In order to use the Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP), you will need an MDM solution (Profile Manager, Jamf Pro, MobileIron, Meraki, FileWave, etc). The same program is used for device-based VPP or user-based VPP. There are two programs, which is meant to simplify the experience of setting up an MDM solution and long-term maintenance. The first is the traditional VPP account, available to companies and other non-educational environments that have a DUNS number. The second is the newer Apple School Manager, for educational institutions. Before starting to buy apps and associating those apps from an MDM solution, there are a few things you should know. The first is that…
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Add a VPP Token to Profile Manager
In order to use the Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP), you will need an MDM solution (Profile Manager, Casper, MobileIron, Meraki, FileWave, etc). The same program is used for device-based VPP or user-based VPP. One change since 10.11 is that there are now two programs, which is meant to simplify the experience of setting up your MDM solution and long-term maintenance. The first is the traditional VPP account, available to companies and other non-educational environments that have a DUNS number. The second is the newer Apple School Manager, for educational institutions. Before starting to buy apps and associating those apps from an MDM solution, there are a few things you…
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Setup And Manage Profile Manager On macOS Server 5.2
Profile Manager first appeared in OS X Lion Server as the Apple-provided tool for managing Apple devices, including Mobile Device Management (MDM) for iOS based devices as well as Profile management for OS X based computers, including MacBooks, MacBook Airs, Mac Minis, Mac Pros and iMacs running Mac OS X 10.7 and up. Profile Manager has seen a few more updates over the years, primarily in integrating new MDM options provided by Apple and keeping up with the rapidly changing MDM landscape. Apple has added DEP functionality, content distribution, VPP, and other features over the years. In El Capitan Server, there are plenty of new options, including the ability to deploy…
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Programmatically Figuring Out When VPPTokens Expire In Casper
The JSS has the ability to upload multiple .vpptokens, and using those, you can upload separate tokens for sites and then provide App Store apps to different sites based on each having some autonomy by having their own token. This is a pretty cool feature. And using the GUI, you can see when each token expires. You can also see a list of tokens using the API. To see a full list of all the tokens, we’ll just use a basic curl command here: curl -s -u myuser:mypassword https://kryptedjamf.jamfcloud.com/JSSResource/vppaccounts This provides an array of output that has the number of tokens in <size> and the id of each along with…
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Install A vpptoken In OS X Server 5 for El Capitan and Yosemite
In order to use the Apple Volume Purchase Program, you will need an MDM solution (Profile Manager, Casper, MobileIron, Meraki, FileWave, etc). Also, token options were traditionally for one to one (1:1) environments until iOS 9, which marked a change where you can now leverage per-device licensing. This removes the requirement that you need an Apple ID running on each device that you choose to install apps on. Suddenly, VPP is for multi-tenant environments. You can also use codes and options for iOS 7 and up as well as OS X 10.9 and up, but those will use Apple IDs. Also, if you install your vpptoken on OS X Server and you’re running that…
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Sessions For JNUC Getting Posted
As the largest Apple IT gathering in the world rapidly approaches, we want to give you an early glimpse into the great presentations at the JAMF Nation User Conference (JNUC). We are excited to announce that we’ve added the first ten JNUC sessions to our site. With sessions for education and commercial organizations, you’re sure to find presentations to meet your needs. Highlights include best practices for preparing Macs for online testing, ways to bring Apple’s Volume Purchase Program (VPP) and Device Enrollment Program (DEP) to life in your environment, and methods for mitigating and addressing Mac security threats. Haven’t registered yet? There’s still time, but hurry. We’re nearing our capacity. Secure your…
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Bushel: VPP App Distribution Without Apple IDs
Starting today, Bushel can be used to deploy Volume Purchase Program (VPP) apps to Apple devices running iOS 9 or OS X 10.11 El Capitan without the need for an Apple ID. That’s right, no Apple ID required! Read More About VPP App Distribution Without Apple IDs on the Bushel Blog
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Common VPP Questions For Bushel
Can I push out Apps without VPP? Yes. You can push free apps to iOS devices without a VPP account. Paid apps of any kind will need a VPP account, as will free apps on Macs. To Find Out The Answers To Other Common Questions About Apple’s Volume Purchase Program (VPP) and Bushel, Check Out The Bushel Blog Here
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What’s Really In A VPP Token File from Apple’s VPP?
Apple’s Volume Purchase Program allows you to export a VPP token and then import that token into a server to create a connection between an MDM solution (e.g. Bushel, Apple’s Profile Manager, Casper, etc) and apps you purchase through the VPP portal. But what’s in a token? The VPP token is a base64 encoded file. You can cat the file and it will show you a bunch of garbly-gook (technical term): base64 --decode /Users/charlesedge/Desktop/kryptedcom.vpptoken But there’s more to it than all that. We can run the base64 command to see: base64 --decode /Users/charlesedge/Desktop/kryptedcom.vpptoken In some cases, this file can display improperly, if it fails use the following command: echo `cat…
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Moving VPP From Configurator To Bushel
Apple’s Configurator app for the Mac streamlines many setup and management tasks for iOS deployments. Although it lacks some of the core capabilities that a Mobile Device Management solution like Bushel can provide, there are some unique aspects of this deployment tool. For More On Moving VPP Apps from Configurator to Bushel