Decide how to provide access to Apple services
As part of your deployment plan, you must define a strategy for providing access to Apple services. The best way is to set up Managed Apple ID accounts for students, teachers and staff. Apple School Manager makes it easy to set up accounts in bulk, and it integrates with your existing environment using federated authentication with Google Workspace or Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).
Note: Although it’s not best practice, it’s possible to configure and deploy devices and apps without Managed Apple ID accounts, or add them in a future phase of your deployment plan.
When you decide to enable Managed Apple ID accounts, students and teachers can access the full range of Apple services, including 200GB of free iCloud storage and the ability to collaborate with the Keynote, Numbers and Pages apps. Students get an individualised experience on iPad, even if they’re sharing one. Teachers can use Classwork to hand out assignments and follow student progress, helping them tailor instruction to each student’s needs. And most important, everyone’s personal data stays private and secure. For more information, see Use Managed Apple IDs and Managed Apple ID features for students and teachers in the Apple School Manager User Guide, and see the video Planning for Your School.