2 min

Apple’s recent treatment of Jamf is considered anti-competitive. Furthermore, the tech giant’s new device management software may directly compete with Jamf.

The antitrust regulators of the European Union announced that Apple refused to allow third-party payment services to access its NFC chip. Apple allegedly abused its market power. Additionally, Apple has lost its proposal to withdraw the antitrust litigation over its claim to ban competing apps from its iOS App Store.

A deeper look into the claims

The Campaign for Accountability (CfA), a non-profit group, runs the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) and released a report showcasing Apple’s behavior towards Jamf, a developer of device management software.

Jamf is widely employed in corporate settings to manage Apple products. The organization relies on Apple’s support to function effectively. However, Apple recently released a product similar to Jamf, only marketed to small businesses. It caused Jamf stocks to plummet terribly.

Jamf’s IT managers have reached out to the board, complaining about how challenging it has become to address security vulnerabilities in Apple devices. The complaint also suggested that Apple might have been responsible for degrading Jamf’s functionality. While it is a serious accusation and can potentially jeopardize Jamf’s reputation, keeping Apple’s track record in mind, it may be true.

ABE jolts Jamf’s stocks 

As a device management software developer, Jamf offers a subscription-based plan to help businesses set up, manage, and protect their iOS devices. Jamf has more than 62,000 customers.

In November 2021, Jamf encountered a significant setback when Apple released the Apple Business Essential (ABE). It’s a software platform that shares the same features as Jamf, allowing businesses of small sizes to manage and control their employee’s iOS devices. After the announcement of ABE, Jamf stock shrunk by more than 30%.

ABE is limited to small businesses with 50 to 500 employees and offers customers a subset of Jamf’s features. If Apple plans to make this platform compatible with larger companies with more intense security needs, the platform may directly compete with Jamf.

What’s the outcome?

The comment section of recent customer reviews on Jamf’s community board suggests that there has been some mishap between Apple and Jamf. Many IT managers claim that one of the key features of Jamf has pushed the iOS operating system update to Mac, which has gotten complicated and buggy. As a result, it has become nearly impossible for Jamf to patch security holes.

Tip: EU antitrust regulators question developers on Google app payments