Casper Goes Mobile

Version 8 of JAMF's Casper Suite extends the company's Mac management and provisioning tools to iOS mobile devices.The main purpose of the Casper Suite is centralized management of a company's Macs. The software enables administrators to handle inventory, disk imaging, software distribution, patch management, and so on from a single console. The suite also has supported iOS 3, but the new version extends support to iOS 4. It also works with the new OS's Mobile Device Management capabilities.

For example, Casper Suite 8.0 enables self-service distribution of in-house and App Store apps over the air. When a new device gets added to the system, the user can choose from preconfigured sets of apps, depending on the permissions settings for the group the user is a member of. The suite can also inventory all installed apps on connected devices.

The new version also adds security features, such as the ability to remotely wipe or lock devices if necessary. Administrators can also restrict WiFi access, disable a device's camera, and revoke access permissions. With JSS Mobile, they can manage iOS mobile devices from other iOS mobile devices.

For companies with mixed-platform environments, Casper Suite 8.0 also integrates with Microsoft's System Center Configuration Manager. The suite is priced per managed OS X system or iOS device, and the initial price also includes a year of maintenance. In September, when the new version was first announced, prerelease prices were $5 per device per year for education and $10 per device per year for commercial enterprises. JAMF said at the time that those prices would double when the product is released, but the company is not now listing final prices.