Import and distribute apps from Apple Business Manager

Set up App Store account

Purchase/add apps in Apple Business Manager

You can purchase volume licenses for apps (formerly VPP apps) in bulk volumes via the Apple Business Manager (ABM). When you assign those licenses to users or groups, you maintain ownership and have comprehensive control over their content. If apps are no longer required, you can assign them to a new user. To do so, firstly set up an App Store account in the Cortado administration portal. You can then purchase apps in the Apple Business Manager. (Free apps must also be “purchased” there.) You will then find these apps in the administration portal. There you can assign the apps to the users.

Note! You can create an additional administrator account for your app manager.

Set up App Store account

First of all, create an app store account for each of your locations (see left column in Apple Business Manager) in the Cortado administration portal.

• To do so click under Administration→ Apps on Create in the App Store Accounts tab (arrow in illus.).

• Then select the preferred platform (arrow in illus.).

 Enter the following settings:

• Account Name: Enter a name for the account.
• Server token: To request the app information from Apple, you need the Server Token. You will find this token in Apple Business Manager in your profile (left arrow in illus.) under Preferences→Payments and Billing (middle arrow in illus.) Server Tokens. To do this, select the server token of the desired location (right arrow in illus.) and download it.

Note! You must create a separate App Store account in the Cortado administration portal for each location.

• Open the file .vpptoke in a text editor and copy the contents into the Server Token field. Once a year, you have to install a new token. To learn how to renew the token, see our article How to renew the server tokens of your Apple App Store accounts.
• Assignment type: You can select here whether you want to assign licenses to individual devices, or to users.Device assigned: If the licenses are assigned to individual devices, you don’t need any Apple ID. The app will simply be pushed onto those devices. With device-based licensing, if a user is using multiple devices then one license is consumed for each device.
• User assigned: However, if a license is assigned to a user, an Apple ID will be required. The user will receive a prompt and must enter his personal Apple ID. Only then can he download the app from the App Store. Apps are auto­matically available to load onto all of the user’s devices. In this case, one license per user is used (regardless of the number of devices).
• Mandatory: To enable you to push the apps directly onto the devices, the option Mandatory has been set.
• Automatically install updates: If the checkbox is enabled, app updates are automatically pushed to users' devices.
• With Prevent backup of app data you can prevent backups of app data from being created.
• Data roaming: If this checkbox has been disabled, the user may not use the apps in roaming mode in the mobile network. You can customize this basic setting later, per individual app (you will find a description (see below).
• Cellular data: If this checkbox has been disabled, the user may use the app over Wi-Fi only, but not in the mobile network. You can customize this basic setting later, per individual app (see below).
• VPN profile: If you have created a VPN profile under Administration→ Profiles, you can select it here.
• Single Sign-On profile: If you have created a Single Sign-On profile under Administration→ Profiles, you can select it here. You can also enter Base URL matches.
• Click on OK to create the account.
• If the Assignment type→ User assigned has been selected (middle arrow in illus.), you need to assign the new App Store account to the users.
• To do so, select  Apple App Store account (left arrow in illus.) and then click on Assign Users (right arrow in illus.).

• Then select the desired user and click on OK.

• The assignment can be removed at any time by clicking on Unassign Users.

Note! When using device-based licenses (Assignment type→ Device) this type of activation is not required. The apps can instead be assigned directly. 

Purchase/add apps in Apple Business Manager

Log in to the Apple Business Manager. A link to the Apple Business Manager can be found in the administration portal under Administration→ Apps.

• There click on the plus button (left arrow in illus.) and then on iOS (right arrow in illus.). 

• Here select Apple Business Manager. You will be redirected to the Apple website.

• Sign in to the Apple Business Manager. (Instructions on how to register can be found here).
• Under Apps and Books, purchase licenses for all the apps you plan to distribute to users later. 
• Select the desired app (e.g. Numbers) and assign it to a location (upper arrow in illus.). Then enter the number (lower arrow in illus.) and click Get.

Note! You will also need to add free apps here. For more instructions, see Apple's user guide.

All the apps that you have purchased from Apple through your App Store account are now listed under Apps (left column) (example in illus.). The Refresh button (top left of the illus.) allows you to synchronize your apps with the App Store at any time. Here you can also see to which location the respective apps belong (arrows in illus.).

• If required, the individual apps can be edited beforehand. To do so, select the desired App Store app (upper arrow in illus.) and then click on Edit (lower arrow in illus.). 

• You can now assign the apps to your users .

Note! If the app is not Mandatory it must also be rolled out, as well as being assigned to the users. The buttons Rollout on assigned users or Rollout on failed users (in case the first attempt fails) are provided for this.