Last week, the Jamf Nation User Conference (JNUC), the biggest event in the Apple Admin calendar, took place in Denver, Colorado. Among the thousands of attendees exploring the latest in Apple management, Compnow’s Senior Systems Engineer Joshua Kerekes joined the action to uncover how Jamf is shaping the next evolution of Apple device management.
Together with Damian Cavanagh, Compnow’s Apple Experience Manager, they break down the key takeaways and what they mean for Apple Admins back home.
From Declarative Device Management (DDM) and AI-driven automation, to Infrastructure as Code and Unified APIs, this year’s JNUC cemented Jamf’s role in simplifying and securing the Apple experience across enterprise and education environments.
Simplified Setup and Platform SSO
One of the standout announcements was around macOS Tahae and its expanded Platform Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities. The new Simplified Setup workflow allows for identity configuration during initial setup, streamlining provisioning and authentication from the very first login.
The update also introduced Authenticated Guest Mode for temporary users and Tap to Login with NFC security keys, Apple Watch, or employee ID in Apple Wallet.
“Jamf Pro is already ready to support these features,” said Joshua. “We saw a live demo using Okta Desktop Access, creating user accounts in the background while authenticating via Okta. It was seamless.”
While Microsoft Intune is not yet supporting Simplified Setup, Jamf is actively collaborating with Microsoft to bring full compatibility soon. For Google identity users, Jamf Connect remains the current integration path, with feedback encouraged to help drive future platform support.
Unified Platform APIs
JNUC 2025 also unveiled Jamf’s fully featured Platform APIs, designed to unify API development across all Jamf products. Whether building a quick automation or a complex enterprise integration, these APIs provide consistency and faster development.
“No more juggling different API styles or documentation,” Joshua explained. “Everything is unified, predictable, and ready for automation at scale.”
The live keynote featured Jamf’s Dan McLaughlin coding directly in Slack using the new APIs, a highlight moment for developers and admins alike. Visit developer.jamf.com for full API documentation and examples.
Smarter Automation with Jamf AI Assistant
Building on last year’s introduction of Jamf AI Assistant, this year’s update pushed automation even further. The assistant now helps Apple Admins troubleshoot complex configurations, reverse-engineer legacy policies, and automatically generate environment documentation.
It can debug failing scripts, identify configuration conflicts, and perform advanced queries like:
“Which Macs in Finance have Chrome versions with critical vulnerabilities?”
“In the demo, the AI Assistant instantly flagged conflicting configuration profiles in a new Blueprint,” Joshua said. “It’s a huge time-saver, especially for admins inheriting existing Jamf environments.”
The assistant also integrates with Jamf Protect, providing intelligent summaries and risk assessments when alerts appear.
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
For many attendees, Infrastructure as Code was a revelation. This modern approach treats Jamf configuration the same way developers manage source code, through version control systems like Git.
“As someone who’s not a full-time developer, I loved seeing how IaC ensures every Jamf instance is consistent and testable,” Joshua noted.
“It’s invaluable for dev/test/prod environments where changes need to sync seamlessly.”
This GitOps-style approach is rapidly becoming the new standard for scalable Apple management.
Declarative Device Management and Blueprints
Apple’s Jeremy Butcher summed it up perfectly saying, DDM is no longer the future, it’s the present.
Jamf’s answer is Blueprints, management “recipes” that define apps, settings, and permissions declaratively. Blueprints automatically stay in sync with Apple’s latest specs, accelerating deployment and reducing errors.
“We saw demos of new DDM settings for passcodes, disk management, and software updates,” Joshua said. “It’s faster, smarter, and removes version-by-version dependencies.”
Blueprints are paving the way for real-time configuration that scales cleanly across fleets.
Community and Collaboration
JNUC has always been about community, and this year was no exception. Special mentions go to local presenters Marcus Ransom, Dan McLaughlin, Stu McDonald, and Nick Freeland, who showcased their expertise across security, automation, and integration sessions.
Closer to home, Australia’s own Apple Admin groups, including Melbourne Apple Admins, Sydney Mac Admins, Brisbane Apple Wranglers, Adelaide Apple Admins, Perth Apple Admins, and Canberra Apple Admins, continue to drive collaboration and learning.
Watch the Keynotes and Learn More
You can now watch the JNUC 2025 keynote and State of the Union sessions for Education and Commercial on YouTube, with the full library of presentations to follow soon.
For more information on how Compnow helps organisations manage, secure, and support Apple environments with Jamf, contact your Compnow Account Manager or email [email protected]
