In this week's Apple announcements was something that could fundamentally change how IT teams think about MDM vendor relationships: a new migration workflow that lets you switch device management services without erasing and re-enrolling your mobile devices.
This might sound like a minor technical improvement, but it's actually Apple giving organizations the confidence to make strategic MDM decisions without fear of disruptive migrations.
The Migration Detail That's Held Organizations Back
Until now, switching MDM vendors has sometimes been painful enough that some organizations just... don't. The traditional process requires wiping mobile devices, re-enrolling them, and dealing with the inevitable user complaints about lost settings and interrupted workflows.
So even when teams know their current MDM isn't meeting their needs, they stick with it. The switching cost is just too high, especially for mobile device fleets where user disruption is particularly problematic.
Apple's new Device Management Service migration workflow changes that calculation completely. Organizations can now move their entire mobile fleet to a new MDM vendor without the nuclear option of device wipes.
What This Really Means
Apple is giving organizations confidence that they're free to choose the best service and seamlessly move when something better comes along. This is Apple explicitly saying: "It's safe to switch MDM vendors, and we're going to make it easy."
This puts every MDM vendor on notice. You can't rely on switching friction to keep customers anymore. You have to actually deliver value, consistently, or organizations will migrate to something better.
For IT teams, this removes one of the biggest barriers to making strategic platform decisions. Don't like your current MDM's mobile device management approach? Frustrated with poor user experience on iOS? You can now evaluate alternatives without the fear of a disruptive migration process.
The Ripple Effects
I predict we're going to see significant movement in the MDM space over the next year. Organizations that have been putting off mobile device migrations they know they should make will finally pull the trigger.
This is particularly relevant for teams managing large iOS deployments who chose their current MDM years ago when their mobile needs were different, or organizations that inherited their platform through acquisitions and never got around to consolidating.
The competitive pressure this creates should ultimately benefit everyone. When switching costs drop, vendors have to compete on actual value rather than migration friction.
What's your migration story? Have you been stuck with an MDM that doesn't quite fit your mobile needs because switching seemed too painful? Reply and let me know - curious how many teams this new workflow might finally unlock.