Microsoft Project Management Software For Mac Os X

The best project management solution for Mac is Monday.com, a cloud-based project management software that is renowned for numerous features such as: streamlined workflows; collaboration; and task scheduling. Merlin 2 (Direct download, affiliate) is a leading professional project management software for Mac OS X. Merlin 2 is developed by project managers for project managers and it truly delivers in meeting your professional project related requirements. Mar 20, 2017 The Best Project Management Software for Mac Googling Mac-specific project management software largely leads to lots of cloud-based options. While programs like Wrike, LiquidPlanner, and Teamwork are fantastic tools for Mac, many companies are looking for a locally installed option. Best Project Management Software for Macs 1. Merlin Project 5. FastTrack Schedule 10.2. Project Planning Pro. QuickPlan for Mac.

Microsoft Project is the best project, portfolio, and resource management solution—but it’s not available on macOS®. However, with Parallels Desktop® for Mac, Apple® users can use a Windows virtual machine (VM) to run Microsoft Project on Mac®.

Getting started with running MS Project on macOS is easy:

  1. Download a trial of Parallels Desktop.
  2. Set up a Windows 10 VM. It’s very easy to buy a new Windows 10 license inside Parallels Desktop. (You can also use an existing Windows 10 license key.)
  3. Purchase Microsoft Project and download the .exe file in your Windows 10 VM.
  4. Start using Microsoft Project to get your job done!

Parallels Desktop is the #1 virtualization solution to run Windows, Linux, and other popular operating systems on Mac. Virtualization of a Windows OS on Mac has endless benefits, including:

  • Low cost in comparison to buying a second computer
  • Minimized or eliminated downtime
  • Increased productivity
  • Faster backups
  • Easy to recover or migrate to additional Mac devices
  • Economic use of energy
  • Eco-friendly choice to minimize the amount of electronic waste a single user produces.

If you’re still deciding if Parallels Desktop is right for you, continue reading to understand how a program manager utilizes virtualization to run Microsoft Project.

As a self-employed program manager, Tim specializes in large-scale data migrations and the development of sustainable business intelligence (BI) and analytic solutions. He has a wealth of experience in both IT and capital asset delivery, as well as general management, operational, and strategic roles in asset-intensive industries and regulation.

Like most consultants, Tim needs slick and stable IT to allow him to focus on the real issues. He doesn’t want IT issues to constantly be distracting him. Parallels Desktop offers a reliable platform that allows him to deliver.

As an avid personal user of Apple products, Tim also wished to migrate his work life to Mac. However, for most clients he needed to use Microsoft Project as a Gantt chart management tool. Being able to manage multi-project plans is an essential element for any program manager. Unfortunately, Microsoft Project is one of the few pieces of Microsoft software that has not been developed to run on macOS.

After online research, Tim concluded that the only successful way to use Microsoft Project on a Mac was through a Windows virtual machine. He discussed the issue directly with Apple, and they recommended Parallels Desktop as a solution.

Following a very simple installation of Parallels, Tim can now use Microsoft Project natively within a Windows environment on his MacBook Pro®. This means there’s no translation between products claiming to act as a Microsoft Project editor—quite simply, he’s running a Windows version of Microsoft Project on his Mac. It has proved to be an excellent solution for Tim.

Tim wholeheartedly recommends Parallels Desktop, which he has now been using successfully for several months. Installation was simple, and there are many configuration options that can be changed. (For example, the amount of memory dedicated to the Apple or Windows operating system.) This gives greater flexibility to the user. Tim hasn’t had any issues with Parallels Desktop at all, and the product is extremely stable in every way. Tim also added that Parallels® Toolbox (which comes included with Parallels Desktop) has been useful. He particularly likes the disk cleaning tool, which ensures his laptop is always operating efficiently.

If you’d like to use Parallels Desktop to run popular Windows programs on Mac (without rebooting!), download a free 14-day trial.

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Apple® Mac devices are growing in corporate popularity by the day. It’s up to IT departments to make sure that these devices utilize all resources in the environment, as well as ensure they’re visible and managed.

This can be a challenge, as Mac and Windows are very different, and Mac devices remain a minority in Windows-dominant environments. Determining how to incorporate Mac into a Windows infrastructure includes a number of factors, such as: the number of devices that need support; what type of access they require; and what tools and systems an organization already has. IT departments also need to figure out how to integrate Mac with existing Windows and Active Directory domains.

In Windows-centric organizations, managing Mac is not the highest priority on the IT project list for a variety of reasons. Few IT teams have expertise in managing Mac. Familiar techniques for managing PCs don’t help, and the best practices for dealing with Mac in a complex enterprise infrastructure can be convoluted and are not widely known.

IT teams take four main approaches when trying to accommodate Mac devices:

  1. Incorporate Mac devices into the Active Directory (AD) domain using existing tools meant for Windows computers.
  2. Use special third-party tools to manage Mac devices in the AD domain.
  3. Manage Mac like mobile devices.
  4. Manage both Mac and PC computers in Microsoft SCCM.

Some teams decide to have unmanaged macOS® devices in the environment, but this is a big security risk. You won’t necessarily lose a job if a Mac gets hacked and your infrastructure becomes vulnerable, but this can be destructive in many other ways.

Let’s take an in-depth look at these four approaches to managing Mac devices in a Windows environment.

1.Incorporate Mac devices into the Active Directory domain using existing tools.

This is the preference of many IT administrators. It’s possible to a certain degree; Mac desktops and laptops include the client component necessary to join AD and other standards-based directory services. Binding a Mac to the domain is relatively simple. Windows Server automatically creates the computer object in AD (unless it already exists), just like it would with a Windows desktop.

Microsoft project management software for mac os x 10 13 download

Recent macOS releases make it even easier to integrate Apple products, as the OS can work with Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync.

The fact remains, however, that Mac computers are not Windows desktops, and most management products are built for Windows. Native SCCM capabilities for Mac devices are limited and insufficient for full macOS lifecycle management. Compatibility issues inevitably come up. One way to smooth these issues is to extend the AD schema to better accommodate Mac computers. However, that requires development resources and technical expertise beyond what many companies can commit, especially if Mac devices are in the minority.

2. Use special third-party tools to manage Mac devices in the AD domain.

AD and command support in macOS make integrating Mac devices easier, but many administrators still like to use other tools to help with management. For example, IT admins can join Mac devices to AD domains and then use Apple Remote Desktop™ to push commands out to Mac clients.

An alternative is to implement Mac OS X® Server on its own system; Apple Profile Manager can then be used to set Mac policies based on AD groups. This entails setting up an Apple Open Directory domain alongside the AD service, which can make management easier in the long term. The Mac devices are still bound to AD, so there is seamless communication between the two environments, as well as shared file and printer services.

If this sounds too complicated, there is Centrify User Suite (Mac Edition), which can administer Mac devices and centrally manage authentication, policy enforcement, and single sign-on. Another option is Jamf Pro, a comprehensive endpoint management product.

3. Manage Mac like mobile devices.

Apple is moving toward a mobile device management (MDM) model, rather than a traditional directory services model. This means that IT admins can use the same management tools on Mac computers, iOS, and Android devices.

The new Apple MDM framework allows administrators to initiate AirPlay® sessions on managed devices and push enterprise applications to Mac computers. Improved OS X Server and platform capabilities also make it more MDM-friendly. Users can register Mac devices, and vendors can make use of a greater number of application programming interfaces available to third-party security and management solutions.

Many MDM vendors have quickly embraced new Mac features, such as VMware AirWatch. AirWatch allows admins to manage Mac computers alongside smartphones and tablets and perform a wide variety of tasks.

Organizations can also implement a separate tool, such as MobileIron or an Apple server not bound to AD. This allows IT admins to implement user access through virtual private networks without having to join the devices to the domain. This is useful when incorporating users’ personal Mac laptops.

4. Manage both Mac and PC computers in Microsoft SCCM.

This approach works best for organizations that already use Microsoft SCCM to manage PC. However, Microsoft SCCM alone has only a few features for managing Mac devices—not enough for managing Mac in enterprise. SCCM allows for the following:

  • Setting up support and enrolling macOS clients.
  • Deploying settings to macOS clients.
  • Performing hardware inventory of macOS clients.
  • Deploying applications to macOS clients.

While SCCM is capable of managing these devices, additional items need to be installed and configured to support Mac. You’ll need to implement a public key infrastructure for Active Directory Certificate Services. These certificates are used to communicate with SCCM through SSL communications. Each Mac with a SCCM client installed acts like an Internet-based client.

Microsoft Project Management Software For Mac Os X 7

Since the Mac devices are acting like Internet-based clients, you’ll need to have a Configuration Manager Site server with a fully qualified domain name, as well as a minimum of one HTTPS-enabled management point and one HTTPS-enabled distribution point.

You’ll also need to configure the enrollment point and enrollment proxy point features in SCCM. This will allow your macOS clients to be enrolled in the SCCM environment after the client is installed. In order to enable the management of these macOS clients, you’ll need to configure custom client settings.

Project Management Apps For Mac

SCCM’s built-in support for Mac OS does work great, but there are certain limitations to the features and functionality of this support. To manage Max OS X clients, you must have PKI infrastructure and additional SCCM site systems. If you’re not planning on enabling HTTPS communications for your entire corporate environment, you’ll need to have multiple management points and distribution points. One management point will be configured for HTTP communications, and one will be configured for HTTPS communications, as is the same for the multiple distribution points.

Extend SCCM for Enterprise-Level Mac Management

What if you could add the same right-click management that Windows devices receive in SCCM to Mac devices? What if you could do it with a short learning curve, no silos, and the same system administrators?

Microsoft Project Management Software For Mac Os X 10

There is a solution that can do all of this and more: Parallels® Mac Management for Microsoft® SCCM. Parallels Mac Management gives SCCM all the missing tools for Mac management, including FileVault® 2 encryption, macOS deployment, application delivery, Apple Device Enrollment Program, and compliance via SCCM configuration items and baselines.

With Parallels Mac Management, you simply add full macOS lifecycle management to Microsoft SCCM and manage PC and Mac computers in a single pane of glass. There’s a minimum learning curve and no additional infrastructure required. The solution leverages your Microsoft SCCM investments and enables Windows admins to manage Mac computers.

Best Mac Project Management Software

For further information on Parallels Mac Management, please feel free to contact our sales team to request a free trial.