
Apple Business Manager is a free service provided by Apple for businesses and organizations. It allows you to easily manage and deploy Apple devices, apps, and content to your team.
To get started with Apple Business Manager, you'll need to create an account and enroll your devices, which is a straightforward process that's fully free of charge.
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What is Apple Business Manager?
Apple Business Manager is a web-based portal available in around 65 countries worldwide. It's designed specifically for IT administrators to manage their organization's devices and apps.
Apple Business Manager helps IT administrators automate the deployment of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS devices. This can save a lot of time and effort, especially for large organizations.
This tool enables IT administrators to manage roles within their organization, which can be especially useful for companies with multiple departments or teams.
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Cost and Licensing
Apple Business Manager itself is free to use, but other costs like device costs and subscription costs for the MDM solution will need to be considered.
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You don't need to pay Apple directly for using Apple Business Manager, but the costs associated with running a full-fledged device management system can add up.
The free version of Apple Business Manager is called Apple Business Manager, and it's not the same as Apple Business Essentials, which requires a subscription.
If you're using a MDM solution like Microsoft Intune, you only need to sign up for Apple Business Manager, and there's no fee for this.
You'll need to consider the costs of device management, including the cost of the MDM solution, when using Apple Business Manager.
To avoid manual creation of Managed Apple IDs, consider using Federation and Sync with your identity provider.
Automated device enrollment is the way to go, and you can achieve this by connecting Apple Business Manager with your hardware reseller or Apple itself.
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MDM and Compatibility
Choosing an MDM solution that's compatible with Apple Business Manager is crucial for comprehensive device management capabilities.
Apple Business Manager is not a standalone Mobile Device Management solution, so pairing it with an MDM solution that fully supports its features is essential.
Selecting an MDM solution that integrates seamlessly with ABM ensures seamless device enrollment and management, unlocking additional functionalities like granular device controls and advanced reporting features.
Appaloosa is a robust MDM solution that integrates well with Apple Business Manager, offering a feature-rich platform that can be tailored to meet specific business requirements.
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Is an MDM?
Apple Business Manager is not an MDM tool, but rather a foundation layer that integrates closely with Apple's paid MDM service, Apple Business Essentials.
It keeps track of every iOS and macOS device in your organization and can be configured to automatically enroll each device in your MDM.
This is done by registering the serial number of every device you purchase and associating it with your Apple Business customer ID, then sending that information to your connected MDM provider.
As soon as a device is activated and has internet connectivity, it begins the MDM enrollment and provisioning process automatically.
MDM Solution Compatibility
Apple Business Manager is not a standalone MDM solution, so you'll need to pair it with a compatible MDM solution to unlock its full potential.
For comprehensive device management capabilities, it's crucial to select an MDM solution that fully supports Apple Business Manager's range of features.
Selecting an MDM solution compatible with Apple Business Manager ensures seamless device enrollment and management, and unlocks additional functionalities such as granular device controls and security policy enforcement.
Appaloosa offers a robust, feature-rich platform that integrates seamlessly with Apple Business Manager, and can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of your business.
Apple Business Manager integrates closely with Apple's paid MDM service, Apple Business Essentials, and can be configured to automatically enroll devices in your MDM.
It's worth noting that Apple Business Manager keeps track of every iOS and macOS device in your organization, and can send that information to your connected MDM provider.
Onboarding and Essentials
Apple Business Manager is a free tool for basic inventory management of Apple devices, but it's required to enroll those devices in an MDM. Apple Business Manager is a prerequisite for using Apple Business Essentials, which is an MDM service that offers additional features like access to AppleCare repair and support plans.
Apple Business Essentials is not free, with a monthly cost based on the number of devices or users in your organization - either $3/mo per device or $7/mo per user. The interface of Apple Business Essentials is similar to Apple Business Manager, but with more advanced features like remote lock and erase.
You can onboard iOS devices automatically or manually with Apple Business Manager, or use Apple Configurator and Apple Business Manager for manual onboarding.
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Onboarding iOS Devices
Onboarding iOS devices is a straightforward process that can be done automatically or manually. You can choose the method that best suits your needs.
For automatic onboarding, you can use Apple Business Manager. This is a convenient option that streamlines the process and saves time.
If you prefer to do things manually, you can use Apple Configurator and Apple Business Manager. This method gives you more control over the onboarding process.
School Essentials
Apple School Manager is a powerful tool designed specifically for educational institutions. It's a free software that helps schools manage their Apple devices, create Managed Apple IDs, and integrate with Student Information Systems.
Introduced in 2016, Apple School Manager has been a game-changer for many schools. It allows designated roles for students and instructors, making it easy to manage classroom activities.
Remote app locking during class is a feature that's particularly useful for teachers. It ensures that students can't access distracting apps during lessons, keeping everyone focused on the task at hand.
Apple Business Essentials is a relatively new service that's similar to Apple School Manager, but with additional cost-based benefits. It's designed for small businesses, but its features are also beneficial for schools that need more powerful MDM solutions.
Apple Business Essentials launched in June 2022, following Apple's acquisition of MDM-provider Fleetsmith. This service enhances the features of Apple Business Manager, including support and iCloud storage.
If you're a school administrator, you'll appreciate the specialized features of Apple School Manager, such as the Classroom App for iPad-based teaching. It's a great way to engage students and make learning more interactive.
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Do I Need Apple Business Manager?
If your business or organization owns more than a handful of Apple devices, Apple Business Manager is essential. Without it, managing device inventory is a manual process.
You need Apple Business Manager to create Apple IDs for employees to use iOS devices. This is a crucial step in setting up your devices for use in the workplace.
Using Apple devices without Apple Business Manager creates challenges and risks that are unnecessary.
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Do I Need?
If your business or organization owns more than a handful of Apple devices, Apple Business Manager is essential.
You need Apple Business Manager to create Apple IDs for your employees to use iOS devices.
Using Apple devices in an organization without Apple Business Manager may not be “impossible,” but it creates challenges and risks that are wholly unnecessary.
Apple Business Manager is totally free, so there’s no real reason not to use it.
Even in the event you don’t “need” an MDM today, Apple Business Manager makes enrolling your devices in one down the line far easier, should you decide to use one eventually.
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Leveraging the Benefits
Using Apple Business Manager and a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution can be a game-changer for companies with employees using mobile devices at work.
With Apple Business Manager, you can configure multiple Apple devices with just a few clicks, making it easier to manage your corporate data.
Automation of device enrollment is one of the most important aspects to take advantage of, allowing you to easily secure all corporate data from private employee data.
If you're planning to deploy a large number of corporately-owned iPhones and iPads across different sites, Apple Business Manager is invaluable.
The volume purchasing tools in Apple Business Manager make it easy to purchase apps and content for your devices, which is essential for managing a large fleet of Apple devices.
Even if you don't need an MDM today, Apple Business Manager makes enrolling your devices in one down the line far easier, should you decide to use one eventually.
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Leveraging Apple Business Manager
Leveraging Apple Business Manager can simplify device management and deployment for businesses. Apple Business Manager is a free service that allows IT administrators to easily deploy and manage Apple devices in their organization.
You can use Apple Business Manager to push configuration profiles to devices, which can be used to set up email, Wi-Fi, and other settings. This can save time and reduce the need for manual setup.
Apple Business Manager also allows you to assign apps and books to devices, making it easy to distribute content to employees. This can be especially useful for companies that have a large number of devices to manage.
With Apple Business Manager, you can also use the Device Enrollment Program (DEP) to automatically enroll new devices in your organization's management system. This can save time and reduce the need for manual setup.
Apple Business Manager is a free service, but you will need to have an Apple ID and be enrolled in the Apple Developer Program to use it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Apple Business Manager worth it?
Yes, Apple Business Manager is worth it, as it's free and eliminates unnecessary challenges and risks when using Apple devices in an organization. It's a simple, cost-effective way to streamline device management.
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