Changing MDM without starting again
Companies change device management platforms for ordinary reasons: the fleet has outgrown a simpler tool, a renewal price has jumped, a new security framework needs features the current one lacks, or an acquisition has left two platforms where there should be one. We move fleets in any direction between Jamf, Mosyle, Iru (formerly Kandji) and Microsoft Intune, and between separate instances of the same platform.
What makes it harder than it looks
Every Mac has to leave one MDM and join another. For Macs in Apple Business Manager running macOS 26 or later, Apple can move the device to a new MDM without wiping it, by a deadline you set. Older Macs, and Macs that were never added to Apple Business Manager, need re-enrolling, which means a prompt the user has to act on.
Settings do not carry across. Profiles, scripts, app packages and compliance rules are written differently on each platform. We rebuild them on the new one, and use the move to drop the ones nobody needs.
Security has to stay on throughout. FileVault recovery keys must be escrowed again on the new platform, and anything that relies on the MDM, such as Wi-Fi certificates, VPN or single sign-on, has to be ready before the first Mac moves.
How it works
Weeks 1 to 2: Audit. We export everything the current platform does: profiles, apps, scripts, smart groups, and the state of each device. Unused or broken settings are flagged for removal.
Weeks 2 to 4: Build. The new platform is configured to match, tested on our own devices and then a small group of yours. You approve the result before anything wider moves.
Weeks 4 to 6: Move. Devices migrate in batches, with a short note to each person explaining what they will see. Macs on current macOS move through Apple Business Manager with a deadline; older ones are re-enrolled with a guided prompt. We watch every batch and chase the stragglers.
Close-out. Once every device has checked in to the new platform, recovery keys are confirmed, and the old platform is cancelled at the right point in its contract.
Why Stabilise
We specialise in Apple and work across all four platforms day to day, so we do not have a favourite to sell you. If you are still choosing, our Jamf vs Intune vs Iru comparison sets out where each one fits. For a first-time deployment on a fleet with no MDM yet, see MDM rollouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will our Macs be wiped? No, in most cases. Macs in Apple Business Manager on macOS 26 or later move without erasing, and older Macs can usually re-enrol without a wipe, with the user approving the change. Where a Mac is far enough behind, we update it first.
Can people keep working during the move? Yes. Each Mac takes a few minutes to switch, and apps and files stay in place.
What about iPhones and iPads? Company devices in Apple Business Manager on iOS and iPadOS 26 or later move the same way. Older company devices may need erasing and re-enrolling, which we schedule with each person. Personally owned phones enrolled through user enrolment are re-enrolled by the user, with instructions from us.
How long does it take? Around six weeks for most fleets of up to a few hundred devices. Most of that is building and testing the new platform properly.
