So you want to manage Apple devices without using MDM? Here’s how. – Computerworld

MDM and Apple Business Manager (or Apple Essentials for Business) allow automatic deployment. IT doesn’t even need to see the device; it can be delivered to the employee in new packaging and will automatically be configured and enrolled in MDM when queried by Apple’s activation servers during startup.

In contrast, manually managing devices can be extremely time-consuming because you’ll have to configure each device manually when installing configuration profiles—and you’ll have to touch it every time you need to make a change. Security updates (or any software updates) cannot be forced to install, so each user can choose to install them or not.

When a device is managed through MDM, there is constant communication between the device and your company’s MDM service. This provides a range of features, particularly security features such as the ability to query device status, lock/unlock the device, install software updates, and add apps and other content over the air.