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iOS 9.3 - MDM, Classroom App, Shared logins, Managed Apple ID's

Luke_T

By Luke_T
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Luke_T

Luke_T

Posted
Posted

Education - Preview - Apple

 

Looks like the update we've all been waiting for ... information is currently scarece but I've contacted the given email address to request more info and keen to start discussing with people who want to test & then probably deploy ASAP like us :)

 

Thoughts so far:

 

- I doubt there will be any integration with AD infrastructure, rather replicating it using Managed Apple ID's. This will still be useful though and if the user settings for apps carry across then our current AD integration can follow the students between iPads.

- Password reset with teachers is always nice

- Photo ID login seems to contradict their data moving with their login to a new iPad?

- Simpler login for young students will be nice in the junior school

- Classroom app replicates functionality that the teachers don't use on our lab machines already but hey you never know!

- Sharing work via Airplay may be easier / more consistent than using Airserver

- Depending on how involved the MDM is would depend on how useful it is but the basic description is pretty all encompassing ...

- Managed Apple ID's will mean a bit more work, but so much easier to roll out to staff / students

Brimstone

Brimstone

Posted
Posted
Education - Preview - Apple

 

Looks like the update we've all been waiting for ... information is currently scarece but I've contacted the given email address to request more info and keen to start discussing with people who want to test & then probably deploy ASAP like us :)

 

Thoughts so far:

 

- I doubt there will be any integration with AD infrastructure, rather replicating it using Managed Apple ID's. This will still be useful though and if the user settings for apps carry across then our current AD integration can follow the students between iPads.

- Password reset with teachers is always nice

- Photo ID login seems to contradict their data moving with their login to a new iPad?

- Simpler login for young students will be nice in the junior school

- Classroom app replicates functionality that the teachers don't use on our lab machines already but hey you never know!

- Sharing work via Airplay may be easier / more consistent than using Airserver

- Depending on how involved the MDM is would depend on how useful it is but the basic description is pretty all encompassing ...

- Managed Apple ID's will mean a bit more work, but so much easier to roll out to staff / students

 

MDM's can already integrate iPads with AD, don't expect Apple to do this......

Brimstone

Brimstone

Posted
Posted
Can you elaborate?

 

 

Casper, Airwatch and Lightspeed (with additional expense) can all be configured ask a student to authenticate using their AD credentials when they activate the iPad, can also be used to identify users and filter them.

Zoom7000

Zoom7000

Posted
Posted
(with additional expense)

 

Isn't that the deal breaker here. Those apps require additional expenses, whereas with iOS 9.3 it'll probably be bundled in for free.

Edu-IT

Edu-IT

Posted
Posted
Casper, Airwatch and Lightspeed (with additional expense) can all be configured ask a student to authenticate using their AD credentials when they activate the iPad, can also be used to identify users and filter them.

How does Lightspeed do it? We use that product and haven't ever seen the functionality?

Garacesh

Garacesh

Posted
Posted

Students can log in to any iPad in any classroom and make it their own.

Sounds quite interesting. Apple implementing profiles? How will this play out to low-storage (16/32GB) devices? What if the iPad gets clogged up with photos? How will this 'log in' work? Can we integrate it with AD?

 

As soon as students log in to an iPad, they have access to all their apps, books, and documents.

So we'll need somewhere to store all this. A cacheing server for apps? A HFS share for documents? Magic Triangle?

 

For students who use the same assigned iPad in a class each day

Photo ID lets students find their iPad fast.

Of no use to us. Our iPads are roaming, not 1:1. Even when they're repeatedly used with the same class, there's fat chance of getting 1:1 going.

 

The Classroom App sounds good. We've been after some kind of Classroom Management app for a while, and we did try NetSupport's one, but the problem is the kid has to launch it and keep it active, and can quit at any time, thus booting out the member of staff. Pretty pointless.

 

Screen viewing and app locking get a resounding 'Yes please!' from me.

Our teachers do have iPads and AppleTV's so the screen sharing functionality will be used. Infrequently, but used nonetheless. I know Technology show each kid's designs for the whole class to see this way.

 

No more calling IT when a student can’t remember a password. Makes it sound like it's not AD integrated. If it is, this is functionality we won't use. The less people that can reset passwords the better.

 

Introducing one central place for admins to create Apple IDs, build courses, and access everything you need to deploy iPad in your school. Well since we use VLE, Apple ID's are pointless to us. My assumption by now is they're going to do everything cloud-based like GAFE or O365, and kids will need to login with their Apple ID's which the school creates. This could end up problematic with too many points of failure. We'll see..

 

A built-in setup assistant provides step-by-step instructions to create Managed Apple IDs, enroll district IT administrators, purchase content, manage device enrollment This is good. Wizards are usually more a help than a hindrance.

Create accounts for students, teachers, and admins. Yep, definitely looking like it's Apple ID/Cloud based.

Manage MDM enrollment for all your devices. Could be useful. We don't have MDM working right now as Profile Manager just refuses to work.. It can see the devices, but it doesn't do anything we tell it to.

Buy and distribute apps and books. Again, something Profile Manager should be doing, but isn't.

Build and deliver courses. This sounds like it could be really useful for the staff that give 110% for the kids and really knuckle down superb lesson plans. It will be interesting to see how this is utilised.

 

 

So yeah, my overall opinion is a GAFE/O365-esque cloud-based document and app repository using Apple ID's, with some crafty Teacher and Admin capabilities thrown on top. Usually I don't like Apple kit, I'm not going to lie. Usually Apple kit is way too much of a pain in the behind to set up and a nightmare to configure (basically starting from scratch every time..) but you know what? I'm hopeful for this. This could definitely be a step in the right direction for Apple in Education, but it could also be too little, too late. It's also fracturing documents off to yet another repository. At least with O365 we have AD integration and MSOffice, so you can use it anywhere on-site with any machine. I'm not sure that'll be the case with 9.3, and that'll cause some issues.

Brimstone

Brimstone

Posted
Posted
Isn't that the deal breaker here. Those apps require additional expenses, whereas with iOS 9.3 it'll probably be bundled in for free.

 

 

Apple have no interest whatsoever about AD integration, it won't happen... and these are not apps they are an MDM that you use to manage iPads

Brimstone

Brimstone

Posted
Posted
Students can log in to any iPad in any classroom and make it their own.

Sounds quite interesting. Apple implementing profiles? How will this play out to low-storage (16/32GB) devices? What if the iPad gets clogged up with photos? How will this 'log in' work? Can we integrate it with AD?

 

As soon as students log in to an iPad, they have access to all their apps, books, and documents.

So we'll need somewhere to store all this. A cacheing server for apps? A HFS share for documents? Magic Triangle?

 

For students who use the same assigned iPad in a class each day

Photo ID lets students find their iPad fast.

Of no use to us. Our iPads are roaming, not 1:1. Even when they're repeatedly used with the same class, there's fat chance of getting 1:1 going.

 

The Classroom App sounds good. We've been after some kind of Classroom Management app for a while, and we did try NetSupport's one, but the problem is the kid has to launch it and keep it active, and can quit at any time, thus booting out the member of staff. Pretty pointless.

 

Screen viewing and app locking get a resounding 'Yes please!' from me.

Our teachers do have iPads and AppleTV's so the screen sharing functionality will be used. Infrequently, but used nonetheless. I know Technology show each kid's designs for the whole class to see this way.

 

No more calling IT when a student can’t remember a password. Makes it sound like it's not AD integrated. If it is, this is functionality we won't use. The less people that can reset passwords the better.

 

Introducing one central place for admins to create Apple IDs, build courses, and access everything you need to deploy iPad in your school. Well since we use VLE, Apple ID's are pointless to us. My assumption by now is they're going to do everything cloud-based like GAFE or O365, and kids will need to login with their Apple ID's which the school creates. This could end up problematic with too many points of failure. We'll see..

 

A built-in setup assistant provides step-by-step instructions to create Managed Apple IDs, enroll district IT administrators, purchase content, manage device enrollment This is good. Wizards are usually more a help than a hindrance.

Create accounts for students, teachers, and admins. Yep, definitely looking like it's Apple ID/Cloud based.

Manage MDM enrollment for all your devices. Could be useful. We don't have MDM working right now as Profile Manager just refuses to work.. It can see the devices, but it doesn't do anything we tell it to.

Buy and distribute apps and books. Again, something Profile Manager should be doing, but isn't.

Build and deliver courses. This sounds like it could be really useful for the staff that give 110% for the kids and really knuckle down superb lesson plans. It will be interesting to see how this is utilised.

 

 

So yeah, my overall opinion is a GAFE/O365-esque cloud-based document and app repository using Apple ID's, with some crafty Teacher and Admin capabilities thrown on top. Usually I don't like Apple kit, I'm not going to lie. Usually Apple kit is way too much of a pain in the behind to set up and a nightmare to configure (basically starting from scratch every time..) but you know what? I'm hopeful for this. This could definitely be a step in the right direction for Apple in Education, but it could also be too little, too late. It's also fracturing documents off to yet another repository. At least with O365 we have AD integration and MSOffice, so you can use it anywhere on-site with any machine. I'm not sure that'll be the case with 9.3, and that'll cause some issues.

 

Most of the features you mention are already available, you are just using a woeful MDM solution

dloudon96

dloudon96

Posted
Posted
You now have to pay for Meraki if you have more than 100 devices, I've seen an alternative MDM solution which appears to work for us, I'll find out the name and post it back on this post.
3s-gtech

3s-gtech

Posted
Posted
As PM can read AD pretty well for groups and users, it's not a huge jump for it to work with AD users for iPad logins. I'm not so familiar with it as we've only just started using it for our Macs instead of WM, but we've used it for iPads for years.
dloudon96

dloudon96

Posted
Posted

We've got 263 iPads on our account, but if you go to the 'System Manager' tab, then go to 'MDM' then 'Settings', where the restrictions are, you won't be have the options for the iOS 9+ restrictions. If you create a new account and set it up and look in the same place it will give you the options for the restrictions for iOS 9+/

 

Dan

RLR

RLR

Posted
Posted
Erm...?

 

We've got 150+ devices on and not paying anything?

 

I believe you only get limited features with this version of Meraki. This explains it: Prior to 3/12/2015, Systems Manager had a distinct "Free" version, in addition to licensed SM. These legacy SM networks can be used to manage any number of devices for free, but with a limited feature-set and no support. Licensed SM has always offered 24/7 support and the complete SM feature set.

 

More information on Meraki Versions: https://documentation.meraki.com/zGeneral_Administration/Licensing/Systems_Manager_Licensing

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flyinghaggis

flyinghaggis

Posted
Posted

The Classroom App sounds good. We've been after some kind of Classroom Management app for a while, and we did try NetSupport's one, but the problem is the kid has to launch it and keep it active, and can quit at any time, thus booting out the member of staff. Pretty pointless.

 

Our staff have been asking us to look into Classroom management apps for the iPads so I'm keen to find out exactly what the Apple Classroom App will offer. We've looked into alternatives like Impero but they all seem to have the same limitation whereby the pupil has to 'log into' some kind management portal app. As you say this isn't very effective since as soon as they close that app and more to something else the teacher immediately loses visibility of their iPad (or at least that's how it worked the last time we looked into it?).

 

Has anyone seen any information on what Apple's Classroom management app will offer and how it will work? I've spent some time googl'ing it but cant seem to find any specific information?

Brimstone

Brimstone

Posted
Posted

You won't get much more info apart from what's on the web site as this is an Apple product.

 

All I am aware of is in order to use the Classroom Management App you would need to have an MDM in place so that the teacher can then see his/her pupils via the MDM to lock devices, push content to them and wipe passcodes in the classroom.

 

Many MDM's can already do a number of these functions such as Casper Focus and Lightspeed's Teacher Dashboard.

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