If you’re the CEO, founder, or CIO of a startup with hybrid or remote teams in the Philippines, you know how painful laptop deployment can be. From unboxing and imaging devices to installing software and ensuring security, it eats up valuable time and drives up costs. What if your employees can receive new laptops that are fully configured, secure, and ready to use the moment they power them up? That’s the promise of zero touch laptop deployment in the Philippines.
In this post, we’ll cover exactly how zero touch works step-by-step, what you need to enable it locally, and why it matters more than ever in the Philippine startup ecosystem.
Why it matters for companies in the Philippines
The Philippines has become a growing hub for startups and remote-first teams in Asia. With its young, tech-savvy workforce and competitive operating costs, many companies are scaling fast across the country. But as teams grow, so do their IT challenges — especially when it comes to getting laptops into the hands of new hires quickly and securely.
Delays slow down onboarding
Traditional laptop deployment requires multiple manual steps: receiving the device, unboxing it, installing the operating system, configuring security settings, installing essential applications, and creating user accounts.
Each of these steps can take hours, and delays in shipping or setup mean new hires spend their first days waiting instead of working.
For fast-moving startups, even small delays in onboarding can hurt productivity and slow down revenue-generating activities.
Security risks multiply with distributed teams
Philippine startups often operate with hybrid or fully remote teams spread across different regions and islands. When devices are set up manually in scattered locations, it’s hard to enforce consistent security policies. A single misconfigured laptop can expose the company to data breaches, malware, or compliance violations.
Zero-touch deployment ensures that every laptop arrives fully configured with encryption, firewalls, antivirus, and strict access policies from day one — without depending on local IT teams to set them up.
IT resources are stretched thin
Most startups in the Philippines don’t have large in-house IT departments. Instead, a small IT team is expected to handle everything from procurement to troubleshooting. Manually setting up laptops takes time away from higher-value tasks like improving infrastructure, strengthening security, or supporting strategic initiatives.
By automating the entire setup process, zero-touch deployment frees IT staff from repetitive tasks and lets them focus on projects that drive growth.
Scaling becomes easier
As your team grows from dozens to hundreds of employees across the Philippines, managing devices manually becomes unmanageable. Zero-touch deployment scales effortlessly. Whether you hire 1 or 100 new employees, each of them can receive a laptop that’s ready to go out of the box, wherever they’re located.
How zero-touch deployment works (step-by-step) in the Philippines
1. Enroll devices with your MDM platform
Zero-touch starts with a mobile device management (MDM) platform like Microsoft Intune, Apple Business Manager, or Google Zero-Touch Enrollment. Your IT team registers each laptop’s serial number with the MDM system before shipping it to the employee. This ensures the device automatically checks in with your company’s setup instructions when it’s turned on.
2. Pre-configure policies and software in the cloud
Next, your IT team defines the standard setup: security settings, user permissions, applications, and network policies. These configurations are stored in the cloud, not on the device. This allows every new laptop to receive the same secure baseline, ensuring consistency and compliance across all employees in the Philippines.
3. Ship devices directly to employees
Once registered, devices can be shipped directly from the vendor or warehouse to employees across the Philippines — whether they’re in Manila, Cebu, Davao, or remote provinces. There’s no need to bring devices back to headquarters for setup, saving time and shipping costs.
4. Automated setup on first boot
When the employee powers on the laptop for the first time and connects to the internet, it automatically pulls down the pre-defined configuration from your MDM system. This includes installing security updates, productivity apps, VPN software, and collaboration tools. The whole process requires no IT intervention.
5. Continuous compliance and updates
Even after deployment, the MDM platform continues to monitor and update devices. IT teams can enforce encryption, push security patches, and revoke access remotely if a device is lost or stolen. This ongoing control is especially important for distributed teams working in different parts of the Philippines.
Requirements to enable zero-touch in the Philippines
Before your company can roll out zero-touch laptop deployment, you need to have a few core systems and practices in place. These components ensure the process runs smoothly and securely across the Philippines.
1. A supported MDM or endpoint management platform
Zero-touch relies on a mobile device management (MDM) platform such as:
- Microsoft Intune (for Windows)
- Apple Business Manager (for macOS)
- Google Zero-Touch Enrollment (for Chromebooks and Android devices)
These platforms let you register devices before they reach your employees, so they automatically apply your company’s configurations during first boot.
2. A stable cloud identity system
You’ll need a cloud-based identity provider like Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), Google Workspace, or Okta. This enables single sign-on and ensures user authentication happens automatically during device setup, without manual account creation.
3. Predefined configuration profiles
Your IT team must create standardized configuration profiles that include:
- Security settings (encryption, firewall, antivirus, access policies)
- Required business applications
- Wi-Fi/VPN settings and network policies
- Compliance rules (e.g., password policies, software update schedules)
These profiles guarantee consistent security and performance for all employees across the Philippines.
4. Reliable internet access
Because devices pull their setup instructions from the cloud, they must have internet access during first boot. It’s essential to provide clear guidance to new hires on connecting their laptops to the internet right away.
5. A trusted device procurement and logistics partner
Finally, you need a reliable partner who can source, configure, and deliver laptops to employees across the Philippines. This ensures devices arrive on time, with the correct registration and packaging for zero-touch setup.
How Esevel makes zero-touch laptop deployment effortless in the Philippines
Rolling out zero-touch deployment on your own can be complex — especially with distributed teams across the Philippines.
With Esevel, companies in the Philippines can roll out zero-touch laptop deployment without the complexity — saving time, reducing risk, and ensuring every employee gets a seamless experience from day one.
FAQs
- What is zero-touch laptop deployment?
Zero-touch laptop deployment is a process that lets companies preconfigure, secure, and ship laptops to employees so they’re ready to use on first boot. Employees only need to connect to the internet — everything else, from software installation to security policies, happens automatically through your company’s MDM (mobile device management) platform.
- Is zero-touch deployment available in the Philippines?
Yes. Companies in the Philippines can enable zero-touch deployment by using platforms like Microsoft Intune, Apple Business Manager, or Google Zero-Touch Enrollment. Devices can be shipped directly to employees across the country, from major hubs like Manila and Cebu to more remote provinces.
- What are the main benefits of zero-touch deployment?
- Faster onboarding for new hires
- Stronger device security and compliance
- Less manual work for IT teams
- Consistent device setup across all locations
- Easy scalability as your team grows
- Do we need an in-house IT team to use zero-touch deployment?
Not necessarily. You need someone to define configuration profiles and manage your MDM platform, but you don’t need a large IT department. Many startups in the Philippines partner with IT service providers like Esevel to handle procurement, setup, and ongoing support for their distributed teams.
- How long does zero-touch deployment take to set up?
Once your MDM system and configuration profiles are ready, the setup process can be completed in days, not weeks. After that, every new laptop can be shipped and set up automatically in just a few hours — without requiring IT intervention.
