow documentation, videos, or tutorials explaining how to use essential systems like email, project management tools, and key software. 

Even if a new employee has used Notion, Slack, or Jira before, they may not use them your way. 

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4. Emphasize cybersecurity training

With the amount of digital connectivity and data access every company has today, security training is increasingly important. New hires need to know the importance of protecting customer data and avoiding scams. 

Cybersecurity awareness and training should be one of the first steps in onboarding—as soon as possible after the employee has access to your systems. In fact, IT onboarding is now a core component of becoming compliant in many schemes. You must prove that employees know how to be safe and responsible with company data. 

Train new employees on data protection policies, phishing risks, secure file sharing, and acceptable use of company systems.

Just as crucially, emphasize the cultural value you place on security (if indeed it is a value). Don’t assume that team members come from vigilant, security-conscious companies. Many will need to develop good habits, and it’s best to start immediately. 

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5. Use mobile device management systems

IT management involves so many different processes, hardware, and software. Teams are increasingly distributed, and your devices are traveling all over cities and countries every day. 

This makes onboarding (and ongoing maintenance) really difficult. And it can be a major security risk. 

Good mobile management brings all of your devices together into one system of record, accessible and manageable from anywhere in the world. You can access, lock, and wipe any device, no matter where it is. You can also create accounts, change passwords, and update software. 

This software lets you confidently hand out devices on day one, including to remote employees. If they have any issues logging in or finding things, you can take control and help out.

This is obviously important for companies with remote staff. But even if your whole team is mostly on-site, in-office, modern employees have laptops and phones they take home with them. A centralized tool to track—and if necessary, access—these devices is paramount.

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6. Automate key steps in the process

Even in small companies, employee onboarding is a major task. For fast-growing companies, it’s a major hurdle to scaling. And preparing the IT hardware and environment is often to blame for holdups. 

Unless you automate. You shouldn’t have to manage onboarding on a 1:1 basis for each new employee. Good tools can manage the more manual, repetitive aspects. 

Key steps to automate include: 

• Ordering devices and having them delivered
• Pre-configuring the software and user profiles for these devices
• Creating accounts on all key tools, specific to each user’s role and responsibilities
• Guiding users to the right IT trainings for them

To do this, you need the right system. 

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7. Get feedback and ensure everything’s working

If possible, it pays to check in with new employees after a few days or weeks to make sure that everything’s working as they need. That could be a scheduled Slack message from the IT team, or a 10-minute Zoom call to show them a few advanced tips and tricks. 

That’s also important for companies without dedicated IT support. Their onboarding manager or HR rep will doubtless schedule catch ups in the first few weeks. Make a specific point to check that they’re happy with their devices and aren’t getting lost in the company intranet or communication tools. 

New employees are typically shy, and don’t want to admit when systems are confusing. But it’s perfectly normal to be confused, and a quick catch up should iron out any issues they’re having. 

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8. Streamline your IT onboarding process

Good onboarding can absolutely be the difference between companies with long-serving, happy teams, and those with high employee turnover. A negative onboarding experience is shown to cause employees to look for new opportunities in the near future. 

And it doesn’t take a huge amount to deliver a good experience. While some companies offer extensive welcome packages and onboarding retreats, the most important is to make employees feel valued. 

Show them that you’re excited to have them and have prepared for this moment. At the very least, that means having devices and accounts configured and ready to go. 

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And the best way to do this consistently is with good automation. For example, Primo helps companies manage IT onboarding in just minutes, without any team members specifically focused on this task. Devices are delivered anywhere pre-configured, and it only takes the IT or HR person responsible a few clicks. Which means every onboarding can be both easily personalized, and efficiently systematized. 

That’s the beauty of automated solutions—they work every time and save countless hours.

The modern office has seen a significant transformation, with hybrid and remote work becoming the norm. Employees expect and thrive with the flexibility to work from anywhere—whether it’s the office, home, or the road. 

But with this newfound freedom comes a critical challenge: ensuring that devices, data, and workflows remain secure and efficient across distributed teams.

That’s where mobile device management (MDM) tools are essential. These solutions let IT teams and HR managers manage devices, enforce security policies, and provide seamless support, all from a centralized platform. 
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In this article, we’ll explore six of the best MDM tools for SMBs, helping you unlock the full potential of a modern, flexible workforce.
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What is mobile device management (MDM)?

Mobile device management is a particular class of software that lets IT managers and admins connect and control company devices from anywhere. This is particularly important in modern, hybrid work environments where laptops, mobile phones, and tablets travel all over the world. 

A good MDM tool enforces your security policies, configures devices, manages apps, and tracks device statuses across your entire fleet.

This is a crucial element of remote device management, the broader set of processes and philosophies a company uses to manage remote devices. MDM is perhaps the most important aspect of this process, and is usually the starting point. 

In practice, companies use MDM to set password rules and security policies, keep devices updated, and have quick access should an administrator need to take control. 
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Why is MDM important for small businesses? 

The modern workforce has changed fundamentally from even a few years ago. Desktop PCs have largely given way to laptops, most of which go home with employees at the end of each day.

Staff are also far more likely to work from home a few days each week, if not full time. And more employees travel between offices than in previous eras. 

The result is more mobile devices, and less direct oversight over where they go. Meanwhile, cyber risks like phishing attacks and unwanted entry have exploded in recent years. With more devices connecting to insecure networks or simply stolen, SMBs have real reason to be wary. 

A hack could expose personal customer information, your strategies, and even your company bank accounts. 

To track mobile devices and keep a secure fleet, MDM software helps you:

• Increase security: You can ensure that devices are always updated with the required security systems, and are quickly retrieved if lost.
  
  
• Stay compliant: Particularly for certain industries and business models, you need to be extra vigilant over hacks and lost data. But there’s really never a good time for a data breach. 
  
  
• Save money: It’s surprisingly common for devices to get misplaced or forgotten as employees come and go. As part of a robust remote device management plan, MDM keeps track of devices and ensures they’re returned when people leave.

• Work efficiently: Small businesses don’t have time to waste on manual device tracking. An MDM tool avoids the need for messy spreadsheets or endless back and forth between colleagues. All the information you need—and the ability to solve common issues—is available in one place.
  
  
• Allows flexibility: Some businesses use a one-size-fits-all IT approach for simplicity. But with the right tools and efficient processes, you can still have personalized hardware and software, without it becoming unwieldy.
  
  

Key MDM features to look for

There are a range of tools available, as well as broader remote device management platforms that include MDM. So it can be hard to know the specific features to look for when considering your mobile device management software. 

While every platform has its strengths and weakness, good MDM software should include: 

• Device tracking. Know where each company device is, and monitor performance where required.
  
  
• Remote control. If necessary, an admin can take over and “drive” a device, no matter where it is.
  
  
• System updates. Update individual devices on a case-by-case basis, and schedule company-wide updates to software and security protocols.
  
  
• Usage policies. If necessary, admins can restrict the use of certain websites, apps, or device features.
  
  
• Security monitoring. Spot security threats across the whole network, manage antivirus software, and roll out fixes to known security issues.
  
  
• Identity management. This is not actually a core MDM feature, but the best MDMs integrate with identity management providers. This lets you control user access with via single sign-on (SSO), multifactor authentication and role-based access.

With these features in mind, let’s look now at some of the best MDM systems available. All of these tools do the above essentials well, so we’ll focus on the aspects that set them apart.

6 best mobile device management systems

If you’re eager to implement mobile device management in your business, these are the tools we recommend.

1. Primo

Primo has all of the above features (and more) to track, update, and optimize remote devices. As an MDM tool, it gives you the security and control you need to manage distributed teams and modern work environments.

But Primo goes beyond mobile device management as an all-in-one IT operations platform. You can easily source and distribute new devices, create company-wide security protocols, deliver compliance training, and keep track of a growing hardware fleet. 

This is ideal for busy IT teams who want to make all of their operational work efficient and smooth. But it’s also perfect for “accidental” IT managers, often in HR or office management, who may not have the time or technical expertise to manage devices effectively. Primo takes care of every time-consuming task they could have, so they can focus on what they were hired to do. 

Primo works across brands, so you have good MDM tools whether you use Mac, Windows, or other operating systems. You can also source devices directly from Apple, Dell, Lenovo, and Backmarket, among others. 

Ultimately, Primo lets you manage all key IT processes in one smooth system, and avoid the technical challenges that plague most businesses.

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Key features

• Buy and ship new devices within five days
• Track, update, optimize, and wipe devices remotely
• High-level cybersecurity identifies ransomware and undoes any damage caused
• Integrate your HR system for automated onboarding and offboarding processes

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Best fit for

• Growing SMBs (50-500 FTEs) that need lean, effective IT processes
• Companies which use both Apple and Windows devices, as Primo works across operating systems and hardware providers 

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Not a great fit for

• Large companies with existing IT processes that only need MDM solutions

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2. Microsoft Intune

Intune is Microsoft’s MDM solution, for companies already using its networking products and suite of tools. It helps network admins manage user access and device settings, and is predominantly for enterprise-level companies. This includes mobile devices, desktops, and virtual endpoints. 

As you would expect, Intune is a popular option among IT professionals who set up Microsoft environments for clients. These are often larger, more traditional office settings, where Outlook and Excel are commonplace. The platform lets you create and standardize specific security settings, zero-trust rules, and set the kinds of usage limits larger companies often require. 

Windows Autopilot also promises to be increasingly useful in managing IT. Intune already uses this AI tool to help deploy operating systems and provision new devices, and the use cases are sure to expand quickly. 

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Key features

• Broad range of native Microsoft integrations
• Custom roles and policies for enhanced security
• Mobile threat detection and defense services
• Can be used for BYOD or company-owned devices

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Best for

• Larger enterprise businesses already using and familiar with the Microsoft suite of tools

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Not a great fit for

• SMBs or fast-growing companies that want to manage IT in house with minimal delays and setup costs

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3. Jamf Pro

Jamf is known as perhaps the market leader in mobile device management for Apple devices. Whether your business uses iPhones, iPads, Mac computers, Mac OS devices, or Apple TVs, Jamf has the features to manage them centrally and keep them secure.

Jamf Pro offers zero touch deployment if you buy Apple devices through their B2B providers. It then makes it easy to find, monitor, and update those devices as required during their lifecycles.  

Jamf has a few price points and packages to consider, including those for very small companies with no dedicated IT support. But Jamf Pro is its true MDM product, aimed at larger businesses and higher education providers, with a more complete feature set.

Jamf Pro is at the more expensive end of the pricing scale for MDM providers. Some SMBs don’t need a solution at this robust price point.  

‍Customers love the fact that Jamf is so focused and committed to Apple products. This allows them to be at the cutting edge of innovation and adapt quickly to the slightest changes released by Apple.

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Key features

• Application management and consolidation
• Remote wipe and device tracking
• Strong security features
• User-friendly experience for teams with limited technical expertise

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Best fit for

• Larger companies and universities with a fleet of Apple devices
• SMBs that exclusively use Apple products

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Not a great fit for

• SMBs with a significant mix of non-Apple and Apple devices
• Budget-conscious companies

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4. Kandji

Kandji is another Apple specialist. In fact, it markets itself as “the Apple device management and security platform.” This focus gives you the confidence that these are dedicated experts who “know the Apple ecosystem inside and out.” 

As an administrator, you create “blueprints” with all the common settings and apps every employee needs. The platform provides a library of 150+ ready-to-use apps, including all the most common tools most businesses use. This makes setting up your working environment simple and scalable. 

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Its support team is made up of experienced systems administrators who understand the common problems most IT managers face. They’re known for being particularly helpful in solving issues, which are already few and far between. 

Customers include Allbirds, Demandbase, and Sisense, among a range of other tech-enabled growing businesses. For companies with Apple-heavy IT requirements, Kandji may be the perfect solution. 
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Key features

• Automated software updates to keep all devices on the same version
• AI assistant that delivers insights and tips for better device management
• Migration agent tool to switch easily from your current MDM provider
• Active and responsive support team, especially during setup 
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Best fit for

• Growing businesses with almost exclusively Apple devices
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Not a great fit for

• SMBs with a significant mix of non-Apple and Apple devices

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5. Miradore

Miradore is a low-cost MDM software that does the basics well. And that’s more than enough for some small businesses. The tool is particularly useful for companies with hundreds or even thousands of devices to monitor, but a small team and low IT budget. 

You can monitor and manage your fleet easily, and enforce compliance and security protocols. You can also check that operating systems and software are up to date, when the device was last used, and where it is at any given time. 

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Miradore secures both company-owned and personal devices across Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. And for many small businesses, there’s just the right level of security and control, without becoming overly complex.
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Key features

• Device inventory management
• Application and patch management 
• Configuration, restriction, and device tracking
• Automation for a range of IT tasks
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Best fit for

• Companies with basic MDM needs and low budgets
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Not a great fit for

• SMBs that need all-in-one IT management, including sourcing, onboarding and offboarding devices, or want MDM customization

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6. JumpCloud

JumpCloud is perhaps the most technical platform on this list, best suited to advanced IT teams with high levels of expertise. It’s an incredibly open and customizable solution, which is exactly what some businesses need. 

JumpCloud manages Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS and iPadOS devices, unlike the Apple-specific tools above. This lets IT managers create policies and protocols that apply across all of these devices, rather than managing them separately. 

It also lets you limit the installation of unapproved software, also known as “shadow IT.” Coupled with zero-trust policies that protects users, devices, applications, files, and networks, it’s one of the best solutions for security-obsessed organizations. 

It may not be the simplest platform on this list, but JumpCloud is a very powerful, dedicated MDM solution. 

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Key features

• JumpCloud Go provides strong multi-factor authentication and password settings
• Zero-trust policies for devices and networks
• Open directory platform that integrates with your existing IT stack
• SaaS management to oversee your tools and optimize licenses

Best fit for

• Companies with established IT teams and support that want to tailor MDM to their exact specifications

Not a great fit for

• SMBs that need user-friendly, ready-to-use tools

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Find the ideal MDM for your SMB

Corporate devices have taken on an interesting status in recent years. For most employees, their phone or computer is theirs, with use extending far outside office hours. Of course, IT leaders have a different view, and (rightly) see devices as company property. 

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But just because devices go everywhere with employees, that doesn’t mean they can’t be secure and tracked efficiently. The platforms above make this a reality. 

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No matter what size your company is, or the industry you serve, you almost certainly need MDM software. The real question is: which is right for you? 

Hopefully the breakdowns above help you make your choice. And for more help, talk to us. We’ll gladly help you figure out whether Primo or one of the other excellent providers on this list is right for you.