Apple Business Manager (ABM) is a consolidation of the Apple Automated Device Enrollment (ADE) Program and Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP) portals with a few more useful capabilities. It allows businesses to manage ADE, VPP, Apple IDs, and content from a central management point. ABM is an intuitive and easy-to-navigate portal with a bundle of new features.
ABM is not a replacement for a UEM solution. All the device deployment and configuration done using 42Gears UEM will continue to be deployed using the same admin servers. ABM enhances the customer experience by consolidating the management features of the ADE and VPP portals under one roof. To manage device assignment, apps, purchases, or content, organizations will no longer need to use the ADE and VPP portals after upgrading to ABM.
Important Update:
Apple has officially renamed DEP (Device Enrollment Program) to ADE (Automated Device Enrollment)The following steps are involved in enrolling Apple devices into SureMDM using ABM:
Step 1: Create an Apple ADE account.
Organizations that do not have an Apple ADE account will have to create one on Apple’s website. In order to create an account, Apple will ask to verify the identity and legal entity status through the D-U-N-S number, which is a unique nine-digit number that identifies each organization on the basis of its location. Obtaining the D-U-N-S number is crucial in order to create an account for ADE enrollment.
Step 2: ADE Profile and Server Creation
1. Navigate to SureMDM Settings > Account Settings > IOS/macOS Settings > ADE > ADE Profiles > Add.
2. Name the required configuration and click OK.
3. Navigate to the ADE Servers tab and configure the server as required with the required profile.
Step 3: Link ADE with SureMDM
In order to perform MDM functions on enrolled iPads, iPhones, and Mac OS, the ADE account has to be linked with SureMDM. For linking, a certificate is required, which ensures a secure and trusted relationship between ADE and SureMDM. Following are the steps to get successful ADE linking:
1. Login to https://business.apple.com/
2. Go to Settings > Device Management Settings > Add MDM Server.
3. Under MDM Server Settings, click on Choose File. Upload the .pem certificate that was downloaded from the SureMDM server.
[ The .pem certificate should be downloaded from the SureMDM Web Console > Account Settings > iOS/iPad/macOS Settings > ADE Server tab ] 
4. Name the server 42Gears SureMDM and click on Save.
5. Download the Server Token and upload it at the same place:
i,e [SureMDM Web Console > Account Settings > ADE Server tab].
6. Select the ADE created server, click on Push Configuration, and complete the process by clicking on the Push button.
Step 4: Assigning the listed devices to MDM
After linking Apple ADE with SureMDM, the next step is to assign the devices listed on the ADE account to the SureMDM server. For device assignment, login to the Apple ADE portal and then assign the required devices to the SureMDM server.
Step 5: Initialize the device set up.
After assigning the devices to SureMDM, initialize the device setup process by following the below-mentioned steps:
1. Turn on the devices and follow the on-screen options.
2. Connect the device to WiFi, and the ADE enrollment process will be initiated.
3. The setup process will show a screen confirming that the device will be managed by SureMDM.
4. Once the setup is completed, the device will appear on the SureMDM Web Console under Devices.
NOTE:
To distribute iOS apps using the Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP), please refer to this article.
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