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Smart Software Overview

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Smart Software is Addigy's built-in tool for packaging and deploying third-party applications and other software to macOS devices in your fleet. It handles the complexity of macOS permissions and installation configurations so you can deploy software reliably — with just a few clicks.

Note: Smart Software is compatible with macOS devices only. To deploy apps to iOS or iPadOS devices, see Configuring Apple Apps.

Overview

macOS software deployments often require specific permissions, system extensions, and custom configurations to install silently and successfully across a fleet. Smart Software simplifies this by giving you a structured way to define installation files, conditions, and scripts — all from one place in Addigy's Catalog.

Smart Software is most commonly used to:

  • Deploy third-party applications to managed macOS devices
  • Automate installations based on device conditions (e.g., install only if the app isn't already present)
  • Deploy non-application content such as fonts, printers, and launch daemons
  • Make software available to end users via Self Service

For a complete 'How To' guide on setting up a new Smart Software item and what each option is capable of, please refer to the following article: Creating Smart Software

Before You Begin

Before building a Smart Software item for a third-party application, consult the software developer's documentation for MDM deployment guidance. Many developers publish step-by-step guides for remote management that can be adapted for Addigy. Following developer documentation helps ensure a smooth, silent installation and will inform any MDM Profiles (Device Settings in Addigy) you may need to configure alongside the software (such as Full Disk Access or System Extension approvals).

Tip: Before building a Smart Software item from scratch, check the Prebuilt Apps Catalog in Addigy. It contains ready-to-use installers for many popular applications — no configuration required. If the app you need is available there, you can add it to a policy or Self Service directly without creating a custom Smart Software item.

If the developer doesn't provide MDM-specific documentation, use the following articles based on your installer file type:

Deploying Smart Software

Once a Smart Software item is created, you have three options for deploying it to devices.

Option 1: GoLive (One-Off Deployment)

Use GoLive to deploy a Smart Software item to a single device on demand. This is ideal for testing a newly built item before rolling it out to your full fleet.

See Deploying Software to Individual Devices in GoLive for instructions.

Option 2: Policy (Fleet-Wide Deployment)

Add a Smart Software item to a policy to deploy it across multiple devices automatically. Policies run on a roughly 30-minute cycle.

A few important behaviors to be aware of:

  • No Condition for Install: If a Smart Software item has no Condition for Install, installation is attempted only once after being added to a policy. Use the Deploy Now button in the Policy view to force a re-run.
  • With a Condition for Install: Adding a condition (e.g., check whether the app already exists on the device) allows reinstallation to be reattempted whenever the condition is met. This is recommended for most deployments.
  • Architecture-specific installers: If a developer provides separate installers for Intel vs. Apple Silicon devices, use Flex Policies to automate deployment based on device architecture.
  • Deployment scheduling: To avoid disrupting end users, you can restrict installations to specific times of day. See Setting a Software Deployment Schedule.
  • Updating software in policies: When a new version of a Smart Software item is ready, you can swap it in without rebuilding your policies. See Updating Smart Software & Self Service Items in Policies.
  • Variables: Addigy Variables allow you to use pre-configured values and secrets in your Smart Software items. See Addigy Variables.

Note: The output shown in the Policy Deployment window reflects the most recent installation attempt only. It will not update unless the status of that attempt changes.

Option 3: Self Service (End User-Initiated)

Make software available for end users to install themselves by adding a Smart Software item to a policy's Self Service configuration. This does not install the application automatically — it simply adds it to the Self Service catalog for users to access at their convenience.

See Adding Software to the Self Service Catalog for instructions.

Note: Variables are not currently supported for deployment via Self Service.

Other Use Cases

Smart Software isn't limited to application deployment. You can also use it to deploy:

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