Apple School Manager and Converting existing iPads to Multiple User Logons

[IanHamilton]

We have some classroom sets of iPads managed using Airwatch which we set up before the release of Apple School Manager. They each use a unique Apple ID, are in various class sets with their own groups of apps etc and have pretty much done what we wanted. We used DEP into Airwatch and they've been pretty good ever since.

 

We're now getting asked to deploy them higher up the School where shared use is not so easy to handle - file management etc - and where everyone already has Google for Education/Chromebook individual logons. The idea being that multi-user logons are more appropriate in this area.

 

From what I can see, to 'convert' these iPads to individual logons using the 'Education' feature (they do meet the spec) first requires the integration between School Manager and Airwatch etc, but then seems to suggest re-enrollment - which I'd like to avoid if I can. Has anyone gone down this road? We were wondering if it is as much work as it looks and how all the existing Airwatch groups and apps will fit into a scenario of School Manager/individual users and are there any other pitfalls awaiting us (very much non-Apple) support guys.

 

Can anyone offer any advice please?

 

Thanks in anticipation.

 

 

Ian

[RLR]

We have some classroom sets of iPads managed using Airwatch which we set up before the release of Apple School Manager. They each use a unique Apple ID, are in various class sets with their own groups of apps etc and have pretty much done what we wanted. We used DEP into Airwatch and they've been pretty good ever since.

 

We're now getting asked to deploy them higher up the School where shared use is not so easy to handle - file management etc - and where everyone already has Google for Education/Chromebook individual logons. The idea being that multi-user logons are more appropriate in this area.

 

From what I can see, to 'convert' these iPads to individual logons using the 'Education' feature (they do meet the spec) first requires the integration between School Manager and Airwatch etc, but then seems to suggest re-enrollment - which I'd like to avoid if I can. Has anyone gone down this road? We were wondering if it is as much work as it looks and how all the existing Airwatch groups and apps will fit into a scenario of School Manager/individual users and are there any other pitfalls awaiting us (very much non-Apple) support guys.

 

Can anyone offer any advice please?

 

Thanks in anticipation.

 

 

Ian

 

We've not use shared iPads yet but you will need to re-enroll all your iPads again if you want to use the shared iPad feature as it's part of the DEP Prestage Enrolment when the iPad is initially setup. You will also need to make sure all your students are setup with a Managed Apple ID in ASM and sync it to your MDM.

 

You can do away with the Unique apple ID's and use device based vpp assignment if you have managed app licenses.

 

It will be a fair bit of work if you need to set ASM up from scratch as you'll have to get all the data you need to upload from your MIS.

 

I can't comment on the airwatch groups as we use Casper Pro but MDMs tend to be very similar.

 

This might be of some help: https://macmule.com/downloads/LondonAppleAdmins091116.pdf

Edited March 24, 2017 by RLR

[IanHamilton]

Thank you RLR - when you say 'all your iPads' do you mean every one including ones we don't want to put the multi-user logons on?

[RLR]

Thank you RLR - when you say 'all your iPads' do you mean every one including ones we don't want to put the multi-user logons on?

 

Sorry, no. You can choose which iPads you want to be put into the Shared mode. I'm not sure what it's called in Airwatch but in Casper Pro they're called Prestage Enrolments. This is where you assign the iPads their initial setup settings.

[IanHamilton]

Thank you - if anyone else has anything to offer then I'd welcome the info.

[Brimstone]

If you are already using DEP and logging into via deploy.apple.com with 2 step verification on then the upgrade path is very easy, just click the upgrade button when you log on next. It will convert all your devices and apps into Apple School Manager. The important bit here of the process is it will ask what domain you want to use e.g. appleid.schoolname.sch.uk this is then used for Managed Apple ID's as the domain for the Shared iPad logins.