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Apple WWDC 2022: Five Key Takeaways for MSPs

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 03:  The Apple logo is displayed on the back of an iPhone on August 3, 2016 in London, England.  (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

If you didn't get the chance to watch WWDC 2022 last week, you missed out. As usual, Apple made many exciting announcements, and we were at the edge of our seats throughout the event. 

Of course, the tech giant revealed the M2 (its latest chip), macOS Ventura, iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and more, but not every valuable innovation Apple released was as flashy as the new MacBook or MacBook Air.  

While Apple issued more than a dozen announcements at the event, here are five key takeaways from WWDC 2022 for MSPs.  

1. Ready to update your software? The release of macOS Monterey 12.4 delivered enhancements to managed software updates, giving IT admins more control over the timing and priority of macOS updates through MDM. While the update process has been largely invisible to MSPs, the latest macOS release gives admins granular visibility into update progress, including the percentage of downloads complete, how many deferrals are remaining, and more. 

2. The end of passwords? Believe it or not, Apple has committed to ending passwords! Its solution? Passkeys. "Passkeys are a replacement for passwords that are designed to provide websites and apps a passwordless sign-in experience that is both more convenient and more secure," according to Apple. Built on the WebAuthentication (or "WebAuthn") standard, which uses public-key cryptography, Passkeys can be accessed on all regularly used devices. 

3. In walks rapid security response. Apple has introduced a solution to zero-day exploits. With rapid response patching, critical security updates are enabled by default and designed to be installed quickly to avoid disrupting end-user devices. Also, if something goes wrong, this feature supports rollback. Don't like the idea of not having control? Apple added MDM capabilities that allow MSPs to disable this feature. 

4. Declarative device management? Last year, Apple called declarative device management the "future of device management,” as it transforms its MDM protocol from reactive to autonomous and proactive. Declarative device management will help MDM providers such as Addigy deliver apps, books, software updates, and more with greater speed and reliability. What is the best part of declarative device management for you? You don't have to lift a finger; it will simply be a part of Addigy’s MDM architecture.  

5. Apple's MDM documentation is on Git. It isn't easy for any MDM vendor to understand the power available in MDM. While Apple has always done a good job of providing adequate documentation, this year, they decided to turn things up a notch for MDM vendors. During the conference, Apple announced that its MDM documentation is now available on Git, making it easier and faster for MDM vendors to add capabilities and build enhancements to existing capabilities. 

Feel like we left a couple of major announcements out? We did! Check out our latest blog post on WWDC 2022 to find out what we left off this list.  

Oh, and if you're dying to know all about how Apple device management is changing, how those changes will impact the devices you manage, and what Addigy has planned for this summer, we hosted a WWDC Afterparty webinar to help you prepare for the release of these amazing innovations. 

So, sign up for to hear our Apple experts answer attendee questions!


Guest blog courtesy of Addigy. Read more Addigy guest blogs here. Regularly contributed guest blogs are part of ChannelE2E’s sponsorship program.