Glossary
MDM (Mobile Device Management)
MDM is Apple's device management protocol that lets organizations enroll Macs and remotely deliver profiles, commands, apps and updates.
Mobile Device Management (MDM) is the framework Apple provides for organizations to manage Macs, iPhones and iPads remotely. A device enrolls with an MDM server, which can then install configuration profiles, deploy apps, query inventory, enforce software updates, escrow FileVault recovery keys and send commands such as lock or erase. The Apple Push Notification service is used to tell a device to check in; the actual instructions come from the MDM server.
Enrollment method matters. Automated Device Enrollment, configured through Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager, enrolls organization-owned Macs during setup and allows supervision, which unlocks additional controls. User-approved enrollment is required on macOS for certain sensitive payloads. Declarative Device Management extends the protocol so devices can apply and report policy state more autonomously.
MDM is the backbone of fleet hardening: it turns a written baseline into enforced settings and provides evidence that those settings are in place. Both commercial products and open-source servers implement the protocol.
See the MDM and configuration profiles guide for enrollment and baseline advice.