[ipad] How easy is it to manage multiple iPads?

[Sam_Brown]

Hi guys,

 

School has just purchased five iPads just to trial with a view to possibly getting a complete class set in (where they got the money I'll never know).

 

What can I expect in terms of managing them? From what I've experienced with my own iPod and from what I've heard... each device is pretty much stand alone and if you want to do something on all of them then you need to manually configure them one by one. So say you want to install an app across a class set of 30 iPads. How easy is it to do? Installing it on each individual device would be a nightmare!

[damien.deakes]

Take a look at iPhone Configuration Utility

It really is simple once you sort out a profile.

[gaz350]

1st thing to do is sync with 1 machine, set up iTunes and an iPad. Do a backup + sync, plug next iPad setup as new, restore from iPad 1 backup, sync apps then apply iPhone config tool policy.

 

Only problem I have come across is if you lock them down so students can't install apps you have to remove the lockdown policy before you can sync apps.

[SimpleSi]

My wife's school has bought 10 ipads and they've got some sort of separate charger/sync device (that cost £800!) - I'll find out what it is/does next time I'm in.

 

Simon

[Dos_Box]

I know that, recalling a phone call I had earlier this year, there is (was) at least one company working with Apple on centralised control of iPads and iPhones in a managed environment. This includes network, web and application management (the ability to roll our apps from a single location without the need for iTunes), but since then it has all gone a bit quiet. This is hardly surprising as no doubt Apple want to ensure anything done to manage their products is completed to the highests standards, but Apple has recognised that they now have to fit in the corporate environment just as much as the home user when it comes to ease of use and manageability, and with Microsoft focussing it's efforts on Windows 8 and it's touch interface, which will, no doubt, have out of the box Windows Server and AD integration (depending on version of course!) Apple and it's development partners will have to get a move on, of course the iPad management project may have been quietly scrapped but I don't think they will have been that daft.

At the ISTE show in Philadelphia we had the Viewsonic booth next to us with a selection of their latest Atom based Windows tablets (running Windows 7) and I have to be honest here, they were very, very fast and smooth n(only held back by Windows 7 painful to use touch interface, but if the Windows 8 touch interface is as smooth and polished as we hope it is going to be then all I can say is 'Watch out Apple!' if this is the standard of hardware they are to be installed on.

[AngryITGuy]

1st thing to do is sync with 1 machine, set up iTunes and an iPad. Do a backup + sync, plug next iPad setup as new, restore from iPad 1 backup, sync apps then apply iPhone config tool policy.

 

This is how we also do it although we have an iPad backup for each department and setup new devices from that and then apply our lockdown policy. We have never needed to sync the apps as they are part of the device backup.

[jerryeight]

yea setting up that many ipads shouldnt be that hard if you had someone to help

[RBrooks]

Sam, you do not have to install apps on each individual iPad. There are devices that allow you to sync the applications from one computer to up to 49 iPads simultaneously. There are iPad carts that secure the ipads, smaller ipad cabinets, sync-charge devices that are portable, and USB hubs used for mass syncing. Most of these solutions sync and charge a classroom set of iPads, making your job much easier. We have a few of these devices at our school and it's been such a time saver. I'd recommend checking out www.ipadcart.info if you're interested.

[TechSupp]

What about using iCloud? Then just download an app on one and the other ipads get it automatically via wifi. Just done it for the couple we have at the moment. Downside is installing apps must be turned on in restrictions to do it. They still need the store login to download themselves (we are in primary) so dont think they will have their own so should be ok. No need to connect to itunes via a cable anymore.

[RBrooks]

Wireless syncing sounds nice, however Wifi is typically 56Mbps (megabits per second) datarate at best. USB2.0 datarate is 480Mbps (approx 10 times quicker). Wifi syncing is fine at home but for it to work in a business or school there would need to be a robust wifi network infrastructure in place. In summary, it's slow, needs robust wifi infrastructure and can be a security issue since the students will have access to the school wifi network which may not be desirable for a school.

[Sean-OC04]

I know that, recalling a phone call I had earlier this year, there is (was) at least one company working with Apple on centralised control of iPads and iPhones in a managed environment. This includes network, web and application management (the ability to roll our apps from a single location without the need for iTunes), but since then it has all gone a bit quiet. This is hardly surprising as no doubt Apple want to ensure anything done to manage their products is completed to the highests standards, but Apple has recognised that they now have to fit in the corporate environment just as much as the home user when it comes to ease of use and manageability, and with Microsoft focussing it's efforts on Windows 8 and it's touch interface, which will, no doubt, have out of the box Windows Server and AD integration (depending on version of course!) Apple and it's development partners will have to get a move on, of course the iPad management project may have been quietly scrapped but I don't think they will have been that daft.

At the ISTE show in Philadelphia we had the Viewsonic booth next to us with a selection of their latest Atom based Windows tablets (running Windows 7) and I have to be honest here, they were very, very fast and smooth n(only held back by Windows 7 painful to use touch interface, but if the Windows 8 touch interface is as smooth and polished as we hope it is going to be then all I can say is 'Watch out Apple!' if this is the standard of hardware they are to be installed on.

 

One company working with Apple on mobile device management?

 

I beg to differ as there are plenty of Enterprise Mobile Device Management solutions out there, many of which have been around for years.

 

iOS Enterprise provides a good comparison guide for those interested.

 

Comparison of MDM Providers | Enterprise iOS

 

 

One feature none of them will have is the ability to "push" apps downloaded from the iTunes App Store to iPods/iPads/iPhones as these have to use the Apple Push Notification Service.

 

For anyone else interested here's useful guide for anyone that needs help in deploying iPads in schools..

 

iPad deployment: Backup/restore deployment strategy and steps

[Alis_Klar]

One company working with Apple on mobile device management?

 

I beg to differ as there are plenty of Enterprise Mobile Device Management solutions out there, many of which have been around for years.

 

iOS Enterprise provides a good comparison guide for those interested.

 

Comparison of MDM Providers | Enterprise iOS

 

 

One feature none of them will have is the ability to "push" apps downloaded from the iTunes App Store to iPods/iPads/iPhones as these have to use the Apple Push Notification Service.

 

For anyone else interested here's useful guide for anyone that needs help in deploying iPads in schools..

 

iPad deployment: Backup/restore deployment strategy and steps

 

Apples own MDM Called Apple Profile Manager (this appears to have superceded the iPhone Configuration utility which generated XML files which were then synced over usb or e-mailed to the device. Not very good) is free. Even though it requires a mac running OS X Lion Server it is a damn sight cheaper than paying the monthly per device fees for other hosted MDM's such as Air Watch.

 

http://speirs.org/blog/2011/7/26/lion-server-mdm-and-a-new-philosophy-of-client-management.html

Edited January 18, 2012 by Alis_Klar

[virginialoolf]

Sometimes that's the case, but I just did an iCloud restore on my iPhone recently and it said that it would try to restore from the same version that you had installed, but sometimes it will just download the most current version of the app. They didn't seem to offer any word on why this was the case.

 

 

I'm assuming it's the same for recovering iPad data from backup files.

[Alis_Klar]

Recently got quotes thru for Lightspeed and Airwatch. A lot cheaper than I assumed!! Also both have the concept on multiuser devices where the user "checks in" using thier AD credentials and then a profile based on group membership is loaded. Also possible to lock down websites iOS devices can access with Airwatch using their own browser. With Lightspeed you have to buy their own "bottle rocket" web proxy appliance which pc's can use too