Kandji: Mobile Device Management (MDM) Review

Kandji is a San Diego, California-based Apple mobile device management (MDM) and security platform for all macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS devices.

When Kandji was founded in 2019, experts with decades of experience with Apple IT came together to create a device management platform. They have since grown to employ over 300 team members who serve high-profile customers, like Belkin, Crunchbase, Noom, Docker, and FabitFun with a 95% satisfaction rating.

Kandji and the MDM market

The mobile device management market is shared by a large number of competitors, such as Jamf Pro.

When evaluating Kandji’s presence in the MDM market, it is important to remember they are still a relatively new company. To support their continued growth and ongoing innovation efforts, Kandji raised $100 million of Series C funding in November 2021.

Features

Kandji provides organizations with control over the entire life cycle for their inventory of devices.

Deploy

• Get new users up and running with zero-touch deployment, including the setup of necessary applications and security settings
• Keep users updated on what’s happening with Kandji’s Liftoff
• Integrate with existing identity providers to ensure only authorized users have access to devices and applications

Configure

• Keep each operating system (OS) up to date, rolling out major and minor updates without the need for any scripting
• Notify users when configuration updates are required, detailing any actions required with the option to delay installation until a predetermined enforcement deadline
• Automate patch management for software applications
• Install, update, and deploy App Store apps and custom apps

Integrate

Let Kandji do more device management heavy lifting by integrating it with other software applications, identity providers, software monitors, and automation tools.

• Add single sign-on (SSO) with Kandji Passport
• Kandji REST-compliant API integrates with a growing list of over 150 applications, including Apple Business Manager, Slack, Microsoft 365, Drata, Vanta, and Cloudflare

Secure

Deploy, monitor, and manage security across an entire Apple device fleet.

• Prebuilt templates help organizations adhere to compliance programs using NIST, CIS, and STIG frameworks
• All configurations are recorded, allowing for remediation of unapproved changes
• Kandji Agent automatically responds by fixing systems if users uninstall crucial apps or change security settings

Manage

Manage, configure, and troubleshoot the configuration of devices.

• Remote lock and wipe ensure data remains safe if devices are lost or stolen
• Kandji helps users regain access to their Mac with access to Filevault recovery keys, activation lock bypass codes, and recovery lock passwords
• Force mandatory device restarts
• Enforce host-naming conventions

Benefits

• Custom branded onboarding experience provides consistency and inspires confidence with new employees
• Refrain from interrupting employee productivity and workflow by delivering notifications five days before enforcement deadlines for updates and upgrades
• Support remote work environments with the ability to support employees with diverse needs

Use cases

Device management to support expansion

New York-based software developers TiltingPoint looked to Kandji for support when they began a rapid overseas expansion. With the need to onboard a considerable number of new Mac users in other countries with only one IT administrator, Kandji delivered zero-touch deployments and localized setup using Liftoff. 

“From an infrastructure standpoint, unifying tool sets was messy, deploying workstations was messy,” says Dominic Rosario, ITOps and technical support manager, TiltingPoint.

TiltingPoint wanted to provide employees with a security-conscious, MDM solution that would make them feel appreciated and part of a team. Rosario is pleased with the decision to use Kandji and is confident the solution will be able to scale as their team continues to grow.

Maximize security while minimizing disruptions for users

For developers of payments management solutions like Finix, employing solutions that match their high security needs is critical.

“Our customers trust us with payment information, and we can’t violate that trust,” says Dmitri Altum, Business Technology Manager, Finix.

Kandji’s compliance templates provided a starting point to establish a strong security posture for Altum’s team. And self-service functionality provided by Kandji API makes life easier for Finix employees, empowering the team and adding more value.

Make Mac experience consistent for everyone

Gearing up for a 30% growth in headcount, Forward Finance went looking for an MDM solution that would provide a consistently positive experience for their team members. Despite having an existing MDM solution, IT Manager Charlie Klausen discovered that new employees were starting without getting computers on their first day. This realization did not align with Forward Finance’s mandate to make every employee feel as if they’re the most important person at the company.

Kandji solved this problem by streamlining onboarding and device deployment. The moment a new hire opens their computer, Kandji Liftoff begins configuring software, while always keeping the user fully informed.

Differentiator

To set themselves apart from other MDM solutions, Kandji has made automation their primary focus. By eliminating the need to continually perform repetitive tasks, Kandji gives their customers the gift of time.

User reviews

Kandji customers give excellent reviews of their MDM solution, with consistent praise for ease of use.

• Capterra: 5 out of 5
• G2: 4.8 out of 5

Former and current employees Kandji give equally positive reviews, citing an overall satisfaction rating of 4.4 out of 5 at Glassdoor. Moreover, 80% of employees indicate they are willing to recommend Kandji to a friend, and 100% approve of the CEO.

Pricing

Pricing for Kandji is based on the number of Apple devices that an IT team wants to manage.

Conclusion

Seventy-six percent of companies report that the use of Apple devices has increased over the past two years, according to Kandji. Although limited to a single ecosystem, Kandji provides specialized expertise to organizations that use Apple devices.