Apple Business Manager

It is a Friday and I've done enough this week. So, I will bite. celliott147 is correct: Apple Business Manager is free. Apple Business Essentials is Apple's MDM and details are here: Business Essentials - Apple

Ok, your questions. These are explicit answers to your questions. You ask about Apple Business Manager.

How do I get started with Apple Business Manager?

Go here and sign up: https://business.apple.com/signup/. If you are not sure which MDM you are going to use, do NOT click the "Interested in Apple Business Essentials" link. A couple of pro tips. You should know your DUNS number and you should be signing up as a person who has legal authority to bind the business into a contract with Apple. Remember, the core of Apple Business Manager is about establishing and enforcing chain of custody of hard and soft assets. The secondary role is for identity. See question 3 below. Once you sign up for ABM, you should have at least two members of your organization setup as full admin. Remember, people move on.

Also, once you have ABM setup you must establish links with your reselling partner. This includes Apple. You will share your organization ID with participating sales partners and they will share their reseller ID with you (Apple customer ID if buying direct from Apple). You will no longer be able to purchase from retail as retail purchases cannot be automatically associated to ABM. Remember, chain of custody. Yes, you can side load with Configurator, but that is a huge waste of time and derails automated enrollment.

2: What is the process for registering a company in Apple Business Manager?

See above for the link. Within a few days Apple should call. If they do not (remember, the holidays are coming and even Apple is allowed to take time off), then you should call Support for Apple Business Manager: 1-866-902-7144.

3: How can I add and manage users within Apple Business Manager?

The smart way to do this is through federation to your identity provider. Azure/Entra and G Suite are easily setup. However, this is only required if you want to pursue Managed Apple IDs. If you have no need or desire to manager Apple IDs, then you don't really need to federate. You can create one off Managed Apple IDs using the placeholder domain. Note, if your company has been around a while and people created Apple IDs using your corporate domain, those IDs will need to be modified when federation and directory sync are enable. This may impact Apple Developer Teams, App Store purchases, and possible even push certificate IDs.

4: Is there a limit to the number of devices that can be managed in Apple Business Manager?

None that I am aware of. Remember, I am talking about ABM. This is the legal linkage of hardware to your business entity. Apple will gladly sell you as many devices as you will buy. Our largest customer has almost 5000 devices in their ABM. Our smallest has 5. ABM is setting chain of custody. ABM is free regardless of how big you are.

5: How do I assign applications to users using Apple Business Manager?

You do not. In ABM you can only license the applications (volume purchasing program (VPP)). You need an MDM to assign the applications to devices. Pro tip: if the app is free, always buy 3x to 5x more than you need. 100 x 0 is the same product as 500 x 0.

6: Does Apple Business Manager support different access levels for users?

Yes. Roles for ABM are Admin, people manager, device enrollment manager, content manager, and staff.

7: How can existing clouds be configured with Apple Business Manager?

ABM can be linked to Azure/Entra or Google G Suite. Again, the main reason for this is to embrace managed Apple IDs. The IDs pass auth to your identity provider. For ABM admin accounts, you might want to use the domain.appleid.com placeholder syntax to ensure you always have access to ABM.

8: What is the procedure for reporting technical issues related to Apple Business Manager?

Support for Apple Business Manager: 1-866-902-7144.

9: What are the benefits of using Apple Business Manager for businesses?

As hinted above, there are three main functions: chain of custody for hard assets, chain of custody for soft assets (App Store apps and books), and identity federation mostly for ease of Managed Apple ID creation. These all become magic once ABM is connected to an MDM. ABM is the foundation. For fleet management, ABM allows automated device enrollment and App Store app delivery without an Apple ID (MDM is required). It is my opinion that all businesses, regardless of size, should sign up for ABM.

10: Can device service status be monitored and tracked through Apple Business Manager?

No. That is not the role of ABM. Get certified and setup as GSX account.

21: How is the pricing for using Apple Business Manager determined?

ABM is free regardless of fleet size. MDM pricing varies. Some will have volume discounts. Others may negotiate custom contracts.

22: Are there different subscription tiers with varying prices for Apple Business Manager?

ABM if free. Some MDMs have tiered pricing. You need to understand the feature set to ensure you are getting the functions you need.

23: Does the price for Apple Business Manager include all features, or are there additional charges for specific services?

ABM is free.

24: What payment options are available for users of Apple Business Manager?

The only reason to add payment method to ABM is if you are purchasing software. If you are only licensing free apps, then valid contact info is all that is needed. However, if you are purchasing apps from the App Store, you will need to provide payment info.

25: Are there discounts or special offers available for large enterprises or educational institutions using Apple Business Manager?

ABM is free. Reach out to the MDM providers to see if they offer volume or EDU discounts. By the way, this is the first mention of EDU. If you are EDU then you should be signing up for Apple School Manager https://school.apple.com/#/enrollment/form and you should be working with Apple EDU sales to setup an eCommerce portal. If you are EDU, and you need to purchase apps in the App Store, you will need to purchase store credits.

26: How frequently are the prices for services related to Apple Business Manager updated?

ABM is free. MDM vendors are independent companies in a free market environment. They may increase at any time.

27: Does the price include technical support, or is there an additional fee for technical assistance?

Not with ABM. Apple Business Essentials includes support. Or, if you are a large business, look into AppleCare for Enterprise.

28: Is there an option to customize subscriptions based on the individual needs of a company?

ABM is free. Everyone gets the same. Check you MDM provider for mix and match tiers.

29: Does Apple Business Manager offer a free trial period?

No. But it is free.

30: What are the potential additional costs, such as integration expenses with existing company systems?

Your guess is as good as mind. No one here knows your environment. There may be none, or there may be a lot. Depends on what you are trying to integrate. For example, if you are an O365 shop and you want to extend device compliance to your Macs, you will need an MDM that supports the integration but also the proper licenses on the Microsoft side. If you've never implemented an MDM, you might consider hiring an experienced consultant to fast track the project.

Hope this provides a good primer. If you have a fleet of Apple products, sign up for Apple Business Manager (always do this first, even before buying hardware), research MDMs and figure out which one has the features you need for your business. Sign up for the MDM, link ABM to the MDM (DEP and VPP tokens). Include all your reselling partners so they are linked to your ABM, allowing automated device association at time of purchase.

Good luck. Remember. Deploying an MDM will make managing your fleet easy. Deploying an MDM to manage your fleet is hard.

Reid

11: How can I track the location of devices using Apple Business Manager?

You cannot. ABM is not an MDM. And most MDMs will only locate a device if it is placed in lost mode. Please note, an MDMs job is not to track employees. Apple's MDM framework does not permit this. There are 3rd party tools, like stuff used in the delivery and service industry, that can send device tracking info.

12: Is there a lost or stolen device reporting feature in Apple Business Manager?

No. Contact your local law enforcement and report the theft.

13: What options are available for securing and monitoring lost or stolen devices in Apple Business Manager?

Nothing in ABM. This is done in your MDM. Supervised devices (devices in ABM and enrolled automatically) can be remotely locked. When locked, the unit will send location information to the MDM so you can identify where the device is. You can also issue a remote wipe. Either is effective as all Apple gear must hit an activation server before allowing setup. Thus, a wiped device will simply prompt for enrollment. This makes stolen devices bricks. They may have it, but they can't use it.

14: Does Apple Business Manager allow for remote locking or erasing of data on lost devices?

ABM does not. MDM does. See above.

15: How do I set up notifications for changes in device location within Apple Business Manager?

In ABM you do not. MDM will record public IP information. This is not precise location.

16: Does Apple Business Manager provide reporting on the location history of devices?

Again, review MDM features. Not included in ABM. Remember, chain of custody, not device management.

17: What are the best practices for device tracking within Apple Business Manager?

You must investigate 3rd party products for this.

18: Can custom alerts related to device security be configured in Apple Business Manager?

This is an MDM feature. Or, with something like Azure/Entra, you can integrate into device compliance policies. Again, not a role of ABM.

19: What information is available in reports regarding device activity in Apple Business Manager?

In ABM, you will only see an Activity and Assignment History log. The MDM will collect the rest.

20: Is there a capability to remotely manage security settings for devices through Apple Business Manager?

This is an MDM function. But yes. Depending on your MDM, you may even have canned CIS compliance policies ready for use.

There are a lot of questions here. You should start with Business - Apple to get going.

Apple Business Manager and Apple Business Essentials are different products (though they sort of live in the same place). Apple Business Manager is free, but does not do any device management. It is merely a connector to either Apple Business essentials or the mobile device management (MDM) platform of your choice. Business Essentials - Apple has more info about pricing and features.