IBM MaaS360: How to Sync Contacts to iPhones | Complete Guide
Introduction
If you’re running IBM MaaS360, you’re probably looking after more than a handful of iPhones. From Fortune 500 enterprises (40% of MaaS360 customers have revenues exceeding $1 billion) to fast-growing teams IBM Maas 360 is one of the most popular Mobile Device Management platforms that keeps corporate data and devices in line.
But one thing MaaS360 doesn’t solve out-of-the-box is contacts: how do you keep a single, accurate company contact list synced to every user’s iPhone in the native contacts app? How do you lock those contacts down so they’re read-only, instead of letting personal friends and family drip into the master company list? And how do you handle constant joiners, leavers and role changes without asking users to re-enter CardDAV settings by hand?
Until recently, the only documented approach within MaaS360 involved exporting contacts as VCF files, uploading them via Secure Docs, and requiring users to manually download and import them, a process that demands additional licensing and manual intervention on every device.
This post walks through a clean way to manage MaaS360 contacts centrally and sync them at scale to enrolled iOS devices using Contactzilla and CardDAV.
No PowerShell scripts, LDAP configurations, custom API or Exchange Web Services code.
Your users get the right numbers with caller id in their Contacts app when it matters. You maintain granular control over permissions and everything syncs automatically.
How It Works: iphone Contact Deployment via MaaS360
The solution is Contactzilla’s CardDAV platform built for hassle-free MDM setup. It works seamlessly with MaaS360 and deploys contacts directly into the native iOS phone app. You can import your contacts from Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or other sources into Contactzilla. Create an MDM device connection in Contactzilla, which generates a mobile configuration file. Upload that configuration to MaaS360 and scope it to your device groups. Your contacts sync to every iPhone in the native Contacts app, read-only and locked.
This approach solves the core challenges that have kept large organizations stuck. You get contacts synchronized into the native app not buried in email clients or third-party apps. You can enforce read-only permissions so personal contacts don’t contaminate your master directory. And you can deploy different contact subsets to different teams using label-based filtering.
Syncing Contacts to Android Devices via MaaS360
If your organization runs Android devices alongside iPhones, the same approach works. Create a device connection set to Android, download a JSON configuration file, and upload it to MaaS360. Your Android devices receive contacts in the native Contacts app through the Contactzilla Sync app—the same permission controls apply. Read-only, read-write, or selective label-based deployment.
If you’re managing a mixed iOS and Android fleet, this gives you one unified contact platform across both operating systems. Same import sources. Same permission models. One dashboard.
Real-World Contact Synchronization Scenarios for Maas360 users
Three of the biggest segments using IBM MaaS360 are IT & Services, Hospital and Healthcare, and Construction. We work with teams in all three, and while they all need reliable contact lists sync’d to every device via Maas 360, the way they deploy those contacts varies. Here are some examples of deployment approaches we see.
IT & services – mixed fleets, fully locked down
IT teams and MSPs often run mixed fleets of iPhones and Android devices, with plenty of BYOD in the mix. They want one authoritative default contact list on every phone, but they don’t want it edited, exported or blended with personal address books.
With MaaS360 and Contactzilla, this becomes a fully read-only CardDAV address book. We can even apply a lock emoji next to each Contact in the native phones app to signal that it is read only to the user. The corporate directory syncs down to the devices and stays locked; users keep their personal contacts in iCloud or Google. Unlike some MDMs such as Jamf which specialize in iOS deployments, MaaS360 also caters for Android, and the same Contactzilla directory can be deployed to Android via MaaS360 or other MDMs like Microsoft Intune—see our step-by-step guide for deploying contacts to Android devices via Intune
Healthcare & emergency services – selective read-only for shift phones
In hospitals and emergency services (we have a number of fire services using our product) we see heavy use of shared “shift phones” passed between crews. Different teams all need different segments of the same master directory — for example, medics need on-call and department contacts, while admin staff need leadership and switchboard numbers. Here we use label-based, selective read-only sync. contacts are tagged in a master Contactzilla book (e.g. team:ED, role:on-call, service:fire-crew), and MaaS360 only delivers the relevant slice to each device group. Phones stay focused and secure, and when a device changes hands, the right contacts are still there without anyone signing in or out.
Construction & field operations – read-write, but no accidental deletions
Construction and field teams typically do need to capture new contacts whilst out and about. Local subcontractors, suppliers, site managers and inspectors. Connectivity is often patchy, so having those contacts stored locally on devices is essential to keep work moving.
For these deployments we configure the MaaS360 contacts address book as read-write in Contactzilla, but with deletion protection enabled. Field staff can add and update contacts from their phones, but can’t accidentally wipe key entries with an over-enthusiastic clean-up. You get a living, project-by-project contact list that remains secure in a central directory.
Syncing Contacts to Android Devices via MaaS360
IMG ANDROID
If your organization runs Android devices alongside iPhones, the same approach works. Create a device connection set to Android, download a JSON configuration file, and upload it to MaaS360. Your Android devices receive contacts in the native Contacts app through the Contactzilla Sync app—the same permission controls apply. Read-only, read-write, or selective label-based deployment.
If you’re managing a mixed iOS and Android fleet, this gives you one unified contact platform across both operating systems. Same import sources. Same permission models. One dashboard.
Getting Contacts into Contactzilla: Your Import Options
Before syncing contacts to iPhones via MaaS360, your contact list needs to be in Contactzilla. Where that contact data lives determines how you import it. Most MaaS360 environments run on Microsoft—so we’ll start there.
Microsoft 365 Directory
Large enterprises typically manage contacts through Microsoft 365. Many teams try deploying Outlook mobile to handle contact sync, but Outlook keeps contacts trapped within the app—they don’t reliably sync to the native iOS Contacts app or the entire GAL. Pulling contacts directly from your Microsoft directory via Contactzilla’s Microsoft 365 API integration is more straightforward: they sync automatically on a scheduled basis. When employees join or leave the directory updates without manual intervention.
Google Workspace Directory
Organizations using Google Workspace can sync their directory users directly to Contactzilla again on a scheduled basis. New team members appear automatically in your contact list and deploy to devices without extra steps.
CSV or vCard Import
Upload contact files directly for one-off migrations or when you need precise control over how data maps into Contactzilla. CSV imports are manual but many teams prefer this for its simplicity and control over duplicates and field mapping.
Salesforce
Customer-facing teams can sync Salesforce contacts directly to Contactzilla, making CRM data available to field teams on their phones.
Other sources? If you’re using a different CRM or contact system, we’re always building integrations. Please do Get in touch with our team.
Tip 💡: Wondering why MaaS360 doesn’t offer native Microsoft 365 GAL sync, or why PowerShell scripts and LDAP workarounds fall short at scale? See our comprehensive guide on enterprise contact management deployment methods and why CardDAV succeeds where other approaches fail
Syncing Contacts to iPhones Through MaaS360
The deployment process flows through four key steps. For complete step-by-step instructions see our detailed MaaS360 contact sync guide
Step 1: Create Device Connection from Contactzilla address book and Generate Configuration Profile
Step 2: Upload the mobileconfig file to MaaS360
Step 3: Select Your Target Device Group to sync contacts to
Step 4: Deploy the contacts and Verify
Frequently Asked Questions
Does MaaS360 allow sharing contacts between iPhones securely?
MaaS360 doesn’t natively support contact sharing, but works with CardDAV platforms like Contactzilla to deploy shared contacts securely. Contacts sync encrypted to enrolled iPhones, remain read-only to prevent alterations, and sync through HTTPS. Admins control permissions centrally without user involvement.
What can I do if contacts are not syncing from MaaS360 to my iPhone?
Check the CardDAV account is toggled on under Settings > Contacts > Accounts. Force a device check-in from MaaS360 console by clicking Request Data Refresh under Devices > Groups, then restart the iPhone. If contacts still don’t appear, verify the policy is applied to the correct device group.
Are contacts stored securely when using Contactzilla and MaaS360 on iPhone?
Yes. Contactzilla holds SOC 2 Type II certification with end-to-end encryption. Contacts sync via HTTPS and store encrypted on iPhones using iOS native encryption. MaaS360 manages device-level AES-256 encryption. All contact data meets GDPR, HIPAA, and enterprise compliance standards with independent third-party security audits.
Can MaaS360 sync contacts from Microsoft 365 to iPhone?
MaaS360 does not natively sync Microsoft 365 contacts. However, through platforms like Contactzilla, contacts from your Microsoft 365 directory can sync to a CardDAV account deployed via MaaS360. Contacts then appear in the native iPhone Contacts app automatically on a scheduled basis.
