Push Corporate Contacts to Every Managed Device, Automatically and Securely

Mobile workforces depend on accurate contact data. When corporate directories stay locked inside Microsoft 365 and never reach the phones in employees’ hands, calls go unanswered, response times suffer, and IT fields a steady stream of manual update requests.

CiraSync solves that with Mobile Direct: a CardDAV-based sync solution that pushes contacts from your Microsoft 365 environment directly to managed iOS and Android devices through your existing MDM platform.

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Why MDM-Managed Contact Sync Matters

When contact delivery relies on third-party apps or manual processes, the impact on mobile teams is immediate:

Employees carry stale or incomplete contact data on their devices
IT cannot enforce consistent contact sets across the fleet
Third-party apps require broad Exchange Online permissions that are difficult to selectively revoke
Contacts stored in third-party app containers fall outside MDM control and compliance policies

CiraSync Mobile Direct changes the delivery model. Contacts are pushed through the CardDAV protocol and deployed as a managed MDM configuration profile — no apps for employees to install, no tokens passed to third parties, and no end-user action required.

How Mobile Direct Works

CardDAV is an open HTTP protocol natively supported by Apple iOS devices. CiraSync uses it to connect directly between the CiraSync Cloud sync tunnel and the device, bypassing third-party dependencies entirely.

The process runs in three steps:

1. CiraSync caches contact data

from the configured source (Microsoft 365 Exchange Online, shared mailboxes, public folders, and more) according to the configured sync schedule.

2. Mobile Direct pushes contacts to enrolled devices

via the CardDAV protocol, following the device’s Fetch New Data settings — configurable at 15, 30, or 60-minute intervals, or via push for near-real-time delivery.

3. Contacts are managed through MDM,

not stored in a third-party app container. If a user edits or deletes a contact on the device, the authoritative source overwrites those changes at the next sync interval.

The result: every enrolled device carries a consistent, current contact set — without IT lifting a finger after initial setup.

Learn More About How Mobile Direct Works

Our Products

CiraSync Cloud

Effortless enterprise-grade one-way syncing of Contacts & Calendars across unlimited users, hosted on the Azure cloud

CiraSync On-Prem

All the benefits of CiraSync Cloud, hosted directly on-premises for high security environments

CiraSync Hub

Two-way syncing of Contacts & Calendars, not only across Microsoft environments but across Google, Hubspot, and many other CRM platforms

One Platform. Every MDM. Synced.

CiraSync Mobile Direct generates a ready-to-deploy configuration file from your sync tunnel. That file is uploaded directly into your MDM console as an iOS configuration profile and pushed to any assigned smart group or device group.

No more manual contact exports. No more third-party app sprawl. Just clean, compliant contact delivery.

Microsoft Intune

CiraSync generates an Intune-compatible configuration profile in a single click. Upload it as a Custom template policy in Intune, assign it to the target user or device group, and contacts appear automatically in the native iOS Contacts app.

Perfect For:

Organizations managing iOS fleets through Microsoft Intune
IT teams that need zero-touch contact deployment at scale
Environments where Exchange Online blanket permissions are a compliance concern

Key Benefits:

Native CardDAV delivery with no third-party app required
Contacts managed through Intune MDM policy, not an app container
Licensing uses Object ID embedded in the configuration URL — no per-user token passing
Works for users with and without an Exchange mailbox (including field workers)

Step-by-step setup guide: Mobile Direct with Intune

VMware Workspace ONE

CiraSync Mobile Direct supports Workspace ONE (formerly AirWatch) as a named MDM provider. Select Workspace ONE in the sync tunnel wizard, download the generated XML configuration file, and deploy it as a Custom Settings payload in your Workspace ONE console.

Perfect For:

Enterprises running Workspace ONE as their primary MDM platform
Administrators managing large iOS fleets across multiple smart groups
Organizations that need automatic, policy-driven contact deployment without end-user involvement

Key Benefits:

Configuration file generated specifically for Workspace ONE’s Custom Settings format
Deployed via Auto assignment to smart groups for zero-touch rollout
Contacts appear in the native iOS Contacts app immediately after profile installation
Fully managed through Workspace ONE — no separate app or app store required

Step-by-step setup guide: Mobile Direct with Workspace ONE

Enterprise Ready

Security You Can Trust

Built for the most demanding enterprise environments. Your data stays protected with industry-leading security practices.

SOC 2 Compliant

GDPR Ready

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Join 3,000+ enterprises that trust CiraSync for seamless contact and calendar synchronization.

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Common Questions IT Teams Ask About MDM Contact Sync

What is CardDAV and why does CiraSync use it for mobile contact sync?

CardDAV is an open HTTP protocol for syncing contact data that is natively supported by Apple iOS devices. CiraSync uses CardDAV to push contacts directly from a sync tunnel to enrolled devices, without requiring third-party apps or passing user tokens to external services. This approach keeps contacts in the MDM-managed container and gives IT full control over the contact set on each device.

Which MDM platforms does CiraSync Mobile Direct support?

CiraSync currently supports Microsoft Intune and VMware Workspace ONE. The sync tunnel wizard generates a ready-to-deploy configuration file formatted for your MDM platform. Additional MDM provider support is in development.

Does Mobile Direct require employees to take any action on their devices?

No. Once the MDM configuration profile is deployed, contacts appear automatically in the native iOS Contacts app. Employees do not need to install any app, grant any permissions, or configure any settings on their device.

Does Mobile Direct work for users without an Exchange mailbox?

Yes. Mobile Direct works for any user targeted by a CiraSync sync tunnel, including field workers and other users without a traditional Exchange mailbox. Licensing is handled through the Object ID embedded in the configuration URL rather than a per-mailbox model.

How does CiraSync handle data security and compliance for contact sync?

CiraSync is SOC 2 compliant and GDPR ready. Contact data processed for EU subscribers is stored on servers physically located within the EU. CiraSync integrates with Microsoft Azure using the Azure Consent Framework, meaning no passwords are transmitted to CiraSync. For a full overview, visit the Security at CiraSync page or review CiraSync’s GDPR compliance documentation.