IT and Deployment

Apple devices have a built-in mobile device management (MDM) framework that enables third-party MDM tools to monitor and secure devices, remotely over the air. These MDM solutions support configurations for accounts, apps and data on each device according to the needs of the school. IT can easily create profiles to ensure students, educators and staff have everything they need to be productive and secure.

Apple School Manager is a free web-based portal that allows IT to deploy devices to users. Using Apple School Manager, IT can purchase apps and books in volume to distribute to end users so they have the tools they need for learning. Apple School Manager can also be integrated with existing Identity Providers (IdPs), which allow users to sign in to school apps and resources using credentials they already know. And IT can give teachers and students access to Apple services by creating and assigning Managed Apple Accounts.

Apple technology is designed to be intuitive and easy to use for everyone, including IT managers. To begin planning a deployment, however, it’s important to consider which deployment model works best with the institution. After understanding which model works best, IT can select the enrolment type for users.

For institution-owned devices, zero-touch deployment, also known as Automated Device Enrolment, is the best way for IT to deploy Apple devices directly to users. It automatically enrols institution-owned devices into an MDM solution, so IT doesn’t have to physically touch them before handing them out to users. This saves time in getting users up and running, whether classes are conducted on-site or online.

Shared iPad is a solution for institutions that share devices and still want to provide personalised experiences. Before class begins, educators can assign any student any Shared iPad. Students know which devices to use because their pictures are on the Lock Screens, and they can access their personal content using a password or an easy-to-remember four-digit PIN.

Apple School Manager is a simple, web-based portal that allows IT admins to deploy Apple devices to users. The devices a school purchases from Apple or an authorised reseller will automatically appear in Apple School Manager for assignment to their third-party MDM solution. When school-owned devices are unboxed and activated, this portal will instruct users to enrol into MDM using the enrolment settings that were previously defined.

Apple School Manager integrates with Student Information Systems (SIS) to make class roster information available to other apps, such as Classroom and Schoolwork. When connected to an SIS, student, staff and class information is synchronised. So any class roster data that’s changed in the SIS is also reflected in Apple School Manager, keeping school data up to date.

Managed Apple Accounts are created and owned by schools to give students access to various Apple services. Students and educators can collaborate in Pages, Keynote and Numbers to create interactive books, engaging presentations or compelling science reports together. And with 200 GB of free iCloud storage, users can save the content they’re creating and access it on any device. What’s more, Apple School Manager gives IT teams access to management controls for selecting Apple services to enable for users. Managed Apple Accounts allow users to access Apple services and personalise their devices. These accounts are key to creating a personalised experience while meeting the institution’s deployment needs.

Apple School Manager helps IT to integrate with existing IdPs such as Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra ID, allowing for easy creation and federation of Managed Apple Accounts. This ultimately simplifies the sign-in process for students and staff, helping them to authenticate with credentials they already know.