Apple Fleets, Properly Managed.
iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Apple Business Manager enrollment, Microsoft Intune configuration, and lifecycle management for businesses running iPhones, iPads, or Mac fleets. Set up the way Apple actually intends — not as an afterthought to your Windows MDM.
Apple-First
specialists, not generalists
Intune
Microsoft 365 native MDM
Zero-Touch
enrollment via Apple Business Manager
Why Apple Devices Need Their Own Approach
A Mac Is Not a Windows Box. An iPad Is Not a Phone.
Apple devices show up in a business in pieces. A founder's MacBook. The road sales team on iPhones. A pair of iPads at the front desk. Each one enrolled differently — or not at all. Some bought through the Apple Store, some at Best Buy, some shipped from Amazon. When something needs to change — a departed employee, a stolen device, a software policy — there is no central handle to grab.
That is the gap Apple Business Manager closes. Combined with Microsoft Intune as the MDM layer, every Mac, iPad, and iPhone enrolls automatically out of the box, follows the same configuration, and can be locked, wiped, or reassigned from one console. Northern Technology Services sets this up for clients and runs it on an ongoing basis.
What We Manage
Every Apple Device You Hand to an Employee.
Three device categories, one management approach. Below: what changes when each is properly enrolled.
iPhone
Enrolled the moment the user signs in. Corporate apps, Wi-Fi, and email configured automatically. Lost-mode lock and remote wipe ready. Personal data stays personal — work data stays separate and recoverable.
Typical use: field sales, route work, anyone who reads email outside the office.
iPad
Kiosk-locked for retail and front-desk use, or full-flex for hybrid workers. Single-app mode, shared-iPad mode, and supervised configurations all available. Updates, restrictions, and replacements handled centrally.
Typical use: point-of-sale, signature capture, clinical intake, field forms, conference-room signage.
Mac
Zero-touch deployment out of the box. FileVault disk encryption enforced, OS updates managed, security policies applied. New hire signs in, the Mac configures itself — no IT visit required, no admin password handed out.
Typical use: designers, founders, creative teams, developers, executives — anyone whose work requires a Mac.
How We Run It
Two Ways to Manage Apple Devices.
For most clients, Intune via Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the right answer. Tessix is the alternative when Microsoft 365 is not in play.
Path One
Microsoft Intune
Included with Microsoft 365 Business Premium. Same console managing your Windows fleet, Apple devices, Conditional Access, application policies, and security baseline. One identity layer, one MDM, one license.
- Standard with Olympus Standard managed-IT tier
- Available with M365 Business Premium licensing
- Tied to Entra ID / Azure AD identity
- Apple Push Certificate & ABM linked
Right answer for any business already running Microsoft 365 — which is most of them.
Path Two
Tessix MDM
For businesses that are not on Microsoft 365, or where Intune is not the right fit, Tessix MDM is the alternative. The same console that manages our Windows and security stack also covers macOS, iOS, and iPadOS — including ABM enrollment and policy deployment.
- Add-on to the Tessix endpoint platform
- No Microsoft 365 dependency
- Same console for Windows + Apple
- Per-device pricing
The right fit for Apple-only shops or businesses standardized on a non-Microsoft identity stack.
Not sure which path makes sense? That is what the discovery call is for. We will look at your current setup and recommend honestly.
What's Included
The Apple Management Engagement.
What NTS handles when you bring us in on Apple devices.
Apple Business Manager Setup
DUNS verification, account linking, MDM server pairing, and the federation work that connects ABM to your identity provider.
Zero-Touch Enrollment
Devices ship to the user, configure themselves on first power-on, and land enrolled — no IT staging step.
Apps and Books
Volume Purchase Program licensing, silent app deployment, App Store restrictions, and managed apps that respect data separation.
Security Baseline
FileVault on Macs, passcode policies on iOS, screen lock, encryption, and Conditional Access tied to device compliance.
Lifecycle Management
New hires, departures, role changes, lost devices, replacements — handled through one console with documented procedures.
Compliance Posture
HIPAA, PCI, and cyber-insurance questionnaires get easier when your fleet is centrally enrolled and reportable.
Why Use NTS for Apple
Apple Specialists Who Also Speak Microsoft.
Most MSPs treat Apple as an exception case. We treat it as a primary platform. The same engineers who configure your Microsoft 365 tenant and Conditional Access policies handle Apple Business Manager and Intune for Mac and iOS — because in a mixed environment, those two stacks have to work together.
If your business runs on a mix of platforms, that integration is the whole job.
- Apple-aware engineers. Not Windows admins who reluctantly support Macs.
- Intune expertise. The Microsoft side is where most Apple deployments actually break — we know it well.
- Right-sized engagement. Whether you have three Macs or three hundred iPads, the approach scales.
- One partner for the whole stack. Devices, identity, network, security, and licensing under one accountable team.
Common Questions
What Clients Usually Ask First.
Start With a Conversation
Tell us what Apple devices you have.
We'll tell you how to manage them.
A thirty-minute call covers your fleet, your identity setup, and the right management path. No charge.
Northern Technology Services · 231 State St. Suite 4, Petoskey, MI 49770 · Serving Michigan since 2015
