Managing iPads in a school with Volume Purchasing and Apple Configurator

Posted by Robert Stewart on the 18th September, 2012

It's now much easier to manage your iPads as the Apple Volume Purchase Programme (AVPP) is finally here in the UK and allows schools to purchase multiple copies of the same app or book! However, it now appears that you still have to pay by credit card as invoicing is not available yet!!!! I'll keep checking on this and blog when they get round to enabling this vital part of the mechanism!

Once you’ve enrolled on the AVPP you can then go to Education Store and purchase your apps and books for which you will receive a 'redemption code', i.e. a serial number. These codes are managed on a spreadsheet and then uploaded to the  Apple Configurator software which allows you to manage your iPads in a much more efficient way. If you've tried iTunes and iCloud (limited to 10 restores per 90 days!) to manage your devices then you'll know it can be slow and cumbersome. 

In order to use this configurator your will need an Apple Mac computer with at least OS 10.7 installed. You can plug in your iPads individually with a USB cable but easier with a charging trolley. Although some of these 'secure' trolleys aren't very secure so you may need to find a secure area for the trolley! I'm sure if you Google 'powered usb hubs for multiple iPad synching' you'll come up with a cheaper alternative to trolleys.....maybe, if you can find one powered enough to cope with the charging of iPads.

What is Apple Configurator?

Although the software looks complicated at first it's actually very easy to master and there are many great features. Within the configurator you can do the following to your iPads:

• Update the iOS;
• Group iPads into class or group templates;
• Assign a profile to each iPad to control wifi setup, iPad restrictions such as app purchasing, VPN, mail, calendar, contacts, web clips, passcodes and many more things;
• assign apps to each iPad and link them to a previously purchased redemption code (unless the app is free and no redemption code is required);
• assign a 'user' to each iPad, i.e. ‘Tom Jones’. This allows you to store the data for that user on the computer, i.e. a backup. The next time you assign that iPad to that user it will copy across their previous data;
• Add documents to the iPad;
• check iPads in and out so you can keep track of them;
• configure setups and have them automatically rolled out to iPads the next time they are checked in;
• Create and restore a backup of settings and app data from one device to other devices.

In summary

1. Register for AVPP;
2. Purchase apps on iTunes and get your redemption codes;
3. Download Apple Configurator onto your Mac (10.7 or above);
4. Assign the redemption codes to the apps via Apple Configurator (unless the apps are free and then no redemption code is required);
5. Plug your iPads into the Mac (via USB);
6. Roll out settings, apps and users to your iPads;
7. 'Check out' the iPad.

Notes

Previously purchased apps on iTunes (before AVPP) cannot be used with the Apple Configurator, they have to be purchased through the AVPP. Unless someone can tell me otherwise?

For a more detailed explanation of the configurator have a look at the 'First look at Apple Configurator' video. It’s 11 mins long but goes through most of the things you will need to know.

What about using a Windows machine? I haven’t found anything to suggest that 'Apple Configurator' will be available for Windows in the future. However, I believe that 'iPhone Configuration Utility' will do the same on Windows but I’ve not looked into this.