Adobe products currently have NO support to manage configuration from a central location such as an MDM Server.
These features have been made available by Apple for more than a decade.
As an example, Currently, in order to disable Cloud sync, we need to use the Admin Console to generate a PKG installer that contains an XML file that is installed into a specific location on Disk.
We have also created appropriate scripts to check the content of the XML file and update it if it is not configured correctly.
This mechanism is prone to being modified by a sufficiently savvy end-user, potentially overriding organisational security and control requirements and leaking sensitive data out of the organisation. This would put is in non-compliance with regulatory requirements.
Supporting Managed Preferences would enable Enterprise MacOS Admins to define settings for:
AI Features,
Cloud Sync,
Auto-Update behaviour
and more using a Configuration Profile that is deployed by their MDM Server - in our case, JAMF
Configuration Profiles applied via MDM can be locked down so they cannot be removed by an end user, and making use of Apple's Declarative MDM provides a "Desired State" configuration and additional reporting on a machine state.
A Configuration Profile could also assist in streamlining the User Experience by defining the UserID's or email Addresses required at Authentication prompts.
Additionally, being able to control configurations in this manner would remove friction from the Admin Console process, removing several steps from package generation, allowing admins to make use of a generic PKG installer for each application regardless of configuration requirements.
This would allow for Adobe to deploy CCDesktop or other applications via the Mac App Store, allowing Admins to then leverage Apple's Volume Purchasing Program to deploy CCDesktop to endpoints and ensure currency is maintained via the Mac App Store, while still having the fliexibility to configure appropriate controls for enterprise use.
These features would be a HUGE win in repairing a "strained" relationship between Adobe and Mac Admins globally.
Modernising configuration management and ensuring Enterprise level controls are available in your software is going to become essential to prevent Enterprises migrating to competitors.
It is not acceptable to introduce new features that require uploading data to Adobe severs (generative fill) without appropriate Enterprise level controls available to disable the features.
Blocking through other mechanisms and leaving the feature visible in the software puts unnecessary load on our support teams, where the logical answer is to hide the feature in-product instead.
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