What is Application Management?

Application Management Overview

Application management refers to the systematic control and administration of software deployed on computers and other devices within an organization. It encompasses the entire software lifecycle, from the initial selection and deployment of an application through its configuration, updates, licensing, and eventual removal. Effective application management helps IT administrators maintain a secure, stable, and optimized software environment for their users.

Why Is Application Management Important?

For organizations that rely on Apple devices, effective application management can provide:

• Improved security: By centralizing control over software installation and updates, organizations can make sure that users aren't running outdated or insecure applications. Patch-management—a core capability of application management solutions—can significantly reduce vulnerabilities, by making sure that apps are updated quickly.
• A better experience for users: Standardized configurations and settings for applications lead to a more consistent and predictable user experience across devices.
• Cost optimization: License management—another core component of application management solutions—ensures the proper allocation of software licenses and reduces the risk of non-compliance. (For apps from Apple’s App Store, Apple Business Manager can also play a key role here.) Application management tools can also tell admins which apps are underutilized software and help optimize subscriptions.
• Streamlined IT operations: Automating deployment and update processes frees up IT staff for more strategic tasks.

Types of Application Management Tools

Several different kinds of software tools can help with application management:

Mobile Device Management (MDM)

MDM solutions (such as Kandji) offer a wide range of device management tools, including application management. These tools allow for remote app deployment, configuration, and updating on Apple devices. They can also integrate with Apple’s App Store for streamlined distribution of software.

Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)

UEM solutions take MDM a step further, by integrating the management of devices that run a wider variety of operating systems. As with MDM solutions, most UEM tools provide some kind of centralized console for managing applications across those platforms.

Application Deployment

There are tools that focus just on streamlining application deployment. They allow for creating packages, managing dependencies, and deploying applications across multiple Apple devices.

Package Managers

Mac computers come equipped with native tools such as packagemgr and can use third-party options such Homebrew for the management and distribution of apps, particularly open-source software, in the form of packages.

Apple App Store

The App Store offers a convenient way to discover, license, and distribute business-critical applications across an organization. IT administrators can leverage volume purchase programs and configuration profiles to manage app deployment and settings for users.

Key Features of Application Management Tools

Application management tools provide several distinct capabilities to admins who need to deploy and manage software installations at scale:

• Software inventory: Provides a comprehensive listing of all installed applications on managed devices in the fleet, including version information, licensing details, and usage statistics.
• Deployment automation: Tools automate the process of deploying applications to devices across an organization, reducing manual intervention and the risk of errors.
• Patch management: Enables the creation of automated schedules for applying security updates and patches to applications, ensuring timely deployment and a more secure environment.
• Configuration management: Allows for establishing standard configurations for applications, ensuring consistency across user devices and enhancing administrative control.
• Licensing management: Provides a centralized place where software licenses can be monitored and managed, including tracking usage, ensuring compliance, and dealing with renewals.
• Software metering: Enables organizations to monitor application usage and identify underutilized software or applications that could potentially be replaced with more cost-effective ones.

Application Management vs. Application Monitoring

You may also see references to “application monitoring.” While both application management and monitoring play vital roles in maintaining a healthy software environment, they address different aspects of it.

Application management focuses broadly on the software lifecycle, encompassing deployment, configuration, updates, and licensing. It ensures that applications are installed correctly, configured properly, and receive necessary updates to function optimally.

Application monitoring, on the other hand, focuses on the performance and health of applications running on a fleet of devices. It tracks metrics such as resource utilization, application health, and error logs to identify issues that may impact user experience or system stability. Application monitoring tools provide insights that can be used to troubleshoot issues and ensure applications are performing as intended.

Best Practices for Managing and Monitoring Applications

There are some generally accepted best practices for managing applications on Apple devices:

• Standardize: Implement clear guidelines for how your IT team is going to select, deploy, and configure applications across the entire organization, to ensure consistency for end-users and to make managing those apps easier for IT.
• Version control: Maintain a centralized repository of approved, updated versions of all apps you’re deploying. (Your chosen solution may have built-in functionality for this.)
• Automation: Wherever and whenever possible, automate as much as you can, to reduce time spent on manual management.
• Involve users: Actively solicit user feedback when it comes to selecting and deploying apps and to identify any potential problems that might arise.
• Monitor continuously: Regularly monitor the performance and health of the applications you’re deploying, to allow for proactive troubleshooting.
• Focus on security: Integrate security best practices into the ways you’re managing applications.