What Can Provisioning Do For You?: The Benefits of PowerSync Pro®
by Natalie Schlueter
Imagine being in a work environment where each device has to be individually managed, updated, and charged by a singular tech team. This would have to happen over a matter of weeks in order to effectively manage and update all devices.
Managing a large fleet of devices with complex data requirements means that provisioning can take a long time if the right systems are not in place. This is why provisioning is so important.
Charging, syncing and provisioning is the ultimate user experience for saving time, and in the end, money for IT teams. Provisioning can seem like an elite need, but can be the most influential when it comes to managing fast-paced tech environments.
Fortunately, Bretford has a solution to ensure easy provisioning and quick turn around time to deploy devices more efficiently and effectively.
What is provisioning?
Provisioning is something that sounds incredibly complex, but is actually meant to ease complexity and streamline all data loading and unloading.
Provisioning refers to the steps required to manage access to data and resources, and make them available to users and systems. This is something that IT teams, in a setting where organization-wide systems need to be in place, implement almost bi-weekly, or more.
The simple idea behind it is fast and easy, but if the organization is large enough, provisioning to each individual device could take hours, or even days, to accomplish. Having a solution in place to help manage the provisioning of these devices while also ensuring a safe charge is important for fast-paced environments.
What can provisioning charging solutions do for a device management strategy?
Charging solutions with integrated provisioning technology can ease stress and reduce unnecessary time spent provisioning each individual device. Sure, traditional charging solutions are great to get a fast, secure and safe charge and even provide some syncing capabilities depending upon the model for a fast, simple deployment, but these traditional solutions do not allow for continuous, complex updates in a streamlined way.
Charging solutions with integrated provisioning technology, like the PowerSync Pro® 2nd Generation, ultimately provides a device management strategy with:
- The ability to charge, provision, and re-provision a shared pool of iOS or iPadOS devices.
- A best-in-class hardware experience for simplifying the management of a large pool of iPhones, iPads, or iPad minis.
- A combined experience with Apple Provisioning Utility (APU), or GroundControl for lowering support costs, and to automate provisioning
- A growth mindset with the ability to daisy-chain up to three trays, or 40 devices with one Mac mini.
Provisioning allows for an all-in-one experience to support work-flow efficiency and decrease additional support on IT teams, therefore lowering support costs. With a provisioning tool in place, a device management strategy can benefit from less burnout and a shorter turnaround time on devices to focus on what matters most in the organization.
Technology is meant to support daily practices, a device management strategy is meant to support this goal, and provisioning makes it happen.
What is Apple Provisioning Utility (APU), or GroundControl? Is this something that is difficult to navigate?
Apple Provisioning Utility (APU): a macOS utility designed to automate large-scale iPhone or iPad deployments. This reduces human error and increases efficiency. Don’t worry, you won’t be learning this all on your own. Apple provides a professional service (Apple Professional Services, or APS) for you to ask questions, and to guide you through the process of setting up your APU.
Apple Provisioning Utility uses an app to easily and fully automate an iOS device-provisioning workflow and send out updates as time progresses. With this automation you can deploy and automate all device provisions that you need. Provision up to 100 devices with APU.
With APU you can facilitate growth and migration to a new device or new MDM solution all while minimizing configuration error and creating a faster deployment method.
GroundControl: This is the provisioning service where there is no limit to the amount of devices, users, administrators, or workflows. GroundControl is perfect for workflows that need to be managed around the world.
There is very minimal setup, if any. In fact, the company boasts that it skips all setup screens and takes the end user right to the MDM to update and personalize devices. This service is also compatible with Windows as well as Mac.
This service provides similar features to APU, as it is a provisioning tool that can integrate into the PowerSync Pro®, but on a slightly larger scale of provisioning capabilities.
Both of these softwares are easy to navigate with quick setup time, assistance if needed, and easy workflows to deploy devices as soon as possible.
Syncing is a cheaper solution, what is the difference if I were to invest in provisioning?
Syncing: Syncing allows you to sync all devices to provide the devices and the computer with the correct data and manage software and system updates to the fleet.
While this can be done on a large scale with some of our products, like the PowerSync+® Station, by connecting a Mac to the solution and syncing devices at once, syncing does not have the same ability as the provisioning solutions.
Provisioning: Provisioning provides IT teams with the ability to control every aspect of the user’s experience from applicable software, data loading and unloading, managing networks, servers and users at various levels.
It can manage permissions and restrictions and can ensure device data wipes at the end of the day if necessary.
Although provisioning is more expensive, it can benefit the organization by supporting fast-paced work environments with heavy data entry and many employees by providing a solution for simple updates and complete control. This saves critical time and money to the organization.
What can the actual PowerSync Pro® charging solution do for me?
This solution offers a variety of use cases, and organizations a unique approach to their MDM. The PowerSync Pro® 2nd Generation has a unique, small footprint design made for conservation of space and opportunity to grow.
This specific charging station has a sleek style that can be left out in the open with little to no worry about the look of the product in the environment it is placed. It has easy access to devices for employees or other users to easily take devices out and insert them back in.
Because the design of this product is sleek, but user-friendly, it is the right solution for on-the-go situations in a highly customer facing environment. The provisioning is self-contained in the hub with a dedicated compartment under the hub surface for securing the Mac mini (2018) to run Apple Configurator 2 software (AC2), Apple Provisioning Utility (APU), or GroundControl Launchpad.
In addition to the sleek look, the hub has:
- Status on-demand: LED lights located next to each device to show charging status and to let all end users know when the device is ready for use after provisioning, syncing, or charging
- Easy connection: Larger L models include USB-C passthrough ports for easy connection of other peripheral devices to the internal Mac mini
- Simultaneous charge & sync: The hub maintains full charging rate (up to 2.4A*) even while connected to a host Mac mini for syncing and provisioning
Is provisioning for you? Let Bretford help.
Contact one of our sales experts today to find out how your MDM strategy can support your work environment by calling (800) 521-9614 or finding our “buy now” button on our website to connect with us today.
PowerSync Pro® 2nd Generation
iOS . iPadOS
Charge, provision, and re-provision a shared pool of iOS or iPadOS devices. Manage devices internally in the solution as well as externally with USB-C passthrough’s with best-in-class software and provisioning tools.
