The Volume Purchasing Program is a program from Apple that allows you to buy gift codes en masse for distribution to users, either by mail merging them and sending them out or using a special tool for distribution, such as Apple Configurator or an MDM solution. If you’re in the United States and work with iOS, you’ve likely been using the Volume Purchasing Program for awhile. But for users in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom, the Volume Purchasing Program is new and probably being well received.
The Volume Purchasing Program allows users to receive the codes and install/purchase software without being gifted money to do so, although in most cases the users will need Apple IDs. This is because the Volume Purchasing Program still requires codes to be redeemed, although if you’re using Apple Configurator you can deploy apps without tying them to unique AppleIDs.
Overall, the Volume Purchasing Program is a great way to be able to control and manage app expenditures, and for users in the newly added countries, will help with deployments large and small. To access the Volume Purchasing Program site, see http://www.apple.com/business/vpp. To quote Apple:
Deliver essential business apps to your employees with the Volume Purchase Program, now available in Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, the UK, and the US. VPP makes it easy to purchase iOS apps in any quantity and distribute them to your users. You can also have custom apps built for your company’s unique needs. Search thousands of useful apps, specify any quantity, and use a corporate credit card to complete your purchase. Download the updated VPP Guide for details.