Keynote Speaker
Joen Rennich
Joel is the Vice President of Product Strategy at JumpCloud residing in the greater Minneapolis, MN area. He focuses primarily on the intersection of identity, users and the devices that they use. While Joel has spent most of his professional career focused on Apple products, at JumpCloud he works with a team focused on bolding going where no devs have gone before across all platforms. Prior to JumpCloud Joel was a director at Jamf helping to make Jamf Connect and other authentication products.
In 2018 Jamf acquired Joel’s startup, Orchard & Grove, which is where Joel developed the widely-used open source software NoMAD. Installed on over one million Macs across the globe, NoMAD allows macOS users to get all the benefits of Active Directory without having to be bound to them. Joel also developed other open source software at Orchard & Grove such as DEPNotify and NoMAD Login.
Over the years Joel has been a frequent speaker at a number of conferences including WWDC, MacSysAdmin, MacADUK, Penn State MacAdmins Conference, Objective by the Sea, FIDO Authenticate and others in addition to user groups everywhere.
Joel spent over a decade working at Apple in Enterprise Sales and started the website afp548.com which was the mainstay of Apple system administrator education during the early years of macOS X.
Community Sessions
Tap/click each session title for more detail.
After the First 20 Minutes: Onboarding is Cool, But What About the Next 3 Years?
Aaron Zanbaka, Jamf
IT teams have so much emphasis placed on onboarding devices, and there are valid reasons for this. Onboarding is crucial to the success of any deployment, and has a great impact on a new employee / student / users device experience, however this emphasis is disproportiante to the time investment required from any IT Team. When compared to the actual day to day of maintaining a fantastic user experience and ensuring the devices are adhering to the required compliance frameworks, meetings organisational security standards, onboarding is insignificant, so lets have a look at what is actually going to make the biggest impact on everyone life. What happens after those first 20 minutes? The hard work begins, because now teams face the challenge of keeping up with an increasing cycle of change. We can skip past the checkboxes of onboarding and jump into the core concepts behind a successful user / device lifecycle, core tools and projects that will help IT, Infosec and EUC teams keep up with their day to day, and the ever changing asks of them, as well as key time saving mechanisms to facilitate user satisfaction and reduce IT stress.
About the Presenter
Aaron is a Pre-Sales Engineer at Jamf, who specialises in serving the unique needs of commerical and education customers alike. Having worked with Apple Technology for close to two decades, Aaron is driven by a deep passion for optimising Apple technology in the workplace or classroom.
The Best AI PC is a Mac
Apple Enterprise
In this session you will learn how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are ushering in a new era of productivity in business. Research analyst firm Canalys predicts that by 2027 sixty percent of PC’s will be AI capable, defined as the ability to process AI workflows locally using a Neural Processing Unit (NPU). Every Mac is built for AI and Machine Learning, powered by Apple silicon with its Neural Engine. With AI optimised hardware, powerful built-in macOS features, and third-party applications that take advantage of the Neural Engine and ML accelerators, Mac is the best AI PC available today.
Sustainability in Business
Apple Enterprise
At Apple, we’re committed to our mission of creating products that enrich the lives of our customers. And we’re equally committed to doing so in a manner that doesn’t deplete the earth’s resources. In this session, we’ll talk about the impact of bringing Apple products into your organisation can have on positively contributing to a sustainable future.
So you want to make an open source app
Bart Reardon, CSIRO
Many in the mac admin space make use of open source tools. Whether it's software like munki, autopkg or eraseinstall or even someone elses script, we rely on the shared work of others to get our jobs done. This talk is for those that are thinking about releasing their work as open source or anyone that wants to know what goes in to creating and supporting free software. I'll go over topics from creating something from scratch, taking over an existing project or even contributing to someone elses work. I'll then look at options for publishing your work, what licenses are in use, getting access to resources like Macadmins Opensource (https://macadmins.io). Lastly I'll look at the realities of ongoing maintenance, what to expect, how to interact with your customers, how, as a customer, to interact with developers and other highs and lows of running an open source project.
About the Presenter
Bart has worked for the CSIRO for over 22 years and is based in Canberra. Bart currently works for CSIRO’s desktop infrastructure team and leads development for the Mac and Linux Desktop SOE’s and manages 1000+ macOS workstations using JAMF, Munki and other open source tools. He has contributed to Munki, macOSLAPS, Nudge and Outset open source projects, as well as developed swiftDialog from scratch in SwiftUI and released as open source to the macadmins community.
Implanted Identity
Damian Cavanagh, Compnow
In an age of Yubikeys and data breaches, security has become a huge focus for most Apple admins. Thankfully, it’s now possible to achieve perhaps the ultimate level of personal data security: a sub-dermal security key. The Vivokey Apex Flex is a cryptographically-capable NFC platform that supports FIDO2, TOTPs, HMAC, PGP and more. It works as a Tesla keycard! It even has a literal app store for crying out loud! This session will detail the Apex Flex’s features, show it in action, explain how to get the most out of it in the Apple ecosystem, and describe the presenter’s journey with NFC implants generally.
About the Presenter
Damo has been working in the Apple world since 2011 and is passionate about making technology work for all humans. He has been using Shortcuts since it was Workflow, and has pioneered its use with Jamf APIs. Damo is a Presales Engineer at Compnow, supporting enterprise and education customers in partnership with Apple via the AAER and AAES programs, and helps organise Melbourne Apple Admins. Damo is also a low-end cyborg with four NFC chips implanted throughout his body. Aside from Shortcuts, Damo also loves home automation, mixed reality and sci-fi. And guitar and bushwalking in an attempt to counter so much tech.
Seamless Device Refreshes: Integrating Return to Service in Educational IT
Emily Clark, Jamf
In the rapidly evolving landscape of educational technology, the ability to efficiently manage and refresh devices is critical for maintaining seamless learning experiences. This presentation introduces Apple's Return to Service functionality, a revolutionary tool within iOS/iPadOS 17, designed to significantly streamline the management of shared and temporary device workflows in educational environments. We will delve into the key features of Return to Service, including its ease of use, the capability for fast device refreshes that can be initiated by the end user, one-touch device redeployment, and automated iOS refreshes. Furthermore, the presentation will highlight real-world applications of Return to Service through case studies from Universities and K-12 Schools. Join us to explore how Return to Service can change the way you think about iOS/iPadOS device management in schools and universities.
About the Presenter
Emily, is a Customer Success Manager at Jamf, who collaborates with educational institutions ranging from childcare centers to universities, leveraging her extensive two-decade IT background. Her expertise is rooted in a previous role as an Information Systems Administrator in a large K-12 school, where she specialised in managing Apple devices. Passionate about enhancing educational environments, Emily is dedicated to sharing her knowledge to refine workflows and introduce operational efficiencies with technology.
Some things I've learnt turning a Python script into a Package and why you should too!
James Smith, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Learn the ins and outs of turning your Python scripts into packages. Discover why packaging will aid in workflows related to CICD, and the ideal ways to structure your projects. This session offers practical advice and key insights for both new and experienced developers looking to streamline their Python development process.
About the Presenter
James is a Staff Engineer currently working at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia where he is helping to craft the best experience for engineers in Australia. You can often hear hosts and guests alike say "Sorry James" on the Mac Admins Podcast that he edits each week. Outside of work, you can find James with his family, building the latest LEGO set, or trying to build a new Magic Commander deck with his kids.
You've Been Owned - What Next?
Jon Rhoades, St Vincent's Institute
The worst has happened, your Mac/iCloud/MDM Platform has been compromised - what do you do first? In this talk, we'll guide you through the process of managing a cyber incident, including the actions you should take and the pitfalls to avoid. We'll explore how to detect and identify an incident, as well as the best practices for containing it and recovering from its impact. Additionally, we'll discuss how to plan for future cyber incidents and the exercises you can undertake to improve your response capabilities.
About the Presenter
Jon Rhoades is the IT and Cyber Security Manager for St Vincent's Insitute of Research in Melbourne. He almost has a Master of Cyber Security from Charles Sturt University and is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM). He is also a prolific XWorld speaker, having presented at most X Worlds over the past 10+ years.
I Do Declare...
Marcus Ransom, Jamf
At WWDC in 2022, Apple told us that the focus of future protocol features will be declarative device management. In 2023 we learned that the focus on new protocol features IS declarative device management. So what does this mean beyond the beautifully curated slides of a WWDC presentation? In this session we are going to look at what declarations do, how they work, why they are different to MDM commands and configuration profiles, and some of the opportunities they bring to Apple device management. We’ll look at some real-world implementation examples to better understand our current reality now that we live in this exciting new world!
About the Presenter
Marcus Ransom has been managing Apple technology across enterprise and education for over two decades. He is a Senior Sales Engineer at Jamf as well as one of the hosts of the Mac Admins Podcast
Pitfalls of Account-Driven User Enrollment on iOS
Martin Piron, SEEK
While Account-Driven User Enrollment promises a seamless experience, there are critical pitfalls that organizations must be aware of. In this presentation, we’ll explore the intricacies of implementing Account-Driven User Enrollment, drawing from our experiences at SEEK. From design considerations to practical insights, we’ll share the hurdles we encountered and the valuable lessons learned. Join us as we unravel the complexities and discuss strategies for successful implementation.
About the Presenter
Martin has considerable experience working with Apple products. With more than fifteen years of experience both in Australia and Europe, he has worked in a range of environments from small service providers to large enterprise environments. He is currently a Senior Engineer in the Client Platform Team at SEEK.
Getting to the promised land - macOS Updates
Rick Goody, Jamf
This presentation will cover some of the many mechanisms to get to a desired macOS software state. Every environment is different, so there may be multiple options to get you to the desired macOS version state. Apple released a Software update to DDM. However, you must still get to Sonoma to take advantage of this goodness, and even then there still may be issues. I will try to cover the pros and cons of each method to help you make an informed decision on how you get to the promised land of an updated date and secure macOS system.
About the Presenter
Rick Goody has been an Apple admin for close to 20 years. Primarily working as an IT Consultant, Rick has worked in the UK, Sydney, and Perth, supporting & completing projects for local and global clients. Rick founded a successful Perth-based MSP in 2013, focusing on providing Apple Consulting and giving any client access to very technical staff. Rick now works as a Customer Success Engineer @ Jamf, acting as a technical escalation point, helping customers navigate workflows and implement Apple products within their environment, covering anything from deployment to security and identity.
Evaluating the Considerations when Making Sense of Compliance
Winston Wong, Jamf
Amidst the continual evolution of technology, the intricate landscape of navigating compliance and regulatory frameworks presents heightened challenges. Integral to compliance is the imperative need of identifying the correct considerations, whereby an organization's chosen approach becomes a cornerstone in their success. This session endeavors to delve into the requisite considerations and deliberations essential in evaluating compliance needs, while concurrently upholding the intrinsic human entitlement to privacy. Moreover, it aims to underscore the pivotal role of selecting suitable controls in mitigating friction between organizations and their end-users. We will analyze various compliance frameworks and demonstrate how Jamf Compliance Editor can identify gaps and essential considerations to prioritize a secure-first mindset
About the Presenter
Winston is an experienced Technologist in the field of Cybersecurity focusing on Apple EDR, Compliance Framework & Zero-Trust Network Access, with diverse experience across Enterprise Data Storage (SAN & NAS), Distributed Software Defined Storage Architecture, Cloud Storage Solution (AWS & Azure), Backup Solution (Commvault) & Virtualization (VMware/HyperV). Winston being a Technical Specialist across multiple Enterprise Domain, is an enthusiastic, friendly, easygoing and energetic person, and always looking for opportunity to share his ideals and concepts.
Workshops
Tap/click each session title for more detail.
Next Level AutoPkg
Anthony Reimer and James Smith (co-presenters), University of Calgary, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Picture this: you’ve been using AutoPkg for a while but need to deploy some software which doesn’t have an existing recipes, or found one, but it didn’t quite do what you needed. You may have even dabbled in writing your own recipes but you want to learn more. This workshop will focus on how to efficiently read and write AutoPkg recipes, as well as leverage its power to integrate with various management systems. In this workshop we’ll be focusing on using the JamfUploader processors integrated with Jamf Pro. We expect you to have some prior experience with AutoPkg as we may touch on more advanced topics depending on the specific interests of the attendees.
About the Presenter
James Smith: James is a Staff Engineer currently working at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia where he is helping to craft the best experience for engineers in Australia. You can often hear hosts and guests alike say "Sorry James" on the Mac Admins Podcast that he edits each week. Outside of work, you can find James with his family, building the latest LEGO set, or trying to build a new Magic Commander deck with his kids. Anthony Reimer: Anthony Reimer (he/him) has worked at the University of Calgary (Canada) since 1996, primarily as the Technical Lead of the Integrated Arts Media Labs, supporting work in Art, Music, Drama and Dance with Mac computers and other digital technology. Anthony regularly shares his knowledge at Mac Admins conferences worldwide, including at the Mac Admins Conference (Penn State, USA), MacAD.UK (London, UK), the Jamf Nation User Conference (online), and EveryWorld (online). He was an organizer of the MacDeployment Conference in Calgary, where he lives with his wife and miniature poodle. He is very much looking forward to experiencing live Footy during his visit to Australia.
Deploying macOS Sonoma
Apple Enterprise
Learn about platform changes introduced with macOS Sonoma. In this session we will discuss the platform, dive into updates for new enrolment options and managed software updates, and cover additional resources for a successful Mac deployment in your environment. The Deploying macOS Sonoma workshop will prepare participants to: - Use best practice Automated Device Enrolment - Establish a baseline for MDM configurations - Keep systems up to date by enforcing updates - Go further with identity integrations inc SSO
Making the most of swiftDialog
Bart Reardon, CSIRO
swiftDialog is an open source tool used for presenting user dialogs for management scripts. With just over 100 unique command line arguments and multiple ways to to send and receive information there is plenty of opportunity for generating complex and expressive dialogs that help your end users interact with management scripts and other workflows. This workshop will go over everything from the most basic user dialog to complex workflows with multiple dialogs running together and everything in between. We will also explore some projects that are either built on swiftDialog or make use of it in some way and examine what features they are using and how. You will need: - A mac running macOS 12 or newer - Moderate understanding of shell scripting (bash and/or python), although beginners are welcome.
About the Presenter
Bart has worked for the CSIRO for over 22 years and is based in Canberra. Bart currently works for CSIRO’s desktop infrastructure team and leads development for the Mac and Linux Desktop SOE’s and manages 1000+ macOS workstations using JAMF, Munki and other open source tools. He has contributed to Munki, macOSLAPS, Nudge and Outset open source projects, as well as developed swiftDialog from scratch in SwiftUI and released as open source to the macadmins community.
Working with Jamf API's and Webhooks
Daniel MacLaughlin, Jamf
Harnessing API interfaces can significantly enhance the efficiency and automation of an administrator's workflow. In this workshop, participants will delve into scripting and utilize available technologies to automate specific processes within Jamf Pro, in addition to exploring Jamf APIs across various products like Jamf School and Jamf Security Cloud. Furthermore, we will explore the integration with additional APIs, such as Slack, to receive alerts for particular events.
About the Presenter
Daniel is a Senior Consulting Engineer at Jamf, with a solid 17 years of dabbling in everything Apple. He's tackled a bit of everything in his career, working with all sorts of organizations and managing projects that range from tightening security in top-notch places to rolling out hundreds of thousands of devices super fast, not to mention creating tailor-made workflows and even some cool tools for the community now and then. Away from work, Daniel loves to unwind by playing Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, brewing some beer at home, and hanging out with friends.