Ipads Migrating MDM

[steveg]

We currently have around 200 ipads but this will expand over the next few months as we move a couple of year groups to 1:1 devices.

 

I currently use Airwatch (now VMware workspace one I believe) mdm to manage these which I've never had a problem with, except the price, the per device cost is very high. To save money, especially as we increase the number of devices I want to look at other options.

 

How difficult have people found it migrating to a new MDM? All of our devices are enrolled via DEP. Would I need to reset every device to migrate? How easy was it to move app licences (all purchased through VPP, and now migrated to apple school manager)

 

Anything else to look out for?

[StephenPink]

Yes, all devices will require a factory reset to migrate - and you cannot restore an iCloud backup. We moved away from AirWatch to Jamf School a few years ago, due to cost, poor support and just and ever growing number of weird issues. Jamf School also has some additional, very nice education specific features.

 

Apple School Manager was easy, especially for free apps - I set up a new token, to link to the new MDM and then just moved the licenses gradually over from one token to the other, as they were released from the old MDM.

 

Cheers,

Stephen

[Brimstone]

Although there is quite a bit of work to do planning for this step by step is important otherwise you can by left in a mess.

 

1. Buy your new MDM before your existing licences run out, that way you can set this up along side the existing MDM and quickly move across the tokens for DEP, VPP etc.I would go for either Jamf School or Jamf Pro

2. Move DEP public key or token over to new MDM.

3. You will need to reset every device, be sure you have assigned the new MDM as your MDM or default server. Be sure you have removed the erase content and settings MDM restriction before any resets.

4. In order to move your App licences, you need to:

Create a new location in ASM, download the new token for this location and upload to your new MDM, revoke licences from devices using Airwatch so they are available again in ASM, assign the licences to the new location so they can be pushed via the new MDM. For free apps just download them again

5. Start resetting your iPads

[steveg]

Thanks, that's what I thought would be the case. Pupil iPads wont be a problem, it's the 70 staff ones that will be a little trickier, they moan when they are given a new one, let alone having to wipe and setup an old one!

 

If you factory reset an iPad will that release the licences, or will I need to remove all the allocations in Airwatch and wait for the licences to be release before resetting?

[Wubbalubbadub]

If you are a Microsoft power house and looking for a budget friendly option. I would consider looking at Microsoft Endpoint Manager (previously InTune). Microsoft have invested millions in it, and I find it brilliant for managing our ipad estate, which is approaching 1K iPads.

[steveg]

If you are a Microsoft power house and looking for a budget friendly option. I would consider looking at Microsoft Endpoint Manager (previously InTune). Microsoft have invested millions in it, and I find it brilliant for managing our ipad estate, which is approaching 1K iPads.

 

That's interesting, I know in the past it was lacking in features for managing iPads, have you found anything that it cannot do that you can in other MDM solutions? Is this licenced based on FTE staff as per other products, so more cost effective as our ipad estate grows?

 

Thanks

[Brimstone]

That's interesting, I know in the past it was lacking in features for managing iPads, have you found anything that it cannot do that you can in other MDM solutions? Is this licenced based on FTE staff as per other products, so more cost effective as our ipad estate grows?

 

Thanks

 

Intune does not support one of Apple's key free classroom features...Apple Classroom

 

If you have any iPads using Apple's Shared iPad configuration it does not support this either.

[Wubbalubbadub]

Intune does not support one of Apple's key free classroom features...Apple Classroom

 

If you have any iPads using Apple's Shared iPad configuration it does not support this either.

 

I think it does? Intune settings for the iOS/iPadOS Classroom app - Microsoft Intune | Microsoft Docs

[Wubbalubbadub]

That's interesting, I know in the past it was lacking in features for managing iPads, have you found anything that it cannot do that you can in other MDM solutions? Is this licenced based on FTE staff as per other products, so more cost effective as our ipad estate grows?

 

Thanks

 

Realistically, you can buy one intune licence for 3.69 or whatever the cost is and it supports as many ipads as you can throw at it.

 

I think Microsoft want you to buy one licence per 15 ipads... or something along them lines. Best to check with your reseller.

[steveg]

I think it does? Intune settings for the iOS/iPadOS Classroom app - Microsoft Intune | Microsoft Docs

 

That article is titled how to set it up, and then has a pink box first thing in the article to say it doesn't support it.... Very clear!

[Stevecee]

I think it does? Intune settings for the iOS/iPadOS Classroom app - Microsoft Intune | Microsoft Docs

 

Hi

 

inTune does not currently support Classroom, (I'm currently in a intune environment but would like to implement classroom :-( )

 

The quotes doc has this as header

 

 

Steve

[Wubbalubbadub]

That article is titled how to set it up, and then has a pink box first thing in the article to say it doesn't support it.... Very clear!

 

Ha! I literally missed that! Well there you go!

 

If you need Apple School Manager then maybe Intune is not the way to go.

 

If you want to just manage them.. then perfect!

[Brimstone]

Ha! I literally missed that! Well there you go!

 

If you need Apple School Manager then maybe Intune is not the way to go.

 

You need both Apple School Manager and a decent MDM, how do you expect to push apps and other content to iPads?

[highsky]

Migration and features aside, you can have the nowadays Intune for free as long as you go with the A3 option via the Chest Agreements: https://www.chest.ac.uk/

We got A3 licenses, that incudes the Azure Active Directory, Premium and Intune, +, for less than what we were paying for A1.

 

Manually you can remove the current MDM profile, install the company portal and assign the ownership to the school or the end user.

Few devices so i didn't explore any auto options for this.

And the new ones where on boarded from the school manager to Intune.

 

Alternative, i haven't gone through the features, if you are using Google for Edu you can check what their solution can do.

 

GL

[steveg]

You need both Apple School Manager and a decent MDM, how do you expect to push apps and other content to iPads?

 

I'm assuming you can push apps etc using Intune, It is the classroom app / setup that it doesn't support, not Apple School Manager for apps etc as far as I can see?

[steveg]

Migration and features aside, you can have the nowadays Intune for free as long as you go with the A3 option via the Chest Agreements: https://www.chest.ac.uk/

We got A3 licenses, that incudes the Azure Active Directory, Premium and Intune, +, for less than what we were paying for A1.

 

 

GL

 

I've not come across Chest before, are they just a centralised way of buying licencing for schools? Is there a minimum size / number of staff to buy though this?

[Wubbalubbadub]

You need both Apple School Manager and a decent MDM, how do you expect to push apps and other content to iPads?

 

Sorry - that was just me not typing the right word correctly... Apple School manager obviously works with Intune / Endpoint Manager. As SteveG said.. it is Apple classroom that doesn't! Which we don't use.

 

We use Apple School manager to buy the apps and import our devices using DEP etc - which then push through to InTune.

[Wubbalubbadub]

I've not come across Chest before, are they just a centralised way of buying licencing for schools? Is there a minimum size / number of staff to buy though this?

 

They are a purchasing consortium. So you can qualify for the bigger plans that Microsoft allow. So as a trust, we buy a campus agreement, which usually is only available to College / University's. Even as a 22 school trust, we weren't big enough for a campus agreement on our own. However by buying with Chest, we were able to qualify.

 

You do have to pay a small fee to Chest, I think it is £1000 per year or something. But as others have said, you end up with such cheap pricing on the A3 licences, that it is more than worth it's money.

[Stevecee]

I'm assuming you can push apps etc using Intune, It is the classroom app / setup that it doesn't support, not Apple School Manager for apps etc as far as I can see?

 

Yes intune does the pushing of apps etc. don't know if it has a full feature set other then the obvious classroom thing?

[highsky]

Nowadays is 100 fte or les to be accepted.

The specific A3 agreement comes with a 300£ participation fee for a year or 700 for 3?

 

This wasn't the case till recently, as the fte as mentioned was to high.

[Quinn]

That's right, we use apple school manager with Intune and can push apps out to devices although it is a long way from fast. does seem to take a long time to make any changes to an iPad. They also require you to install Company Portal app on the iPads however i found out you don't need to login to the company portal app to manage the device via Intune and install apps. I have also enrolled all our iPads with 1 Azure account. Currently looking into better solutions.

[Chclark]

That's right, we use apple school manager with Intune and can push apps out to devices although it is a long way from fast. does seem to take a long time to make any changes to an iPad. They also require you to install Company Portal app on the iPads however i found out you don't need to login to the company portal app to manage the device via Intune and install apps. I have also enrolled all our iPads with 1 Azure account. Currently looking into better solutions.

Depends on how there set up ours don't have company portal there just a iPad with a select number of apps pushed to them.

[Quinn]

Okay that seems simple strange as it required me to install Company Portal via Intune to manage the device at Supervision level on Intune.

[Chclark]

Okay that seems simple strange as it required me to install Company Portal via Intune to manage the device at Supervision level on Intune.

 

I've set ours up to dep enroll to a profile a group is made with dynamic rule to add the devices joined with which ever profile to the group. Apps are assigned to that group. Device is turn on it enrolls automatically stright through to the home screen and continues pulling policy's etc down.

[Quinn]

Okay, it sounds like i'm manually adding the devices to the group after enrollment to then pull everything down. I'll setup a dynamic group similar to yours as that sounds like its a lot easier. thanks for the info!