[ipad] Apple VPP, how exactly am I ment to use it?

[howartp]

Be aware that with non-Apple MDM once you assign the serial to a device you can't retrieve that licence to re-use elsewhere, but you can do if you use Apple's own solution.

 

According to this blog post, you can get the code back in Meraki if you need to- Meraki Mobile Device Management | admin

 

Near the bottom it says- "Especially if it is a paid for app you are adding make sure you tick the ‘remove with MDM’ box as this will enable you to reclaim the redemption code back at a later day of required."

 

I've not used Meraki so I can't comment if it is correct. I'm trying to decide myself whether it is best to go with Meraki and push apps wirelessly or Apple Configurator and connect to sync and charge trolley. From that blog post, it sounds like Meraki works nicely but I've heard a lot of people had trouble with it.

Just to clarify this for anyone following the thread now or in the future - you can only reclaim and reuse a VPP code via Meraki (or any other MDM) IF the target device (iPad) is 'Supervised' - to be supervised, you have to set up the device using Apple Configurator on a Mac, but it does have other side effects which you might not desire so it's a case of balancing your options.

 

(Apple Configurator only works via cable/cradle, not over the air, and I've read tonight that you can't browse the devices photos etc in Windows when you connect a supervised device by USB.)

 

We're getting 150 iPads shortly, and hadn't planned on USB'ing them at all - hand out to staff still boxed with instructions to join the Meraki network. This will be enforced by the fact that our staff wifi is MAC address authenticated, which we won't harvest until it shows up in Meraki - there will be an un-authenticated wifi which is only allowed to *.apple.com and *.meraki.com (and the relevant subsidiaries such as iCloud) for setup purposes. Thus if they don't join Meraki they won't get Internet access or the school-bought VPP apps deployed!

 

Shame we can't reclaim the VPP codes when staff leave and the device is wiped. (Although, thinking aloud literally as I type...if the serial number and MAC address are the same, when the device is reconnected to Meraki it should pick up the same VPP code...?...?)

 

Something for me to try out tomorrow before I go visit #John. (No idea how to link usernames on here yet!)

 

Peter

[Edu-IT]

You can use any Apple ID that is NOT linked to VPP to actually do the install. We use a single ID per class set, and also use Meraki, so rest assured it does work once you've got it going.

Can I clarify something here. You buy your apps through VPP. A prompt then shows on the iPad to install the app and you use the same iTunes account on a full trolley worth?

[mrforgetful]

You can browse the Camera Roll on a Suupervised iPad connected to a Windows computer via USB.

 

Edu-IT. You purchase the app on VPP using an account which will not login to the iTunes Store as it is a different type of account. You get a spreadsheet of unlock codes which you import into Apple Configurator with the App.

 

I am struggling to find out how you acquire an app installer without buying a copy first. At the moment I have to login to iTunes using an account that can and make a purchase of the app so I can download it. I then have to login to the VPP store using another account to buy the discounted licenses. As we only have 20 loaner iPads I have to buy 21 licenses in total - 20 at a discount and another at full price in the iTunes store to get the actual app installed.