Possible to "push" App updates to iPads?

Question

Possible to "push" App updates to iPads?

We want to hand out 30 iPads to students, preconfigured with purchased Apps at the beginning of the semester for the entire semester. Invariably there are frequent important updates to Apps. Is there any way to update the Apps remotely using the iPhone Configuration Utility? Otherwise it seems that the only way to do it is to provide each student with our iTunes Store account.

It may be possible to block new purchases but allow updates, but we would rather push them to the devices. Can't find this option in the iPhone Config Utility.

Not sure if purchasing the Apps through the Apple Volume Purchase Program complicates the situation or not.

Thanking anyone for ideas.

Intel XServe, Mac OS X (10.6.7), Server

Posted on Jul 1, 2011 12:07 PM

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Answer 1

KwaK

Level 1

14 points

Jul 4, 2011 8:50 AM in response to Frank Fulchiero

i think i know what you mean, i looking into it myself this week.

i've got 20 ipads that will be deployed and i dont expect the end users to be playing around with it to do updates and installing apps.

i'm hoping its part of the enterprise deployment section

http://www.apple.com/support/iphone/enterprise/

here is the section description "How to create and distribute custom configuration profiles and applications."

i expect its here, lets me know if u find it first

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Answer 2

Aug 22, 2011 11:11 AM in response to Frank Fulchiero

We decided it's just easier this time to give each student an iTunes Store gift cart for the amount of apps we want them to buy, rounded up to the nearest amount available.

There is the new App Store Volume Purchasing Plan for Business, which might have been useful, but don't have time to set it up! May be good for others, and makes it much easier to distribute apps.

http://www.apple.com/business/vpp/

In the above two scenarios, individuals still need their own iTunes Store account, and will have to update their own apps, which in all honesty is not all that difficult. Anyone can start an account without a charge card, see here

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2534

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