Explain to Me: Supervision within Apple Configurator

If you wish to do distributed OTA deployment Configurator is not your tool . You might want to look at the soon to be released Apple Mountain Lion server, the current Lion server profile manager, or a commercial MDM too.

Supervision in Configurator is designed for cart type classroom and lab deployments.

Currently I use Configurator to prepare devices for teachers and then I add them to a free cloud MDM (meraki) so I can manage them from afar. Lion profile manager is also a reasonable low cost solution. It really depends on how much control you want to exert over the devices and how you deploy paid apps. I currently supply teachers with school created apple ids that both they and I control, so they can install free apps, and I provide them with redeem codes for additional VPP paid apps that they request ( after an approval process). The initial prep step in Configurator applies wifi, vpn, etc. settings and also installs the generic apps we require on all the tablets. Student iPads are a different matter, with most being Supervised except where students are in a one to one scenario in which the deployment is similar to the teacher set up.

It is free, easy to use, and allows me to remotely track installed apps, apply policies, locate devices, device usage and storage, remotely clear passcodes, set passcodes, etc. Again, it is free and very easy to use. I have looked at Airwatch and Mobileiron among others and Airwatch looks very nice and there is a free trial but it will cost you hefty annual fees.

I plan on looking closely at Mountain Lion Server when it comes out in a few days. You might want to invest in a macmini and Lion - less that $1K.

I am assuming the teachers have a unique apple id. You will have to set up an organizational account and obtain a push certificate ( free) from Apple and upload to Meraki. You will get a Meraki id number and you could have the teachers go the m.meraki.com site and enter the id number for you organization to install the basic Meraki profile. You will also have to set up your teacher profile with a tag. You can then go to the app management part of the Meraki dashboard and add apps you want installed, both free and VPP, that will be installed on any device that has that tag in the profile. You can copy and paste the VPP codes into the field from your VPP spreadsheet.

The certificate process is online and automated. If you run into errors Meraki should work for you without the certificate, it did for me. When the teachers enroll the devices using the Meraki code you will receive you can assign their iPads "tags" and associate any apps, free and paid, that you want on their devices with that tag. They will then get an automatic pop up saying that Meraki .... wants to install appXYZ, you will not be charged.

They will have to enter appleid and password, and the app will install. If it is vpp one code will be assigned each time. When you set up the apps make sure you check off the setting to get the code back if the profile is removed. You can see the inventory on each ipad with this service.

That is correct - Meraki.

We enrolled our devices in Meraki but our serial #'s and LAN IP's etc.. are not showing up. Do you have any idea what I'm failing to do or the problem might be? We use Apple Configurator for the main setup and then apply Meraki Profile. Thanks for any info.

Did you get a signed MDM push certificate from Apple for the Meraki profile? Go to Organization -settings in the Meraki dashboard to get the push certificate.

Can anyone help ?

We are a primary school trying to distribute Apps from the VPP on to our students IPads which all have an individual Apple ID. All seems to be set up well until we try to distribute free apps or ones purchased under the VPP Programme.

At this stage it wants the students to give bank card details for Hesse apps......

Have we made a mistake ? or are we missing a step ?

Thanks in anticipation

Ken Thompson