At what headcount should I invest in MDM?
No hard rule, but a pattern. Up to around 5 staff you can still hand-roll laptops and track them. Above that the spreadsheet-of-laptops becomes fragile. On staff turnover or a lost laptop the pain shows immediately.
Try this first
- 1Judge by risk too, not headcount alone. If a lost laptop touches customer data, MDM is sensible at 2 staff, not only at 10.
- 2Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Intune. For most SMBs, that is the cheapest route, no extra license needed.
- 3Apple-only workplaces: look at Jamf Now, Mosyle, or Apple Business Manager + Intune. A few Macs run fine on Apple Business Manager; 10+ wants active management.
- 4Start small: enrollment, screen-lock policy, encryption on, remote wipe available. Refine later with app management and compliance policies.
When to bring us in
On fast growth (5 to 25 staff inside a year) deploy MDM for the growth, not after. Enrolling all laptops retroactively costs more time than setting it up upfront.
See also
- First IT setup as a freelancer, what do you actually needNot everything at once. One laptop, a mailbox on your own domain, a password manager, a backup. That covers the first year.
- Hiring your first employee, what IT to arrange before day oneLaptop, account, mailbox, access to the right folders. In that order, not all of it at 9 a.m. on day one.
- Moving to a new office, IT checklistInternet and power have the longest lead times. Plan at least three months out, not three weeks.
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